I’m not sure why I never thought of this before. A friend
recently pointed out to me that there are many more national holidays than we actually
celebrate.
For example, did you know that February 3rd is
National Carrot Cake Day? July 30th is National Cheese Cake Day, and
October 19th, a few days from now, will be National Seafood Bisque
Day.
These holidays are all real. You can look them up on
nationaldaycalendar.com. It turns out that anyone can submit an application to
have a new holiday designated. Well, almost anyone. The website currently says
that due to backlog they can only accept submissions from companies and organizations. So, sorry Freddy, you can’t apply on your own to have September
5th become National Freddy Day.
I’m intrigued by this new world opening up to me. I want to
know more. There are a lot of days that have multiple things designated to
celebrate.
January 2nd, the day after New Year’s Day, 2017,
will be all of the following: National Buffet Day, National Cream Puff Day,
National Personal Trainer Awareness Day (I will be sure to be aware of Personal
Trainers on that day), National Science Fiction Day, and National Thank God
It’s Monday Day (because it will be the first Monday in January). Not to be outdone, Friday, January 13th, a couple
weeks later will be: National Peach Melba Day, National Rubber Ducky Day,
National Sticker Day, Stephen Foster Memorial Day, and National Blame Someone
Else Day (because it is the first Friday the 13th of the year).
December 16th, interestingly, is Barbie and
Barney Backlash Day.
I am beginning to work on a list of my own holidays that I
want to apply for. Everyone knows I am a huge soccer fan, and I think we need a
day each year – even years when there is no World Cup….ESPECIALLY years when
there is no World Cup) designated as Celebrate The World Cup Day. The world is
descending into a frightening state, these days, and I am convinced that the
promise of upcoming World Cups might be the only thing keeping the world from
blowing itself up. Maybe we should designate International Play Soccer Instead
of Blowing Up The World Day.
I just now realized that the month of my birthday, April, is
National Humor Month. April is also: International Guitar Month, National Soft
Pretzel Month, National Straw Hat Month, and National Welding Month.
I’ve been hitting the stand-up comedy open mics again
recently, after not being on stage for a long time. I have been in and out of
open mics a lot during my lifetime. Even when a comic is working clubs and
getting paid, he or she will still use open mics to try out new material or
just to ‘work out.’ We need a stand-up comedy open mic celebration. Too often
open mic-ers have to do their jokes in front of an audience that consists
mostly of other comics, rather than real audience members. I want to submit
National Stand-up Comedy Open Mic Awareness Day (“appreciate the half-written
joke – applaud the idea – encourage a rewrite of the punch line”).
The possibilities are endless. We might have an explosion of
new holidays to celebrate.
Oh, just one last thought. November 8, 2016, will be
National Don’t Run For President If You’re a Jackass Day.
-Peter Wick
October 15, 2016
