odditudes-and-weirdities

Holidays today pertain to topics like marriage proposals, laughing your way to riches (somehow), cleaning old programs/files out of your computer, the Boy Scouts, opera, molasses bars, oatmeal, and kite flying: Boy Scout Day Clean Out Your Computer Day Kite Flying Day Laugh and Get Rich Day National Molasses Bar Day Oatmeal Monday Opera Day Propose Day Propose Day is the holiday leading up to Valentine's Day that's set aside for celebrating the marriage proposal. The Boy Scouts were incorporated on this date in 1910. Admittedly Laugh and Get Rich Day is a little short on how to accomplish that goal. Apparently eating oatmeal was an important part of 17th century Scottish universities, and this tradition is remembered as Oatmeal Monday. One day after the culturally important Ballet Day we follow it up with Opera Day. Kite Flying Day is similar to the June 15 Fly a Kite Day. Photo by Lucie Hošová on Unsplash

Note : Superb Owl Sunday is the 2nd Sunday in February starting in 2023. Today is Superb Owl Sunday! It's a day to celebrate how superb owls are. (Apparently a football league has repositioned a couple letters as the inspiration for their championship game , but obviously this is of secondary importance to owls.) Most owls are the "night shift" of predatory birds, though it's not unheard of for some to be active in daylight. A Snowy Owl that's visited Central Park was definitely a superb owl. Here are a couple education owls residing at The Raptor Trust in central New Jersey. Red-morph Eastern Screech Owl - The Raptor Trust Barred Owl - The Raptor Trust A former bird rehabber a little further away, the Delaware Valley Raptor Center , also has superb owls living with them. Saw-whet Owl - Delaware Valley Raptor Center Great Horned Owl - Delaware Valley Raptor Center

Weather observers/forecasters, raising awareness about heart disease, giving free dental care to children from poor families, moving plays and movie-making to a smallish town in Pennsylvania, a chocolate/hazelnut spread, enquiring about your recent flatulence history, chocolate fondue, charging a small fee to allow schoolchildren to chew bubblegum in school as a school fundraiser, and the western population of Monarch Butterflies are people/things we're paying attention to today: Bubblegum Day Did You Fart Day Give Kids A Smile Day Move Hollywood & Broadway to Lebanon, Pennsylvania Day National Chocolate Fondue Day National Wear Red Day National Weatherperson's Day Western Monarch Day World Nutella Day National Wear Red Day is supposed to help raise awareness about heart disease. It's unlikely that Lebanon, PA is going to supplant Hollywood/Broadway to become the center of acting in the US. But Lebanon can dream, can't it? Unfortunately the Western Monarch Butterfly

Combatting cancer, the United Service Organization (USO), expressing appreciation to your postal carrier, flamboyant pianist Liberace, stuffed mushrooms, homemade soup, civil rights activist Rosa Parks, and creating an empty vacuum are people/topics covered in today's observances: Create a Vacuum Day Homemade Soup Day King's Ransom Day Liberace Day National Stuffed Mushroom Day Rosa Parks Day Thank Your Mailman Day USO Day World Cancer Day Richard the Lionheart  was ransomed on this date in 1194 from the  Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI . Rosa Parks , the first lady of civil ri ghts, was born on this date in 1913. By Unknown author - USIA / National Archives and Records Administration Records of the U.S. Information Agency Record Group 306, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4344206

Observances today are about a plane crash that affected the rock music scene, reflecting on patient care/satisfaction, female athletes, carrot cake, wedding rings, and the hoax-y ice worms of Alaska: National Carrot Cake Day National Cordova Ice Worm Day National Girls and Women in Sports Day National Patient Recognition Day National Wedding Ring Day The Day the Music Died Day On this date in 1959 rock musicians Buddy Holly , Ritchie Valens , and The Big Bopper died in a plane crash. Apparently Alaskan bartenders will pull spaghetti-like things from ice blocks, claiming they are Cordova Ice Worms. Could these be immature Cordova Ice Worms? Image by  TanteTati  from  Pixabay

Here's a holiday you might see on Facebook but isn't documented in very many places: World Ostrich Day . Ostriches are ratites , just like Emus, Cassowaries, Kiwis, and Rheas. Ostriches are big; they can be over 9 feet tall and weigh more than 340 pounds. No land animal has bigger eyes, and no living bird lays bigger eggs. And they're relatively fast, able to sprint at 43 mph and run longer distances at 34 mph. There are 2 extant species, the Common Ostrich and the Somali Ostrich . Taxonomy isn't an exact science; the Somali used to be considered a subspecies of Common Ostrich, suggesting that there's not vast differences between the 2 species. (Apparently the Somali has a bluish neck and thighs, especially in the males.) The Common Ostrich still has 4 subspecies, at least for the moment. Today is a day to celebrate these impressive birds. Photo by John-Paul Rowe on Unsplash

Holidays today cover subjects like verifying your car insurance, defying winter by hula dancing outdoors, changing your password(s), abolishing slavery in the US, decorating with candy, working sans clothing, the classic marooned-on-an-island book, spunky old broads, a Gaelic spring festival, an iconic toy soldier, the Baked Alaska dessert, and snakes: Spunky Old Broads Day Robinson Crusoe Day National Work Naked Day National Serpent Day National Freedom Day National Baked Alaska Day Imbolc Hula in The Coola Day GI Joe Day Decorating with Candy Day Change Your Password Day Car Insurance Day Perhaps the British Isles warm up faster than things do here; Imbolc is an old Gaelic holiday celebrating spring. On this date in 1709 Alexander Selkirk was rescued from an island, inspiring the book Robinson Crusoe . Sorry feisty old dames, but today's holiday is for your arch-rivals the spunky old broads. On this date in 1865 Abraham Lincoln signed a resolution that would lead to the 13th A

Doing things backwards, getting inspired by art, the freezing over of the underworld, an appreciation of Social Security, sports related computer games, combatting leprosy, combatting head lice, the Brandy Alexander cocktail, Scotch tape, shot chocolate, and zebras are on our minds today: World Leprosy Day Winter-een-mas: Sports Scotch Tape Day National Hot Chocolate Day International Zebra Day Inspire Your Heart with Art Day Hell is Freezing over Day Bug Busting Day Brandy Alexander Day Backwards Day Appreciate Your Social Security Check Day This time of year it's frequently freezing, though my guess is that Hell is Freezing Over Day is about imagining all the things that could occur when people have used that expression.  We also celebrate those stripey equines the zebras today. Photo by Sarah Kilian on Unsplash

Observances today are about neighborhood yodeling, swapping seeds with fellow gardeners, escaping from the everyday/routine grind, "creative" answering machine messages, non-violence/peace, role-playing computer games, croissants, and rattlesnakes: Inane Answering Message Day National Croissant Day National Escape Day National Seed Swap Day Rattlesnake Roundup Day School Day of Non-violence and Peace Winter-een-mas: Role-playing Yodel for Your Neighbor Day The School Day of Non-violence and Peace is observed on the anniversary of the death of Mahatma Gandhi . Originally a day to round up and kill rattlesnakes, Rattlesnake Roundup Day is now about educating people about these snakes occupying an important niche in their ecosystems. Photo by Duncan Sanchez on Unsplash

Today's observances concern seeing eye dogs, racing computer games, having fun at work, the earned income tax credit, freethinkers, carnations, corn chips, curmudgeons, a historically large block of cheese, and puzzles: Big Block of Cheese Day Curmudgeons Day EITC Awareness Day Freethinkers Day AKA Thomas Paine Day International Fun At Work Day National Carnation Day National Corn Chip Day National Puzzle Day Seeing Eye Dog Day Winter-een-mas: Racing Big Block of Cheese Day was inspired by a West Wing episode about a gift to Andrew Jackson, but it was celebrated with a more modern  White House event . Today in 1897 William McKinley was born; he would become the 25th US president and whose favorite flower was the carnation. WC Fields  was born on this date in 1880, inspiring Curmudgeons Day. It's also a day to celebrate puzzles.

Holidays today cover topics like Native American names for tonight's full moon, developers of plugins, blueberry pancakes, real time strategy computer games, data privacy, playing the kazoo, pop art, wearing clashing clothing, and daisies: Clashing Clothes Day Daisy Day Data Privacy Day National Blueb erry Pancake Day National Kazoo Day Pop Art Day Thank a Plugin Developer Day Winter-een-mas: Real-time Strategy Full Wolf Moon aka Cold Moon aka Frost Exploding Moon aka Freeze Up Moon aka Severe Moon aka Hard Moon Today is about pop art, and if you can work clashing clothes, blueberry pancakes, or daisies into your pop art, all the better. But it's also about the Full Wolf Moon; have a howling good time with that. Image by  Patrice Audet  from  Pixabay

Today's observances cover subjects/people like the victims of the Holocaust, the ending of the Vietnam War, the workplace punch clock, fighting-based computer games, toilet popularizer Thomas Crapper, chocolate cake, and the National Geographic magazine: Chocolate Cake Day International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust National Geographic Day Punch the Clock Day Thomas Crapper Day Vietnam Peace Day Winter-een-mas: Fighting Thomas Crapper, a businessman-plumber who popularized the toilet, died on this date in 1910. The National Geographic magazine has been educating us about the world since 1888. "NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Magazine 1931-08 (1) ALONG THE OLD MANDARIN ROAD OF INDO-CHINA"   by  manhhai  is licensed under  CC BY 2.0

 Taking a walk outdoors, the US presidential inauguration, achieving acceptance of the disabled, the sweaters Bill Cosby used to wear, learning about penguins and the challenges they face, people who love cheese, buttercrunch, camcorders, and disc jockeys draw our attention today: Camcorder Day Disc Jockey Day Inauguration Day International Day of Acceptance National Bill Cosby Sweater Day National Buttercrunch Day National Cheese Lovers Day Penguin Awareness Day Take A Walk Outdoors Day Before being convicted of sexual assaults, Bill Cosby was a popular figure associated with wearing sweaters. National Bill Cosby Sweater Day is a warning that associating your holiday with a celebrity can be a mistake if the celebrity gets discredited later. Today is also a day to learn about those odd-looking but photogenic birds, the penguins. Photo by Dušan Veverkolog on Unsplash

 Holidays today are about remembering happy experiences, tin cans, brewing potions, reptilian aliens in Star Trek, and popcorn: Brew A Potion Day Good Memory Day Gorn Friendship Day National Popcorn Day Tin Can Day Though the name of the holiday is Tin Can Day, it's entirely possible that the intent of the holiday is to celebrate any metal can. I'm assuming that brewing potions is mostly celebrated by witches, warlocks, wizards, sorcerers, sorceresses, shamans, and other mystics/magicians. (Extra credit if popcorn is an ingredient and/or you store it in a tin can.) Image by  Raventhorne  from  Pixabay

Holidays today cover subjects like making a heartfelt connection with people, first person shooter computer games, spouses, international customs officials/agencies, achieving in life by learning to speak in public, the Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet, peanut brittle, and Australia: Australia Day International Customs Day Lotus 1-2-3 Day National Peanut Brittle Day National Speak Up and Succeed Day Spouse's Day Toad Hollow Day of Encouragement Winter-een-mas: First Person Shooter The Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet was launched on this date in 1983 and helped popularize the old IBM PC. Australia considers its founding to be on this date in 1788. Image by  OpenClipart-Vectors  from  Pixabay

Today's holidays are about enunciating in the manner of a grizzled old prospector, getting things done, giving out compliments, heartfelt laughter, lobster thermidor, eskimo pies, beer cans, the Macintosh computer, and peanut butter: Beer  Can Appreciation Day Global Belly Laugh Day Macintosh Computer Day Nation al Compliment Day National Eskimo Pie Patent Day National Just Do It Day National Lobster Thermidor Day National Peanut Butter Day Talk Like a Grizzled Old Prospector Day Just Do It Day is a day to get things done that maybe you've been putting off, or trying to find the right time, or just plain forgot about. The Macintosh computer was introduced today in 1984. Have a goldurn, doggone, goldarned, dadgum, goldang happy Talk Like a Grizzled Old Prospector Day. "Prospectors Monument, Knott's Berry Farm, July 1961"   by  Orange County Archives  is licensed under  CC BY 2.0

Today's holidays are about things/people like adventure computer games, improving communication in the workplace, having a good place to write in, community managers, shaking things up by doing the opposite of what you usually do, Scottish poet Robert Burns, Irish coffee, bubble wrap, and observing the weather: A Room of One's Own Day Better Business Communication Day Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day Burns Night Community Manager Appreciation Day National Irish Coffee Day Observe The Weather Day Opposite Day Winter-een-mas: Adventure The weather is always there; today is a day to experience it. Photo by Max LaRochelle on Unsplash

Civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr, the Peking duck menu item, the armed forces of Thailand, elementary school teachers, thesauruses, melancholia, cartoon bear Winnie the Pooh, and gourmet coffee each attract celebratory attention today: Elementary School Teacher Day Blue Monday National Gourmet Coffee Day National Thesaurus Day Peking Duck Day Royal Thai Armed Forces Day Winnie the Pooh Day Martin Luther King Day Royal Thai Armed Forces Day is celebrated on the anniversary of a conflict won by the king of Thailand who defeated the crown prince of Burma in what is described as an elephant duel . Blue Monday has been pseudo-scientifically proven to be the saddest day of the year. (It does have a formula, but that's probably as close to science as it gets.) Peter Mark Roget , famous for the thesaurus he wrote, was born on this date in 1779. A. A. Milne , creator of Winnie the Pooh , was born on this date in 1882. Martin Luther King Jr was born on this date in 1929. Image by 

 Answering questions your cats appear to be asking, activity professionals, the provocative Dance of the Seven Veils, the Supreme Court decision that established a right to abortion, sharing your life with your children, coming in from the cold, polka dots, blonde brownies, and hot sauce: Celebration Of Life Day Come In From The Cold Day Dance of the Seven Veils Day National Activity Professionals Day National Answer Your Cat's Question Day National Blonde Brownie Day National Hot Sauce Day National Polka Dot Day Roe v. Wade Day Activity professionals are the people who plan activities, especially ones for people in hospitals, convalescent homes, and other institutions. It's unclear whether Come In From the Cold Day is about literally coming inside to get out of the cold January weather, or whether it's for the more metaphorical meaning of the term where you are allowed to leave a hostile environment and enter a safer, more comfortable one. Let's finish up with polka do