Today's Special | Holidays, events, daily observances and funny ways to pass your day

Daily Observances for March 18-24

March 18 is Supreme Sacrifice Day, a day to celebrate any sacrifice that deserves recognition. This is a special day, and one that means something different for everyone. So take a moment to honor someone who has made, in your opinion, a supreme sacrifice.

March 19 is Poultry Day, to honor the role those chickens and ducks have in our lives. To celebrate, go free a hen from a commercial battery and give her a hug! No, not really. I’m fairly certain that is illegal. If you have chickens, give them a special treat.

March 20 is Proposal Day and Festival Of Extraterrestrial Abductions Day, and I can see the two converging in a little quirky wedding chapel in Las Vegas. Would you like a little alien with that wedding cake?

March 21 is Fragrance Day, probably one of many days created for a self-serving corporate profit. I will celebrate it as I do every day – free from commercial fragrances. Now that’s something to celebrate!

March 22 is National Goof-off Day, and since it falls on a Thursday, you could even use a sick day to go do nothing but…well, nothing.

March 23 is National Organize Your Home Office Day. Oh, rats! I’ve been called out again. I suppose if I only have to do it one time a year though, I can probably manage.

March 24 is National Chocolate Covered Raisins Day, and you can bet I’ll need a little pick me up after clearing out this office the day before. Since they happen to be among my favorite desserts, I’ll call this one worthy and celebrate all day.

Daily Observances for March 12-17

Evidently my math was off last week, so you got an extra bonus day. We’re back on track this time, however, so here’s the rest of the week.

March 12 is Alfred Hitchcock Day, a day to celebrate famed British director who produced such classic hits as The Birds and Psycho. Showers and shower curtains have never been the same since. Admit it. You’ve got the suspense music from the Psycho shower scene stuck in your head now, don’t you?

March 13 is Jewel Day. I had to check, but this day is certainly about the gemstone type jewels, and not the singer. So pull out a gaudy pinky ring and enjoy being flashy for a day.

March 14 is National Potato Chip Day. What do you bet this one was created by someone from Lays or Doritos? No matter…grab your favorite brand and snack away.

March 15 is Everything You Think Is Wrong Day. Of course, if you’re a married man, this day is every day, so go on about your normal business and dream of the day you get to be right. That’ll teach her!

March 16 is Everything You Do Is Right Day. Since we’re not without some mercy, you men get a boon on this day. Feel free to take a well-deserved pat on the back and enjoy the spotlight.

March 17 is Submarine Day. Since most of us don’t have easy access to a real submarine, I say we all hit up the local sub shop and have a bit to commemorate.

Daily Observances for March 4-11

March 4 is Holy Experiment Day, which sounds to me like something the Catholic church might have cooked up, but in reality it is evidently a day to test whether God exists, by asking for something that only God can provide.

March 5 is Multiple Personalities Day, a day to let Betsy or Fred run free and wreak havoc. You can always blame it on the day, sort of like how people do practical jokes on April Fool’s Day, all in the name of fun.

March 6 is National Frozen Food Day, which probably does not refer to the Eskimos’ food, but that processed stuff that tries to pass itself off as real food and takes up space in your freezer. Maybe we could celebrate using those chunks of icy fake food like clay pigeons?

March 7 is National Crown Roast Of Pork Day, served fresh all day with a side of spiced applesauce and mouthwatering mashed potatoes and gravy.

March 8 is Be Nasty Day, possibly invented by the Grinch? Today is apparently the day you let out all the stored up nastiness you’ve been holding back for the rest of the year.

March 9 is Panic Day. Is it because there is just over a month until taxes are due? This year, add the hoo-hah about 2012 being the end of the world, and you can have yourself a regular panic attack party.

March 10 is Festival Of Life In The Cracks Day. I couldn’t find a definitive answer on this one, but perhaps it is to celebrate all the goings on behind the scenes that keep our world running smoothly.

March 11 is Worship of Tools Day, for without them, great things would go undone, like tightening the squeaky door hinge.

Daily Observances for February 26 to March 3

February 26 is National Pistachio Day, which delights my husband to no end. Maybe this is the once per year day he can get the expensive treat no one in the house but him enjoys.

February 27 is International Polar Bear Day. Someday, this day could have a completely different feel to it, with the polar bear facing danger from melting ice caps. For now, let us celebrate their beauty and ferocity, and be thankful we don’t live near them!

February 28 is Public Sleeping Day, but for some people, that day is every day. Don’t you envy those people who can fall asleep anywhere? I’d love to be able to fall asleep in my own bed!

February 29 is National Surf and Turf Day, so let’s take a trip to Maine and enjoy some fresh lobster! Okay, maybe that’s just my fantasy, but you can share it too.

March 1 is Peanut Butter Lover's Day. Of all the days I’ve written about so far, this could quite possibly be my favorite. Peanut butter should be a staple of almost everyone’s diet. It is so good with celery, Ritz, by itself…

March 2 is Old Stuff Day, because who would we be without all that old stuff? But seriously, there is so much history and wonder in things from the past, so let’s have a day to celebrate them!

March 3 is I Want You To Be Happy Day, which I’m going to guess means you should do for someone something that will make them happy, regardless of how it makes you feel, because that’s what love is all about.

Daily Observances for February 19-25

February 19 is National Chocolate Mint Day, and I’m on my way to the store. I just have to do my part to celebrate, so I’m thinking some Andes mints are in order.

February 20 is Hoodie Hoo Day, which was completely foreign to me. I thought maybe it was in celebration of some strange creature from fantasy land, but according to a Facebook page dedicated to it:

“You're supposed to go out at noon, wave your hands over your head and say "Hoodie-Hoo" to scare away Winter and make way for Spring!”

There is a separate day for the Southern hemisphere, so this day only applies to those in the Northern hemisphere.

February 21 is Card Reading Day, so if you have been putting off actually reading those birthday cards people gave you, now is a good time to whip out the reading glasses. Oh, do they mean Tarot? Well, you could do that too, I suppose.

February 22 is Be Humble Day. If you’ve ever met someone who loved himself too much, you might agree that every day should be Be Humble Day. For the rest of us, we can get some practice in on this day.

February 23 is International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day. Because without dog biscuits, we might never have been able to figure out how to give our dogs treats (yes, that’s sarcasm).

February 24 is National Tortilla Chip Day, which is remarkably similar to the corn chip day we had in January, but I’ll take it.

February 25 is Pistol Patent Day. Samuel Colt was awarded his patent on this day in 1836, and the world was changed forever.

Snowstorms make everybody act like kids

Go outside.

It snowed for the first time here on Saturday. The check-out guy at the little grocery store where I shop told me he was disappointed about it because he is still in college, and a Saturday snowstorm wouldn’t get any of his classes canceled. He was pretty bummed.

I know what he means. There’s something about a snow day that’s better than a vacation or a day off or a weekend. You’re expected to do nothing, to plan nothing and instead spend the day building snowmen and drinking hot cocoa. It’s more exciting than I like to admit refreshing your Weather Channel browser, waiting for the next school closing or inch of snow to fall.

Last year, Seattle had an epic snowstorm—by Seattle standards anyway—and the high school where I worked was closed for three days. It was like some youthful reprieve for the real world—exactly how I felt about snow days when I was a kid, especially because I lived on a steep hill and couldn’t drive. Everyone seemed particularly gleeful when they’d venture out of their apartments and step gingerly across the icy sidewalks to buy pho from Vietnamese restaurants and Swiss Miss from the corner groceries. It was like we were all kids again, marooned in our own apartment islands.

There’s definitely something nostalgic about snow days, particularly because kid-like behavior is encouraged and perpetuated. Those of us lucky enough to grow up in snowy climates remember building forts in the backyards, snow pants and wet gloves, snowball fights and sledding down the hill in neon-colored sleds. Snow days are when you meet up with your neighborhood friends and see if the ice on the neighborhood pond is frozen yet. When you bring in snow and put honey and milk into it, much to your parents’ chagrin. See, I’m getting nostalgic just thinking about it.

And if you think about it, we still get to do those things as adults when it snows. I see adults building snowmen and having snowball fights in their front yards, whether they have kids with them or not. Seattle definitely had a bunch of—grouchy!—adult snowboarders backing up traffic this season, something they couldn’t do when their parents told them to be on their best behavior. It’s like adult snow days are a bit wilder, probably a bit boozier, and a bit more dangerous than they were when we were kids. But fun in the same way.

White T-Shirt Day is February 11th

Tomorrow, February 11^th is nationally recognized as White T-shirt Day. What does this mean?

Wearing a white shirt on this day means you are honoring those men and women who were brave enough to fight for what should have been their given rights.

Today, though… most people have forgotten the original message this national holiday is meant to send. Most simply see it as an excuse to wear the ever popular white t-shirt. However, this is in fact a day to honor one of the original “occupy” movements. In 1937, members of the UAW union had a sit down strike at General Motors. This strike ended on February 11^th, 1937. To learn more, go here.

As stated on the UAW union’s website, there are a couple rules that should be followed if you intend to honor these brave individuals. Rule number one is a given (and has already been stated, for the matter). You must wear a white t-shirt or white blouse. Rule number two is that your white t-shirt or blouse must not get dirtier than your boss’s own shirt. Rule number three is that work and safety rules must still be followed.

February 11^th falls on a Saturday this year, most of us won’t be working, so maybe when you’re out playing tomorrow, visiting friends and sipping wine and making merry, make an effort to wear a white t-shirt. Though… if you are working tomorrow, then (I suppose) grin and bear it and follow the UAW’s rules for White T-shirt Day.

Daily Observances for February 12-18

February 12 is National Plum Pudding Day. Evidently, plum pudding originates with the English, which somehow makes sense. When I Googled, the first recipe I found was “Superb English Plum Pudding.” How fitting! Except for the suet, the ingredients seem rather tasty. Have you ever had plum pudding?

February 13 is Get A Different Name Day. If you have been procrastinating, now’s the time to get on it! You can be anyone you want to be, even if it’s just for one day.

February 14 is Ferris Wheel Day. Which came first, Ferris wheels as a celebration of love or love as a celebration of Ferris wheels? In any case, what could be more romantic than taking a Ferris wheel ride on Valentine’s Day?

February 15 is National Gumdrop Day. Goody goody gumdrop! My favorite is green, which I believe is wintergreen. The worst is black licorice. It’s always such a bad surprise when I accidentally grab one of those.

February 16 is Do A Grouch A Favor Day. In our local town, a resident grouch is elected each year. This would be a great opportunity to celebrate their grouchiness. I wonder if the town knows about this holiday. It seems to me this would be a great day to hold elections.

February 17 is Champion Crab Races Day. Wow. I’m yawning just thinking about how exciting a crab race must be. What does the winner get? A quicker boil in the pot?

February 18 is National Battery Day. Wikihow has a page dedicated to helping you figure out how to celebrate this day, so get to reading and be prepared to celebrate all things battery.

Daily Observances for February 5-11

February 5 is Disaster Day, though for some of us, that may feel like every day. Those of you with kids know that story well – disasters seem part and parcel of child raising, though most are humorous. Here’s hoping the day turns out better than it sounds.

February 6 is Lame Duck Day. We couldn’t celebrate a fit duck, evidently. I wonder what you do with a lame duck? Soup? Crutches? I guess we will find out shortly.

February 7 is Charles Dickens Day. As you probably know, Charles Dickens is one of the greatest authors ever, penning such masterpieces as A Tale of Two Cities, Great Expectations and A Christmas Carol, all of which can be downloaded to Kindle for free.

February 8 is Kite Flying Day. Really? In February? I’m guessing the person who came up with this one doesn’t live where winter exists. I’ll write a rain check and celebrate this one in the summer.

February 9 is Toothache Day. Perfect! Next time a tooth threatens to start hurting, I will simply reschedule it for this day. I would much rather do it all on one day than spread it out throughout the year.

February 10 is Umbrella Day. Umbrellas truly are a great invention, and they deserve their own day for sure. Did you know, in some places, like where I live, it rains so little you never need an umbrella?

February 11 is White Tee-Shirt Day and Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk Day. I notice a theme of white here. The other day, I saw a saying on Facebook that said something like, “Whoever said not to cry over spilled milk never pumped six ounces and then spilled it.” Being a nursing mom, I thought that was a great one. So sometimes it is okay to cry over spilled milk.

Daily Observances for January 29 through February 4

January 29 is National Corn Chip Day. I like the corn chips at our local Mexican restaurant – they deep fry corn tortilla shells and cut them into quarters. Delicious and fresh!

January 30 is Escape Day. No, I’m pretty sure it is not a day devoted to the SUV, but perhaps you can use your Escape to escape! I think it’s a perfect excuse for an overnight getaway, or even escaping into a relaxing bath.

January 31 is National Popcorn Day, which is confusing because January 19 is National Popcorn Day, but evidently there is some disagreement on when we should celebrate popcorn. I say, let’s give it two days!

February 1 is Serpent Day. I looked to see if there was some deeper meaning to this day, but no, it really is to celebrate snakes. So slap on your snakeskin boots and hit the town!

February 2 is Purification Day is a Christian holiday celebrating the presentation of the child Jesus, Jesus’ first entry into the temple, and Virgin Mary’s purification. It goes by Candlemas too.

February 3 is Cordova Ice Worm Day is a celebration of the ice worms that created a craze in 1898. See the resources to read the interesting story behind the ice worms found in Dawson, AK.

February 4 is Create a Vacuum Day. Perhaps this is where Dyson got its start! This day is actually about creating a vacuum as per the law of physics. There are a lot of ways to do this, and Youtube even has videos on the subject.

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