Days & Ways to Celebrate – April 9-15, 2020
/Well, the social distancing guidelines have been extended for at least another month, as we figured they would be. Looking at the bright side, however, so have our opportunities for celebratory occasions… there’s more time to celebrate life. Here’s a look at days and ways to celebrate during this upcoming week April 9-15th. In some cases, they’re bizarre or wacky, but hey, that’s kind of the way life is now, isn’t it? Choose one or all of these opportunities to give your mind and your family a break from the news and give your spirit a lift.
For Christians, this is Holy Week leading up to Easter Sunday. Our Jewish friends are celebrating Passover for the next eight days beginning tonight at sundown. You may be ‘sheltered in place’, but there’s always a time and a reason to celebrate.
April 9th
Name Yourself Day
Weird, but true. This day is your chance to give yourself whatever name you'd like.. at least.for the day. Go ahead… reinvent yourself. I mean my name is actually Marilyn… yuck! I reinvented myself a long, long time ago and thankfully it stuck. If you like your name, you’re free to change it just for today, or maybe not at all. If you don't like your name, use today to select a new name for the day or for life! If you plan to take advantage of this name change, be creative and for sure, announce your new name on Facebook, so we know who you are!
National Unicorn Day
Yup, it’s Unicorn Day. I’m not sure why this particular day was designated to celebrate unicorns. Perhaps, some famous unicorn was born on April 9th? There seems to be sufficient unicorn movies to allow you to celebrate this mythical beast in style. Learn more about unicorns and unicorn movies here.
April 10th
Siblings Day
Today’s the day to appreciate your sibs. Call your brother; call your sister. Get together… virtually, of course. My sister, Lin, is one of the most important people in my life. It’s great having a sister. Not only that, but David and I live with two of his sibs, Paul & Mary, so we’ll celebrate in Las Vegas in a big way. Ah, but what if you’re an only? No problem, adopt a sib for the day.
National Safety Pin Day
On April 10, 1849, Walter Hunt was awarded Patent #6,281 for his invention of that most versatile and invaluable item… the safety pin. Used to pin things together, for punk body deco, to pin on nametags or corsages (do women still wear corsages?) and a million other uses. We sometimes used them as makeshift ‘clothespins’ to keep clothes from blowing off the line on Nine of Cups’ deck and we still use them when we’re camping.
The world record for the longest safety pin chain was set on September 6, 2019. It belongs to Partha Chandra Deb of Bangladesh. It measures 7,880 feet long. How to celebrate? How about making a chain of them and trying to break Partha’s record? Or for something a little less dramatic, try making some safety pin jewelry. There are lots of patterns on line.
April 11th
International Louie, Louie Day
This is the 65th anniversary of the release of the 50's frat anthem Louie, Louie by Richard Berry. In actuality, "Louie Louie" tells the first-person story of a Jamaican sailor returning to the island to see his lover, however there has been lots of controversy over the lyrics throughout the years. Even the FBI was involved in deciphering the controversial lyrics. Give it a listen and read about the song’s weird history here. Dance a little while you’re reading and reminiscing.
April 12th
Easter Sunday
Put on your Easter Bonnet and join the Easter Parade… via Facetime. Go to church on-line, celebrate Spring in your heart, see what the Easter Bunny brought or participate in an Easter scavenger/egg hunt in your backyard. We’ve been informed that the Easter Bunny is considered ‘essential personnel’, so it’s legal for him to be delivering Easter goodies. Keep in mind, however, that due to social distancing, he might be a little late in his deliveries.
Big Wind Day
This day celebrates the record high surface wind recorded on Mount Washington of 231 MPH back in 1934. It’s no longer the record high wind in the world, but it’s still considered a pretty big blow.
Something of note: On this day in 1633, Galileo was convicted of heresy for announcing that the Earth revolved around the Sun. Hmmm … always kill the messenger.
April 13th
Dyngus Day
Also spelled Dingus Day, this is a fun Polish Holiday. It’s purportedly as popular in Poland as St. Patrick’s Day is in Ireland. Guys sprinkle and/or drench girls with water using squirt guns, buckets, or other containers of water. But, the girls have their turn to strike back, but need to wait a day. Tradition allows women to throw dishes or crockery back at the men on the Tuesday after Easter. A little drastic, I think, plus a poor use of good dishes. Instead, consider getting your revenge by immediately tossing water back at the men. Dyngus Day, by the way, is also called Wet Easter Monday for obvious reasons.
Scrabble Day
Scrabble was created in 1931 by architect, Alfred Mosher Butts, and today is Alfred’s birthday. He called his word game, Lexico. It wasn’t until 1938 that the name was changed to Scrabble and sold for commercial distribution. After reading some Scrabble trivia here, it's very easy to celebrate. Just get out the old board game, dust it off, and play a few rounds with family or friends, assuming they’re home-sheltering with you. Would you prefer something a bit more stimulating? Try Speed Scrabble! Here’s our version of this alternative form of Scrabble which uses only the letter tiles, not the board.
Peeps Day
You can throw away those disgusting marshmallow Peeps that the Easter Bunny delivered yesterday.
April 14th
International Moment of Laughter Day
The objective of this day is to make someone laugh and nowadays, we can use all the laughter we can get. Laughing releases endorphins that make you feel good and give you a sense of well-being. It reduces stress and helps your immune system be more effective, among other things. There’s nothing like a good belly laugh or an uncontrollable, nearly-pee-your-pants laugh shared with people you enjoy. Lin and I share at least one ‘sister laugh’ each time we’re together which involves snorting, loss of breath, sometimes tears and yes, sometimes peeing our pants. So, tell a joke, do something silly, be a clown… make someone laugh and in doing so, laugh yourself.
April 15th
That Sucks Day
I ran across this funny, irreverent, satirical website and thought I’d share it with you. Lots of bad things have happened on April 15th: Abe Lincoln was assassinated on this day in 1865; the Titanic sank in 1912; the Boston Marathon Massacre occurred in 2013 and the Notre Dame Cathedral fire blazed in 2019. Hardly reasons to celebrate, but definitely all things ‘that suck’.
Titanic Day
This day needs to be observed rather than celebrated. The “unsinkable” luxury liner, Titanic, left Southampton, England on April 10th on her maiden voyage bound for New York City. She hit an iceberg at 11:40pm on April 14th and sank two hours later with a loss of more than 1,500 people, one of the largest peacetime maritime disasters in history. Watch the movie or, on the lighter side, read more about the Unsinkable Molly Brown.
McDonald's Corporation was incorporated in Des Plaines, IL on April 15, 1955. Do you remember when you had your first McDonald's burger and fries? I do! I was on a date with John Murphy in 1965 and he ‘took me out to dinner’. The burger was 15 cents, the fries were 15 cents and he paid. Wow!
IRS Tax Day – Not this year! We’ve got a reprieve until July 15th. But if you’re getting a refund, don’t delay. The IRS is still processing refunds.
Okay… another week’s worth of celebrations for you to consider and enjoy. David’s Blue View blog will regale you with our new exercise program. It ain’t pretty, but it might give you another reason to laugh on Saturday. I’ll be back on Monday with a request for a moratorium on partisanship and next Wednesday, I’ll provide another week of celebrations.