odditudes-and-weirdities

Those who died in the military service for their country, abstaining from the use of tobacco products, positive thinking, meditation, protecting your hearing, speaking in complete sentences, macaroons, and protecting wild parrots are part of our observance landscape today: National Macaroon Day National Meditation Day National Save Your Hearing Day Speak in Complete Sentences Day What You Think Upon Grows Day World No Tobacco Day World Parrot Day Memorial Day What You Think Upon Grows Day supports using positive thinking to improve your life while warning that negative thoughts could be harmful. The World Parrot Trust created World Parrot Day to protect parrots living in the wild. Photo by Zdeněk Macháček on Unsplash   

Holidays today cover subjects like watering your flowers, an early pioneer in radio technology, buckets with holes, hugging cats, mint julep drinks, and sea lions: Hug Your Cat Day Loomis Day My Bucket's Got A Hole In It Day National Mint Julep Day Water a Flower Day World Sea Lion Day Admittedly a holiday about a bucket with holes seems a bit silly; it's probably better if you don't have buckets like that despite the holiday. Mahlon Loomis was a dentist/inventor who transmitted signals through the air, and despite his misunderstandings about the science it could be argued he was the first person to send/receive radio signals. Today we celebrate sea lions and fur seals (the latter are really more like sea lions than true seals). Photo by Bradley Dunn on Unsplash

Observances today cover topics like promoting digestive health, United Nations peacekeepers, an unusual way of acquiring prosperity/fortune, a meal of coq au vin, paperclips, biscuits, the end of the Middle Ages, and learning about composting: International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers End of the Middle Ages Day International Coq Au Vin Day Learn About Composting Day National Bisc uit Day Paper Clip Day Put a Pillow on your Fridge Day World Digestive Health Day In olden times taking a piece of fabric from your bedroom and leaving it in your larder (aka pantry) was considered to foster good luck and prosperity. The modern rendition of this is leaving a pillow on your refrigerator. "Coq au vin" is a French term for a meal of rooster with wine. On this date in 1453 Constantiople fell to the Ottoman Empire, causing many of the scholars and intellectuals there to flee across Europe, eventually spawning the Renaissance and ending the Middle Ages. Today is a day to learn to co...

Today's observances are about combating world hunger, freeing political prisoners, dealing with hot weather, music albums named after one of the songs, hamburgers, brisket, and slugs: Amnesty International Day National Brisket Day National Hamburger Day National Heat Awareness Day National Title Track Day Slugs Return from Capistrano Day World Hunger Day Though it's not technically summer yet, we've already seen some 90F days this season. Today is a day for thinking about and protecting yourself from the heat of summer. On this date in 1961 a British newspaper called for amnesty for political prisoners and inspired the creation of the Amnesty International organization. Every March 19, people celebrate the Cliff Swallows that return to the San Juan Capistrano mission in California. Poking a little fun at that, some people are "celebrating" the return of land slugs from that same mission and to surrounding homes and gardens. Photo by Wolfgang Hasselmann on Unspla...

Holidays today are about preventing fear from interfering in our lives, using sunscreen, grape popsicles, and cellophane tape: Cellophane Tape Day National Grape Popsicle Day Nothing To Fear Day Sunscreen Day Nothing to Fear Day had a bunch of celebrity fear-related quotes, but they missed the Bene Gesserit quote: “I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.” Cellophane tape may seem like a simple product, but it's still pretty useful in some situations. Image by  Clker-Free-Vector-Images  from  Pixabay

Observances today cover subjects like raising awareness of multiple sclerosis, expressing sorrow for the treatment of Indigenous Australians, seniors who stay fit, people with red hair, a popular dance to jazz music, paper airplanes, and otters: National Paper Airplane Day National Senior Fitness Day Sorry Day World Lindy Hop Day World MS Day World Otter Day World Redhead Day Today we celebrate those aquatic mustelids, the otters. Photo by Connie Kwan on Unsplash

Holidays today are about blueberry cheesecake, cherry desserts, the first American woman to go to space, Dracula, the full moon, and (for some) a lunar eclipse: Full Flower Moon aka Leaf Budding Moon aka Planting Moon aka Egg Laying Moon aka Frog Moon aka Moon of the Shedding Ponies Blood Moon aka Red Moon Sally Ride Day World Dracula Day National Blueberry Cheesecake Day National Cherry Dessert Day Tonight's full moon is considered a Blood Moon or Red Moon because it will experience a full eclipse for some parts of the world (though not my part). The other names for the full moon are Native American names for a full moon occurring this time of the year, and they generally reflect springtime occurrences. Photo by Yu Kato on Unsplash

Observances today are about the liberation of countries in Africa, missing children, bringing lunch to school/work, singing, tap dancing, wine, the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy books, the Discworld books, and Star Wars: African Liberation Day Geek Pride Day Glorious Twenty-Fifth of May  aka  Wear the Lilac Day National Brown-Bag-It Day National Missing Children's Day National Tap Dance Day National Wine Day Sing Out Day Star Wars Day Towel Day African Liberation Day celebrates the creation of the African Union (though it was originally called the Organization of African Unity). Today is also one of the geekiest days of the year, with holidays relating to Star Wars, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and the Discworld books: Two weeks after the death in 2001 of Douglas Adams, author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and related books, is celebrated as Towel Day. (Towels were considered important and versatile items essential for hitchhiking the galaxy.) The ...

Holidays today are about searching around for a set of items, brothers, escargot, asparagus, tiaras, and aviation maintenance technicians: Asparagus Day Aviation Maintenance Technician Day International Tiara Day National Brother’s Day National Escargot Day National Scavenger Hunt Day International Tiara Day is celebrated on the date on which Queen Victoria was born in 1819. Scavenger hunts where people are sent off searching for various items are especially popular with children, but are sometimes done for adults too. Image by Donna Sarjeant from Pixabay

Observances today are about things/people like preventing obstetric fistula, pennies, thermos bottles, taffy, chaos theory, and respecting turtles: Chaos Rules Day International Day to End Obstetric Fistula Linnaeus Day Lucky Penny Day National Fill Your Thermos Brand Bottle Day National Taffy Day World Turtle Day Chaos pioneer Edward Lorenz was born on this date in 1917. Carl Linnaeus , the father of modern taxonomy, was born on this date in 1707. Today we give some respect for one of the oldest classifications of reptiles, the turtles. April 27, 2021 at the Delaware Raritan Canal

On the anniversary of the birth in 1917 of Edward Lorenz , we celebrate chaos theory . Lorenz, a mathematician/meteorologist, was an early pioneer in this field when he realized that very small initial conditions can lead to wildly different subsequent results in his weather modeling program. This was the first step in the (relatively) new science of chaos theory. This day is really about the mathematical concept of chaos; it's not really in the spirit of the holiday to have a chaotic social life or a messy garage. But if the science is a little beyond you, celebrate however you think best. Cristian V., CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Holidays today are about subjects like merchant mariners, goth culture, LGBT activist Harvey Milk, immigrants to Canada, buying a musical instrument, fictional detective Sherlock Holmes, vanilla pudding, and biological diversity: Buy A Musical Instrument Day Canadian Immigrants Day Harvey Milk Day International Day for Biological Diversity National Maritime Day National Vanilla Pudding Day Sherlock Holmes Day World Goth Day Immigrants are celebrated today by Canadians. The LGBT activist/politician Harvey Milk was born on this date in 1930. The importance of biodiversity is emphasized today. Photo by James Wainscoat on Unsplash

Observances today cover topics like cultural diversity for dialogue/development, waiters/waitresses, memos, strawberries with cream, pizza parties, and protecting threatened/endangered species: World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development Rapture Party Day National Waiters and Waitresses Day National Strawberries and Cream Day National Pizza Party Day National Memo Day Endangered Species Day In 2011 on this date followers of Harold Camping believed that the world was going to end, Rapture Party Day is a day to be glad they were wrong about that. Today is also a day to think about the endangered and threatened species of the world, and to support efforts to protect them. Photo by NOAA on Unsplash

Holidays today are about topics like the US transportation system, improving relations between neighbors, riding a bicycle to work, NASCAR, patching something, virtual assistants, and astronomy: Astronomy_Day Bike To Work Day European Neighbours' Day I Need a Patch for That Day International Virtual Assistants Day NASCAR Day National Defense Transportation Day It sounds like the virtual assistant is a person who works for you remotely. I Need a Patch for That Day claims to be about any sort of patch, like for clothing, tires, or software. (For the latter, you might be able to get help from a virtual assistant.) Bringing astronomy information to the general public is part of the Astronomy Day mission. Photo by Trac Vu on Unsplash

Raising awareness about autoimmune/autoinflammatory arthritis, notebooks, picking strawberries, quiche lorraine, pre-meal drinks, an early attempt at American independence, the protagonist of My Fair Lady, becoming a millionaire, disregarding censorship by drawing the prophet Mohammed, weighing/measuring stuff, and strengthening measures that protect bees/other pollinators are subjects pertaining to today's observances: Be A Millionaire Day Eliza Doolittle Day Everybody Draw Mohammed Day Mecklenburg Independence Day National Aperitif Day National Notebook Day National Quiche Lorraine Day Pick Strawberries Day World Autoimmune/Autoinflammatory Arthritis Day World Bee Day World Metrology Day  aka  Weights and Measures Day Aperitifs are drinks taken before a meal to stimulate the appetite without overwhelming your taste buds. I'm a little torn about Everybody Draw Mohammed Day. I do like the anti-censorship sentiment, though I'm concerned that it's overly provocative. Thou...

Raising awareness about inflammatory bowel disease, raising awareness about HIV/AIDS among Asians/Pacific Islanders, testing for hepatitis, attempting to redefine beauty among girls/women, Boys/Girls Clubs, a frighteningly dark day in history, going outside and getting some sun, and devil's food cake comprise topics about today's observances: Boy's Club and Girl's Club Day Dark Day in New England Hepatitis Testing Day May Ray Day National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day National Devil's Food Cake Day Turn Beauty Inside Out Day World IBD Day On this date in 1780, New England experienced a strangely dark day that weirded out many of the residents. The cause is believed to have been smoke from forest fires to the west coupled with clouds/fog. After scaring the bejesus out of people, the following day was pretty much normal. May Ray Day encourages people to go outside and get some sun. (Of course, it's best to avoid sunburn while doing this.) Pho...

Visiting relatives, promoting the need for an AIDS vaccine, electronic greeting cards, avoiding having to clean dishes, people who can whistle, cheese souffle, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, plant conservation, appreciating the fascinating world of plants, and museums are topics covered by today's observances: Fascination of Plants Day I Love Reese's Day International Museum Day Mother Whistler Day National Cheese Souffle Day No Dirty Dishes Day Plant Conservation Day Send An Electronic Greeting Card Day Visit Your Relatives Day World AIDS Vaccine Day No Dirty Dishes Day endorses the avoidance of dirty dishes by either eating out or using disposable dishware today. Mother Whistler Day seems to be about people who can whistle, especially if they can do a tune. Plant Conservation Day is about the plants that are in danger of extinction, while Fascination of Plants Days reminds us of how fascinating many plants are. Photo by Chris Abney on Unsplash

The deadline for filing your 2021 federal tax returns, supporting the fight against neurofibromatosis, raising awareness about LGBT rights violations, checking your blood pressure, people who can't seem to throw stuff away, looking for mushrooms, telecommunications,cherry cobbler, and walnuts all draw our attention today : International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia National Cherry Cobbler Day National Mushroom Hunting Day National Walnut Da y Pack Rat Day Tax Day World Hypertension Day World Information Society Day World Neurofibromatosis Awareness Day World Information Society Day is about recognizing the importance of telecommunications. Walnuts aren't just for squirrels. In moderation they can be a healthy supplement to your diet. Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash

Holidays today cover topics like promoting peace by wearing something purple, body piercing, baking for others, barbecuing, a recipe for scallops, the mimosa cocktail, stepmoms, sea monkeys, and loving trees: Biographer's Day Love A Tree Day Mimosa Day National Barbecue Day National Coquilles St. Jacques Day National Piercing Day National Sea Monkey Day National Wear Purple For Peace Day Stepmother's Day World Baking Day Sea Monkeys aka Brine Shrimp were a product that usually fell somewhere on the interesting-disappointing range. On this date in 1763 James Boswell met for the first time Samuel Johnson, the subject of his successful biography. Trees are one of the most important elements of many of our ecosystems, and today is a day to show some love to these normally-big plants. Photo by niko photos on Unsplash

Observances today are about subjects like raising awareness about Mucopolysaccharide (MPS) diseases, raising awareness about the tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) disease, police and similar public servants who have died or been disabled performing their duties, the US armed forces, nylon stockings, straw hats, whiskey, and the Preakness horse race: World Whiskey Day TSC Global Awareness Day International MPS Awareness Day Straw Hat Day Preakness Stakes Peace Officers Memorial Day Nylon Stockings Day Armed Forces Day Peace officers certainly include the police, and presumably include sheriffs, marshalls, bailiffs, and probably more that I'm not aware of. The 146th running of the 2nd Triple Crown race, the Preakness Stakes, is run today. The straw hat goes back at least as far as the middle ages, and probably much earlier.  Photo by Denisse Leon on Unsplash

Observances today address subjects like learning to swim, helping clean up rivers, families, people who refused to go to war, an ancient Roman holiday about merchants/commerce, free online content, chocolate chips, and dinosaurs: Culture Freedom Day Dinosaur Day International Conscientious Objectors Day International Day of Families Mercuralia National Chocolate Chip Day National Learn to Swim Day National River Cleanup Day Culture Freedom Day is about free online content and relaxing copyright laws. National River Cleanup Day may have evolved into an every-Saturday-in-May set of events. Those fascinating animals from the past, dinosaurs, are celebrated today. Photo by Scott Greer on Unsplash

Holidays today cover topics like the official march of the US, the Welsh writer/poet Dylan Thomas, dancing like a chicken, buttermilk biscuits, and protecting sharks/rays/skates: Dance Like A Chicken Day Fintastic Friday International Dylan Thomas Day National Buttermilk Biscuit Day Stars and Stripes Forever Day It's easy to think that Dance Like a Chicken Day was inspired by the Chicken Dance Song. (At least it's difficult to think of other cultural references that relate to chickens and dancing.) Fintastic Friday encourages people to get involved in protecting fish species like sharks and their relatives the rays and skates. Photo by David Clode on Unsplash