Month: April 2019

April 30th National Honesty Day

April Holidays

I find it very interesting that a political figure created today, M. Hirsh Goldberg, once former Press Secretary of Maryland in the 1990’s. He created it, using April, because he thought it the perfect month since April starts with April Fools Day. So at the opposite end of the month, why not have a national honesty day. Coming from a group of people who are generally thought of being the worst liars in all of mankind it just seems a little hard to believe. Maybe, if our political leaders started being honest (Ever) we could take this day a little more seriously. It’s sort of like Chicken Little who claimed the sky was falling. The lies were said so much that when it actually was falling, no one believed them. But, if you are not currently in elected office, maybe we could be honest with each other. That said, you have to be careful of being honest because most people don’t really want to hear the truth, they just want to hear their version of the truth. Trying telling anyone that they look awful today and see just how well that goes!

How to celebrate – Figure out the truth for yourself, don’t let anyone tell you what is true. Run for office and learn how to lie. Accept honesty if only for today.

*Note – updated to correct that Mr. Goldberg was Press Secretary of Maryland not Governor as previously stated.

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April 29th Greenery Day

April Holidays

Today is not really a world wide holiday, but maybe it should be. It has a mixed message since it was created in 1989 to celebrate the birth of Emperor Hirohito in Japan. I am not exactly sure what Hirohito has to do with greenery, guess I need to look that up, but it is a day we can all go out and enjoy mother nature who seems to have a favorite color of green. Now that winter is long behind us (Hopefully) we can actually go out and enjoy the green no mater what country we come from. Nature, after-all, provides more beauty than any other natural thing in life. If this is Hirohito’s birthday celebration then we can celebrate his birthday as well… though with his reign, Japan created some of the ugliest scenes imaginable during World War 2. Hirohito did surround himself with beautiful, lush gardens… perhaps never knowing the ugly world his Generals created in his name.

How to celebrate – Get out into nature. Visit Japan. Help save a rain forest.

April 28th Kiss Your Mate Day

April Holidays

Well here’s a day we can all find some value in. (Or at least most of us) Kiss Your Mate Day. I think this should work for all of us unless perhaps you work on a ship. How long has it been since you kissed your mate? I don’t mean the little peck on the cheek saying good morning or good night. The longer you are married generally the less you kiss. The norm seems to be that the long one is married the less passion there is in the relationship. While I don’t believe this is true, the less open display of affection is required. Note I did not say needed. I know I am loved, I know I love, to show that is no longer a requirement… but that said, it is still nice to know that, at times, that expression is shown in more than a nice dinner, a smile and a knowing glance.

How to celebrate – Kiss your mate. No, kiss them like you mean it! Avoid pirate ships today.

April 27th National Tell A Story Day

April Holidays

Kids love to hear stories, adults love to hear stories… even some animals love to hear stories. I think it may have to do with the fact we are actually spending time with someone (Or something) rather than being off doing our own thing. This is one tradition that has been handed down over the years that machines can really replace. Yes, machines can tell a story but it really needs the human element to be appreciated. If the story has pictures, all the better. Remember those ghost stories you use to tell out by a campfire? Well, many of them have been turned into movies and television shows. Some get turned into novels and others are just retold and retold until the children they are being old to have them memorized. Now the US and he UK have a difference of opinion when today is to be celebrated. We here in the US celebrate in April while the UK chooses October for their day. Exactly 6 months from each other. I wonder if there is a story to be told there.

How to celebrate – Tell someone a story today. Research stories that you believe your family members will be interested in. Learn to use different voices for the different characters.

April 26th Richter Scale Day

April Holidays

Today we celebrate Charles F. Richter, born April 26th, 1900, the seismologist who invent the scale in 1935. The scale goes from 0-9 with 9 being the most severe. The few 9’s that have been recorded normally mean a Tsunami is to follow. So not only do you have to survive the earthquake, you now have a tidal wave to deal with. Most of us are aware that most of San Fransisco was nearly destroyed in the 1800’s by an earthquake that would have measured, if the Richter scale had been available then, at 7.8. It’s hard to imagine a 9. In 1812 an earthquake determined to be an 8.6 caused the Mississippi River to flow backwards in what is called a Fluvial Tsunami. When the earth’s plate shift, we are all bound to notice it whether we are directly effected or not. It is believed one day California will fall back into the ocean because of the plates underneath the coast.

How to celebrate – Rejoice if you live in an area where earthquakes are rare! Learn what type of destruction comes from every level on the Richter Scale. Listen to Carol King’s “I Feel the Earth Move”.

April 25th National East Meets West Day

April Holidays

So today we celebrate any two cultures that meet in the middle basically. We often think of the west and the United States, England, France… and the eat as Japan, China and Korea but you don;t really have to travel that far to meet different cultures and styles. Just use the United States as an example. Our East coast and our West Coast are markedly different from each other. These types of cultures often meet in a clash of competition in some way as well, whether it’s in a football game, food cook-off or even something as harsh as war. In the long run though we often find that people are the same everywhere. Even though there may be differences in what they eat, the way they talk or the clothes they wear, people all over the world have the same types of drive and desires as anywhere else. The only difference truly comes to be the method chosen on how to achieve what you want to end up with, which more often that not is the same thing.

How to celebrate – Compare the difference in the Western culture and Eastern culture. Think of all the countries that take the best of the East and the best of the West and combine them. Go to an East/West football game.

April 24th National Pigs In A Blanket Day

April Holidays

Here’s another really important day of the year for you, and it’s National! Today we celebrate taking sausage and wrapping in up in a pancake and serving it hot… thus, it’s sausage in a blanket. No rocket science going on here. But then, who wants science so early in the morning anyway!?! Actually, any pork product wrapped up in any substance is actually a pig in a blanket. So actually, a hot dog is officially a pig in a blanket. As is a pork sandwich. So I guess you could have cow in a blanket, fish in a blanket or any substance you want to wrap up in a breaded covering you can have in a blanket. But not today, today is all about that pig in a blanket.

How to celebrate – Start your day off right with a pig in a blanket! Invent your own kind of pig in a blanket. Don’t think too hard about what you are eating because you may not want it anymore!

April 23rd National Take A Chance Day

April Holidays

Most of us are very cautious about what we do. We choose what we think will work, or know will work, playing it safe so we are not disappointed with the results. Well today is about throwing caution to the wind, take chance. Look for a new job, tell someone you love them, sky dive, walk under a ladder, try tea instead of coffee in the morning. It’s not important what you take the chance with, it’s about the challenge and hope that it will work. (Certain fates should never be tempted) You may win, or you may lose, but at least you will have tried. Walking outside your house every day is taking a chance to a degree. (And in some houses it’s even a challenge to walk inside them.) The thing is, you will never know unless you try. Sometimes great things happen when you take a chance, sometimes you just learn a good lesson. The real failure in life is not to try at all.

How to celebrate – Try something new. Talk to someone you have been afraid to talk to. Believe in yourself, even if it’s just for today.