odditudes-and-weirdities

The Storming of the Bastille, the ancient Egyptian New Year, nudity, pandemonium, the Grand Marnier liquor, tape measures, chimpanzees, sharks, and orcas: Bastille Day Festival of Wepet Renpet National Grand Marnier Day National Nude Day Pandemonium Day Shark Awareness Day Tape Measure Day World Chimpanzee Day World Orca Day   There seems to be another Pandemonium Day on February 28th. (Pandemonium is another thing that you could argue shouldn't be celebrated.) On this date in 1789, the  Bastille was stormed , a landmark event of the  French Revolution . Today we celebrate animals that have things in common with humans. Sharks (at least some of them), orcas, and humans are all apex predators. And chimpanzees, orcas, and humans are considered among the smartest animals. Photo by NOAA on Unsplash

The Festival of Wepet Renpet was a matter of life and death in ancient Egypt - it was held each year when the Nile River flooded, irrigating the fields that the Egyptians depended on for much of their food. It was also considered the Egyptian New Year. Since it depended on a flood, the date is an approximation. Of course the ancient Egyptians understood that Wepet Renpet had nothing to do with rain in the Ethiopian highlands; they understood that the deities Khnum and Neith were satisfied with their offerings. Photo by British Library on Unsplash