Month: April 2021

April 30th Arbor Day

April Holidays

This is a tree lover’s favorite day of the year, Arbor Day! It always comes on the last Friday day of April since 1872 when a major effort was made to fill the nearly barren state of Nebraska with trees. Arbor is the Latin word for tree and today we have the National Arbor Foundation who helps us remember the importance of trees for providing all they do for mankind. In recent years the Arbor Foundation has planted some 18 million trees on Arbor Day to replace those lost due to natural causes, greed, fire and in the name of progress. If you get a chance, today is a great day for you to plant a tree and watch it grow over the years. It makes you feel a part of nature and is sort of like watching a child grow up.

How to celebrate – Give to the National Arbor Foundation. Plant a tree. Visit a forest.

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April 29th Peace Rose Day

April Holidays

April 29th Peace Rose Day

Somewhere between 1935 and 1939, French horticulturist Francis Meilland developed a new rose he wanted to share with the world. Knowing World War 2 was about to begin and that his work would probably be destroyed, he sent cutting of the rose to Italy, Turkey, Germany and the US. In France it was known as the “Madame A. Meilland”, in Italy the “Gioia” (Meaning joy) in Germany the Gloria Dei (Glory to God) and in the US it became known as the Peace Rose because of its association with the End of World War 2 in Europe on April 29th, 1945.

How to celebrate – Grow your own Peace Rose. Read about Francis Meilland. Plant a rose garden.

April 29th Greenery Day

April Holidays

You would think that on Greenery Day we would celebrate trees or plants or maybe even Kermit the Frog but today is all about the 124th Emperor of Japan Hirohito’s birthday. Born in 1901, Hirohito served the Japanese people until his death in 1989. He lead Japan through some of it’s best, and some of it’s worst , times. His part in World War 2 will never be known for sure, though he was put on the same level as Hitler at one time he did not face the same fate that other war criminals faced. It is good he is remembered for the beautiful country Japan was before the war and after the war because the ugliness it caused during the war should never be forgotten.

How to celebrate – Visit Japan. Read about Hirohito’s involvement during World War 2 and decided his guilt or not for yourself. Spend your day gardening.

April 28th International Astronomical Day

April Holidays

This is your day if you like to look up into space, either through a telescope or via the naked eye. There is a lot to see but the more trained you are, the more you will actually see. Most people just see a lot of stars, the moon and occasionally a random planet but there is so much more. Today was created by Doug Berger of the North California Astronomical Association back in 1973. Who knows what surprises might be out there in the universe and there’s only one way to find them, look up!

How to celebrate – Buy a telescope. Visit an observatory. Become an astronaut.

April 27th Tell A Story Day

April Holidays

People love to hear stories, well most do anyway. We all have a story of two we know, no they aren’t always that interesting to people but they are still stories! Ghost stories always work well around a campfire, family stories help pass on little known facts about the family and funny stories often break the tension during more serious times. Telling stories also help us to relate to each other on a different level since we tend to tell stories about things that interest us as much as the listener. With that, I have to plug my e-book “Why the Evergreen’s Stay Green”! Yes it’s a Christmas story but it’s cheap! Give it a try, available on Amazon e-books.

How to celebrate – Go camping and tell your favorite scary story. Make notes to help you remember the parts of your story. Read “Why the Evergreen’s Stay Green”.

April 26th National Pretzel Day

April Holidays, Unboxing the Bizarre

Though the pretzel is often associated with German food, or snacks, it actually was created around 610 AD in Southern France by Catholic Monks. Some insist that pretzels first appeared in Italy, also made by Monks, who created them as treats for children who said their prayers. The original pretzels were designed to look like arms folded over the chest, as if saying prayers. Of course the Germans claim some credit for the first pretzel as well so about all we do know is that it was created in Europe, somewhere. The first pretzel in the United States was made by Julius Sturgis in 1850 at Lititz, Pennsylvania. While today has some listing a 1983 Pretzel Day we do know that Governor Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania made a pretzel holiday in 2003.

How to celebrate – Have a pretzel today. Learn how to make your own pretzel. Visit a German restuarant.

April 25th National DNA Day

April Holidays

April 25th National DNA Day

Today was created in 2003 to commemorate the Human Genome Project which discovered DNA’s double helix back in 1953. What else needs to be said? We all got DNA, might as well use it and that double helix really makes things twice as good as a single one! It is important to remember days like today because they would be so easy to forget otherwise. And why is it national? Why shouldn’t it be!?!

How to celebrate – Read about the Human Genome Project. (If you can find a book on it) Throw a DNA party. Become a scientist.

April 25th World Penguin Day

April Holidays, Unboxing the Bizarre

World Penguin Day was created, along with Jan. 20th Penguin Awareness Day, to help preserve one of our more adorable assets… the Penguin. The flightless birds gather in Antarctica, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Peru, the Falkland Islands and the Galapagos Islands. Always properly dressed for dinner, or any special occasion, come in 17 or 20 varieties with the most popular being the Emperor that can live up to 20 years.

How to celebrate – Visit the Galapagos Islands. Reads about the struggles of the Penguin. Watch Batman.

April 24th Pigs In A Blanket Day

April Holidays

Well it is that time of year where we celebrate “Pigs In A Blanket Day” once again. I don’t know about you but I can’t wait for today to come back around because it will have been an entire year since I was able to have a hot dog wrapped up in pastry! Or was that the last party I went to? Or was it yesterday? Anyway, its another opportunity to have pigs in a blanket and you really do not need an excuse! Chow down and remember, those pigs can be either pork or beef! (And if you are desperate they can even be chicken.)

How to celebrate – Serve up some pigs in a blanket for lunch or supper today. Try different types of pastry to wrap your pig in. Don’t forget the mustard!

April 23rd World Laboratory Day

April Holidays

When we think of a laboratory we often think of the mad scientist conjuring something up crazy or inhuman, aka Dr. Frankenstein building his monster in a lightening storm. Or maybe we think of people trying to create a life saving drug or vaccine. Or maybe they are both, the people who created the problem so that they can become the heroes that solve it. Whether they are heroes or villains to you they do play an important role in our lives and those people that work in them are clearly smarter than the average bear.

How to celebrate – Visit a lab and see what they do. Thank those you may know that work in a lab. Watch Frankenstein.