National Carousel Day, also called Merry-Go-Round Day, is perfectly placed on a warm and sunny mid-summer day. This July 25 holiday occurs during those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer that everyone loves. And, we certainly know that Americans young and old love the merry-go-round ride. As a matter of fact, it is America’s favorite amusement ride. 

The terms “Carousel” and ” Merry-Go-Round” are synonyms. In the United States, they are most often called carousels. Europeans usually call them merry-go-rounds. Whatever you call them, millions of us will take a ride on one each summer. This is especially true for little tykes who are not yet ready for roller coasters and other thrill rides.

Carousels are enjoyed at amusement parks, midways, and many other venues around the world. There are plenty of indoor carousels at shopping malls, too. So, you can ride one even, in cold and snowy winter months. However, today the weather is spectacular. So today, go ride a carousel, with family, friends, or that special someone. And, it’s all but certain it’s going to be a warm evening. So, if you work during the day, take a ride tonight.

Shhh! Lend me your ear. Listen up, as I’m not going to say this again. Today is World Listening Day. The goal of this July 18 holiday is to raise awareness of the acoustic ecology or environment that surrounds you. It is also a day better understand the soundscape and to celebrate good listening practices. There are two key communication skills humans need to successfully circumnavigate their daily lives. They are talking and listening. Most of us have mastered the gift of gab with little or no difficulty. But, our listening skills often leave something to be desired. We encourage you to use this holiday to get in tune with the soundscape, and to learn how to really hear what people are telling you.

Do you have to get out the megaphone to get people to hear you? Do you ever get the sense that people aren’t really listening to the really important things you have to say? Many of us think we are good listeners. But, that often just isn’t the case. Many of us are good talkers, but our listening skills have room for improvement. If you’ve ever caught yourself formulating a reply while a person is still talking to you, then you are not hearing and truly absorbing all the speaker has to say. Do you hear what I’m saying?

You may be wondering just what the concept of “soundscape” means. A soundscape is the acoustic environment as perceived by humans. Why is this important? While walking in a forest, or a city street, those background noises and conversations might be important to your safety.

Today’s Deep Thought: If everyone is talking, who is listening? Conversely, if everyone is listening, who’s doing the talking?

Have you decided what’s for dinner at your house tonight? How about having “dinner on a stick!?” Today is World Kebab Day. Kebabs have an “out of this world” flavor. On this July holiday, people all over the world are putting their favorite meats, vegetables, and fruits on skewers, and slathering it with sauce and seasonings. Then, they are cooking their shish kabob or doner kebab over a smoky grill. 

There are many types of kebabs. Shish kababs are most common, especially in Asia and North America. Cooked on a skewer over a smoky fire, they include any variety of meats, vegetables, and fruits. Doner Kebabs are also popular. They are used primarily for meat used in gyros.  Doner kebabs have layers of meats stacked vertically in a cone shape. While cooking, the outer layers are shaved or cut off and used for gyros and pitas. While there are well over 50 types of kebabs, some of the more popular include Butahkalmi, Chuanr, Espetadas, Gyros, Halabi, Galouti, and Souvlaki. 

How do you like your Kebab? Some people like meat, veggies, and fruit mixed together on a single skewer. Others prefer meat on one stick, and veggies on another. On average, people eat 2 – 3 skewers of kebabs at a meal. But, it can be more. We tend to eat more meat only skewers. There is no standard size. Some skewers are larger than others. So, there’s no standard number of pieces of food on a skewer either.

What’s your favorite side dish to serve with kebabs? They are most often served on a bed of wild or seasoned rice. 

It’s summer and the weather is absolutely perfect to spend the day outdoors with family and friends. What better day to have outdoor food and fun than on Picnic Table Day? Sometimes called Eat at a Picnic Table Day, this July 23 holiday arrives in the middle of summer when eating outdoors is the only place to enjoy a meal. However, if the day is rainy, don’t let today be a washout. Have a of couple strong guys carry the table into the garage and let the party begin!

Just looking at a picnic table brings back fond memories of warm and sunny summer days. It reminds us of picnics in the park or at the beach, and of family reunions. We work on summer camp craft projects with all the materials arrayed on top of the picnic table. And, we also think about all the delicious summertime food and drinks spread out on the table. It includes hot dogs, hamburgers, baked beans, watermelon, lemonade, a cooler of beer, and much more. It’s also the perfect place to put the chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers for making S’mores at the campfire.

While the majority of picnic tables are rectangular, they come in all shapes and sizes. Round tables are common. And, there are octagonal tables too, that comfortably fit eight people. Six- and eight-foot tables are the most popular. There’s even mini picnic tables sized just right for little tykes.

For the Record: The world’s longest picnic table is 1,336 feet 2 inches. It was constructed at the Memphis in May International Festival in Memphis, Tennessee, USA, on 25 May 2019.

Do you have Gelasin?  They are an indentation or a depression in your skin, most often on the cheeks of your face. If you have gelasin, then you will thoroughly enjoy National Dimples Day. Otherwise known as Dimples, this July 9 holiday is a cause for celebration for people with gelasin. Only a small percentage of the population is lucky enough to have them.

People who have dimples are considered lucky. As a matter of fact, in Chinese culture, they are a sign of good luck. Babies with dimples are cute. Women with dimples are considered beautiful. And men who have them are handsome. They are also a sign of heroism and innocence. So, if you have them, smile as they are visible when smiling.  

Gelasin are fashionable. They never seem to go out of style. Dimples are so desirable that in 1936, Isabella Gilbert invented a dimple maker. She applies for a patent on October 6, 1936. The U.S. Patent Office issued Patent #104345A on August 31, 1937.

Today’s Mascot: Dimples the Clown

Today is a rather inane holiday. It’s Oxymoron Day. On this July 13 Holiday, we celebrate and use contradictory terms that we use in everyday language without giving it a second thought. And we clarify the definition of oxymoron.  Oxymorons are so common that we hear and speak them, yet don’t even think about the fact that when the words are used together, they don’t make sense. For example, you might say this summer weather is awfully good. Really!? Does this statement mean the weather is awful? Or, is the weather good? When describing our drive home from work, we might say the traffic was terrific. In actuality, we might be describing a long commute with traffic jams and detours.

On Oxymoron Day we raise awareness of the use of these idiosyncrasies in our daily language. Listen for them in the things you say and read. You might be amazed at how many oxymorons you hear each day. Listen for the odd and quirky way combinations of wards can be interpreted. For example can you think of more than one meaning for the term “baby sitter”? If the answer is yes, you are going to have a lot of fun celebrating and participating in Oxymoron Day.

Are we alone in the universe? Scientists estimate there are over 2 trillion galaxies out there in space. There are countless stars and planets. How could there not be other intelligent life forms? Speculation is only heightened by the irregular siting of Unidentified Flying Objects, or UFOs. The Roswell Incident and the secretive, off-limits Area 51 only heightens speculation. Today is World UFO Day. If this July 2 holiday seems alien to you, we certainly understand. It is a special day that comes to us, literally from out of this world.

World UFO Day supporters seek to get governments to fess up to the existence of UFOs. Many people believe that UFOs from outer space have already visited us, and a big, government cover-up is hiding the facts from the public.

The date for this special day is the date of the Roswell Incident, a historical event leading to wide speculation and belief that aliens have indeed visited us. In 1947, an object crashed at a ranch near Roswell, New Mexico. This official explanation is it was a military crash. But to this day, millions of people believe it was actually an alien spacecraft. Many people believe the Alien remains are secretly held in Area 51 inside a secret Air Force facility in Nevada.

Organizers are downright serious about convincing the overall public to believe that we indeed have been visited by aliens from outer space. They are seeking to get the U.S. and other governments to admit to what they believe is a reality.

Have we been visited by extra-terrestrial beings? You make the call.  

Recommended Movies:

Aliens – There are several of them.

Independence Day (1996)

Independence Day: Resurgence (2016)

The War of the Worlds (2005)

Stand up and be counted. Today is World Population Day. This special United Nations holiday evolved from Five Billion Day. On this July 11 holiday many years ago, the world’s population was estimated to reach five billion people.  We certainly have added a lot of human beings since then.

With all the issues related to the billions of people, World Population Day strives to raise awareness of global population issues. The United Nations seeks to promote awareness of issues related to population growth, including the importance of family planning, gender equality, poverty, maternal health, and human rights.

Population Day focuses on people under 25, reproductive issues, and health. The United Nations World Population Fund (UNFPA) sponsors this annual holiday. According to the UNFPA website, the focus of this day is on people under 25 and those of reproductive age. This day seeks to provide education and awareness of reproductive health, reproductive choice, and family planning, and to provide a better future for young people.

There are two days for vegetarians to celebrate tofu. Aren’t you lucky!? The goal of both World Tofu Day and the UK’s National Tofu Day is to celebrate tofu as a vegetarian alternative to meats and fish. It celebrates healthy tofu and encourages people to stop the cruelty to animals through a more vegetarian diet. Vegetarians and animal rights groups applaud Tofu and promote its consumption. A second goal of these two special holidays is to spread awareness of the benefits of eating a plant-based diet, especially as it impacts animals. SPA Canada an animal rights group and the creator of World Tofu Day, uses this day to strongly fight to end animal cruelty.

Did You Know? The roots of vegetarianism date back to 600 BC in ancient Greece. However, it wasn’t until the 10th Century that the Chinese perfected the process of making Tofu. There are also some references to Tofu being first created in Japan around the same time.

Whether you are celebrating World Tofu Day or National Tofu Day, tofu should definitely be on your menu today. Recipes abound and are just an internet search away.

Special thought just for this day: You can’t have your tofu and eat it, too.

 A lot of people are afraid of snakes. It’s not just women who are scared. Many guys are afraid of them, too. Today is World Snake Day, a July 16 holiday. If you are one of the many millions of people afraid of coming across a snake in the grass, you have ophidiophobia. And perhaps you should stay indoors until this holiday is over. If you have If the snakes find out this holiday is for them, they, will come out of their dens and roam freely all over the place.

Snakes have been around since the Garden of Eden. So, it only fitting, that the world has a special day to celebrate snakes. The Bible tells us that in the garden of Eden, Satan appeared to Eve in the form of a snake. He convinced Eve to take a bite of an apple from the forbidden tree. That connection to Satan gave these serpents a bad reputation since the beginning of time. Perhaps that’s why so many people are afraid of them.

Are you an ophidiophobe? If you are, you suffer from ophidiophobia, a fear of snakes. But don’t feel too bad. Over 1/3 of adults, male and female, have ophidiophobia.