Tag: Entertainment

October 1st International Frugal Fun Day

October Holidays

Though most things we do to entertain ourselves and our families costs a lot, try being a family of four going to a theme park, not everything has to break the bank. You can still go to free parks, take a walk along the beach, count stars, read a library book, there are still things that you can do frugally. That is according to Shel Horowitz, the author of “The Penny-Pinching Hedonist: How To Live Like Royalty With A Peasant’s Pocketbook”.

How to celebrate – You could buy Shel Horowitz book but then you would have to spend money to get it. Write up your own money saving forms of entertainment. Find all the free things to visit near where you live.

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August 20th National Radio Day

August Holidays

We celebrate the invention of the radio today. It was generally accepted that Guglielmo Marconi invented the radio in the 1890’s but that seems to be in question today. While it is true the idea of transmitting a signal and receiving that signal was worked on for years we know only that the radio was made affordable in the mid-1900’s and served as an entertainment and news format. The radio is becoming less popular today as technology moves forward but there will always be a place for what Marconi, or whoever, created the radio.

How to celebrate – Listen to the radio. Build your own radio. Become a DJ.

February 13th World Radio Day

February holidays

February 13th World Radio Day

UNESCO created today in order to try and create better communication between radios stations in order to better promote the use of radio in the world communities. With the invention of the television, radio has suffered a great deal and in order to keep the marketplace viable, stations must work together to provide formats listeners will follow. News, music and other important communications come over the radio and are available practically anywhere, keeping companies in business is vital.

How to celebrate – Make sure you have a working radio in your house. Advertise on the radio. Read about the history of the radio.

August 20th National Radio Day

August Holidays

The first radios were invented sometime in the late 1800’s after the development of the telegraph and the telephone. In 1886, German born Heinrich Hertz first discovered radio waves in the atmosphere. It is believed that somewhere between 1895-96 Italian born Guglielmo Marconi put the first transmitter and receiver together to use those radio waves but recently there have been many other claims to precede Marconi’s invention that no one is sure who really made the first radio. We are sure that television has severely damaged the radio market and since the internet is damaging the television market the radio is probably used less than since it’s early days. Still, it is a vital way to get information and entertainment.

How to celebrate – Spend the day listening to a radio. Buy a radio if you don’t have one. Get a amateur radio transmitter.

October 23rd TV Talk Show Host Day

October Holidays

Okay, so the picture is of a talk radio guy but same difference (Or sort of anyway) Today is the day we celebrate all those TV talk show hosts that fill our screens with a never ending stream of generally entertaining but useless information. That’s not a slight, it’s their job to entertain us, not educate us. (Though some throw some educational things in there as well.) The “King of Late Night Television” is Johnny Carson, who entertained us from 1962 to 1992. 1,859 episodes. I have had the pleasure of coming to know one of his producers, Rick Traum, and if he is any example of the show it must have been a real class act, I have met few men more honorable than he.

How to celebrate – Make a list of all the tv talk show hosts you can name. Watch old Johnny Carson clips on You Tube. Decide who your favorite TV Talk Show Host is.

August 20th National Radio Day

August Holidays

Over the years some many people have claimed to have invented the radio that no one today actually knows when it was invented, other than it was in the late 1800’s. Before television, the radio was the chef source of news and entertainment. It has remained popular though a lot of it’s use is now limited to when people use their cars, and even then it is becoming more and more limited. Some may even remember back to Orson Welles presentation of “The War of the Worlds” on radio where many people believed the earth was being invaded by beings from another planet. There were suicides and panic before the radio networks were able to get the word out it was just a play being performed on the radio. And nearly every new phase of music has been introduced over the radio waves.

How to celebrate – Listen to a radio at some point during the day. Imagine your world without television or internet. Listen to some of the old routines available only on radio format.

April 27th Tell A Story Day

April Holidays

With all that is going on right now telling stories is a must, whether it is telling them professionally or just to get your children to go to bed. Campfire ghost stories have always been a favorite. They can be made up stories or come from books, it doesn’t matter. If you think about it, movies and television shows are nothing but stories made up (Or come from real life experiences). And so, here again, I shamelessly plug my short story, “Why the Evergreen’s Stay Green.” (Available on ebooks at Amazon) Anyway, tell your kids a good story, or adults and let them get their minds off their troubles… Lord knows, we could all use that!

How to celebrate – Tell a story. Write a story. Make up a story that tells your family history.

December 28th Card Playing Day

December holidays

Now that the major part of the holidays are done it’s time to relax (although New Years is still yet to come). One of the best ways to relax, and still keep your mind busy, is to play cards (maybe not poker though). Playing cards is a fun way to pass the time and carry on conversations while not sitting around doing nothing. It can be challenging, somewhat exciting and always contains a bit of luck. Kids can spend hours playing cards, some games like slap jack and spoons can get a little noisy but if it happens to be snowing outside, or too cold to go out, it’s a good way to contain their energy. Cards also keep your mind sharp.

How to celebrate – Play a card game. Organize a Bridge tournament. Learn a new card game.

September 12th National Video Games Day

September Holidays

Ya, ya, I know… we just had one of these days in July but why not another now! After all, there are more games to buy and enjoy, possibly even get addicted to! The video game companies need our money and apparently, we are willing to give it to them! Now I admit, I play video games. I am told I get a little over anxious playing these games but…. isn’t it all about winning!?! Or maybe it’s supposed to be having fun playing the game whether you win or not – although winning is fun too! Anyway, setting aside a couple of days a year to do nothing but play your games really isn’t all that much… that is if you don’t play them hours on end all the other days of the year.

How to celebrate – Play the video games you love to play. Check into new video games on the market. Find family friendly games the entire family can play.

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.