National Columnists Day is today. This June holiday was first established to recognize the importance and value of newspaper columnists. However, we also encourage you to give recognition and appreciation to columnists in all forms of media.

In today’s world of false news, it is easy to paint all columnists, and journalists for that matter, as creators of news, rather than reporters of the facts. Often, the truth and facts are distorted and altered. It’s a sad commentary, as the majority of columnists are honest, hard-working, and strive to report the news with actual facts.

So today, please give thanks and appreciation to the many columnists who report to you the truth and what you need to know. 

You can’t tell by the hot weather that summer is not yet officially here. The hot temperatures make today a perfect day to celebrate National Chocolate Ice Cream Day. This warm June holiday is a great day to eat one of  America’s favorite flavors of ice cream.

National Chocolate Ice Cream Day is a field day for ice cream makers. However, we probably don’t need any additional incentive to eat chocolate icec cream. And, with the arrival of warm, summer weather, cooling off with a little (or a lot) of chocolate ice cream is natural.

Celebrate National Chocolate Ice Cream Day by enjoying it a few times today. It’s as simple as that. Just make sure to eat it quickly before it melts in the summer heat.

Did You Know? There is an Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day?

National Chocolate Eclair Day is a sugary, sweet way to start your day. This June 22 holiday It’s a sweet, tasty way to end your day, too. Eclairs are light, crisp pastries filled with pastry cream. They are most often eaten as a dessert. They can be eaten at every meal, or as a snack.

We hope that you are not on a diet, or watching calories, carbs, or sugar. Participating in this day means consumption of high calorie, high carb, high sugar éclairs. You can go back to your diet tomorrow.

Did you know? Eclairs originated in France. This is no surprise as the French know how to make delicious culinary treats.

The Chinese Dragon Boat Festival is an ancient event, celebrating patriotism and sacrifice. It dates back thousands of years. It commemorates Qu Yuan, an ancient Chinese patriotic poet. This holiday has its roots in the worship of dragons.

Traditionally on this day, people paddle out onto the water in canoe-like boats, to search for the body of Qu Yuan who drowned (343-278 B.C.). His body was never found. The dragon race is the most important tradition of the celebration. Over the years, this event evolved into the competitive sport of dragon boat racing.

Chinese Dragon Boat Festival is also called Duanu or Tuen Ng Festival

In addition to being celebrated in China, this holiday is popular in Chinese communities in other countries.

Something’s fishy today. It’s National Catfish Day. Let’s go fishing! After catching “a mess of” catfish, this June 25 holiday is best celebrated with tasty, fried catfish. Or, enjoy catfish cooked to your favorite recipe……yummy.

No one will disagree that catfish are ugly fish. Many people take one look at them and refuse to taste them. They are missing out on a sweet treat. Their “whiskers” are actually stingers. If you get stung by them, it will hurt for several days. These bottom feeders can be caught day or night. Nighttime fishing for them is by far the best time to go.

Guess who said: “More and more Americans are discovering a uniquely American food delicacy — farm-raised catfish.” To discover who made this statement, read the section below on the “History and Origin of National Catfish Day”.

You should have no doubt about what two things you should do today… fish for and eat catfish. Enjoy a plateful of catfish, cooked any way you want. Chances are, you will eat farm-raised catfish, which supplies the vast majority of catfish to the U.S. market. But, wouldn’t it be much more fun to fish in the morning, and catch the catfish you will eat?

Today is Camera Day. This June 29 holiday is a memorable day best captured and retained in pictures. Then, we further celebrate this day as we share pictures of our lives from images stored in our cell phone cameras to social media. Pictures are invaluable memories of our lives and the world. They tell stories. Our memories and stories are captured by a camera. With digital technology, using a camera has never been easier. Cameras are now built into cell phones, so you always have a camera with you, ready to record the moments of your life.

To many people, a camera is a vital tool to record important events in the family and the world.  It captures the moment…..forever. It creates the memories that we share and look back upon. From the birth of a baby, to high school graduations, people take pictures at a fast click. Year after year, cameras record family vacations, holidays, and Christmas. The camera takes pictures of good times, and occasionally bad times. 

George Eastman is the “Father of Photography”. He didn’t invent photography. He made many photographic inventions and created the mass production that brought cameras into everyday use by millions if not billions of people. At one point Kodak had so much of the camera and film market, that the company had a monopoly on the market. George Eastman’s most famous slogan is “You take the picture, we do the rest.”

Celebrate Camera Day today in a memorable way. Use your digital camera or cell phone camera and click the day away. Make certain to take plenty of selfies.

National Bubba Day is today. This June 2 holiday honors anyone named or called Bubba. Calling someone Bubba can be a compliment, a term of endearment, or at times a derogatory name. We choose to consider it a good name and hope you do, too. To qualify to be honored today, your name can be formally, or informally “Bubba”. You can even take on the name “Bubba” for just the day, or longer if you prefer. That way everyone can celebrate this day.

Did you Know? Bubba is the Yiddish word for grandmother

Famous Bubba: A character in the movie Forrest Gump made the name “Bubba” infamous.

Best Friend Day (BFF Day) is a time to enjoy and appreciate your good old buddy, your pal. On this June 8 holiday, honor and cherish the relationship you have with your Bestie. And, while you are at it, today is a good opportunity to nurture better relations with all of your friends, from your BFF to casual relationships.

If you’re lucky, you have a best friend. Not everyone does. If you are really lucky, you have several best friends. Yes, you can have more than one. They are very, very special people. You spend countless hours with your best friend going to events and activities or just hanging out. You share secrets, hopes, dreams, aspirations, and disappointments with your best friend.

Some folks say you can only have one best friend. This author disagrees. You can have a couple at the same time or several over time. Friends come and go for a variety of reasons, even BFFs are sometimes not forever. It’s the result of many things, including moving, changing schools or jobs, and more. We hope that you are lucky enough to have several best friends over the years.