Visit Your Relatives Day encourages us to visit our family and loved ones. This May 18 holiday encourages us to get closer to our family members and to build (or re-build) family ties and relationships.

It’s easy to get out of touch with loved ones.  Sometimes, we argue and fight. A little spat can blossom into a major issue. Other times, distance keeps us from seeing our parents or siblings more frequently. And, we lead busy lives. A visit with your family is sometimes limited to Christmas and a few other choice major holidays.  

If you cannot visit your relatives today, we suggest you call them and/or send them a card. Both snail mail and online cards will do.

Important Note: If you don’t get to visit your mother-in-law today, you will have another chance on Mother-In-Law Day.

Twilight Zone Day is mysterious, weird, surreal, and perhaps a little scary. We can think of many other adjectives, but I think you get the picture. Every once in a while, you have a day like this. And, this May 11 holiday is designed to be that day. Classified as horror science fiction, it certainly delivered. This holiday was created to celebrate the television show of the same name. 

The television show The Twilight Zone was created, written, and narrated by Rod Serling. Each week, Serling took us into a new dimension of horror. He was a master of the eerie, bizarre, and macabre.  It premiered on October 1, 1959. The episodes were wildly popular, stretched the imagination, and captivated viewers. The show aired from 1959-1964. A remake of the Twilight Show aired in 2019 – 2020. It did not fully capture the horror and excitement of the original series. 

International Tuba Day recognizes musicians around the world who struggle with the weight and size of their big musical instruments. It’s truly an important musical instrument, that no concert or symphonic bandleader would want to be without. Its big, deep sounds provide lots of character and “Oomph” to concert music. Can you imagine a Tuba-less marching band!?

The tuba player has a big job. He lugs this heavy instrument around. He provides the big wind that makes a huge impact in the musical world. If you see a Tuba player today, give them some well-deserved recognition. If you are a Tuba player, then toot your horn (errr Tuba). We love ‘ya!

Here are a few hefty Tuba factoids:

• Tubas come in varying sizes, weighing from a dozen pounds to 50 pounds!
• The Tuba was patented in 1835 by Wiebrecht and Moritz in Germany
• The number of valves on a Tuba is not standardized. A Tuba can have 3,4,5 or six valves.

For the Record: The world’s largest tube is a contrabass tuba fondly called “Big Carl”. It stands 7′ 6″ tall. Its bell measues 3′ 4″ in daimeter. 

Trains are a mode of transportation that changed the world. That’s why we celebrate them on National Train Day. Trains have historic importance in the United States, changing the face of the nation. Trains connected the east and west coasts, making travel much easier. Powerful locomotives traversed the sparsely settled frontier of America in a fraction of the time that wagon trains required. They are vital to transporting people and goods quickly and efficiently over long distances. 

The year 1869 was a really exciting time in America. The Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads were speeding across the wild, American frontier, laying tracks for what would soon become the first Transcontinental rail line. Construction occurred at great peril, as vast areas of the west were truly wild and unsettled. Once completed, train service connected the country from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, making the world a whole lot smaller. It would also change the face of America.

On May 9, 1869, the tracks of the two railroad companies met up at Promontory Summit, Utah. A golden spike was driven into the final connection of the two tracks. The first Continental rail line was 1,776 miles long. Towns, big and small, would soon sprout up along the route.

Favorite Television Cartoon Show: Thomas the Train

National Towel Day is a tribute to British author Douglas Adams (1952-2011). Adams was a well-known author, scriptwriter, essayist, humorist, satirist, and dramatist. Among his most notable works is “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.” His very loyal and avid fans established this special May 25 holiday. It is popular in The United Kingdom. National Towel Day was created to honor Adams, and as a celebration of his many works.

To understand the meaning of Towel Day, one must know The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, an original radio series comedy aired in England. The towel was introduced in the radio series in 1978. A follow-up book explained the importance and usefulness of towels to hitchhikers.

Today is National Tourist Appreciation Day. on this May 6 holiday, you the tourist or potential tourist can expect to be pampered. But, wait a minute. As a tourist, you should be pampered every day, period.

Vacations are too infrequent, and too far in between. When you go away on vacation and spend good, hard-earned money, you expect and deserve to be treated well. You have earned (and are paying for) the right to be coddled, pampered, and attended to.

You can and should expect hotels, restaurants, attractions, and other tourist venues to do this day up in a big way. If these tourist spots don’t know about the holiday, let them know about it in advance. Then, plan your vacation to coincide with today’s holiday.  When you book your reservations, say something like “I’d like to make a reservation on National Tourist Appreciation Day, for……..”. Hopefully, they will quickly get the picture.

If you are a tourist who just can’t get enough appreciation, National Tourism Day is just a couple tomorrow. Hopefully, there will be deals galore.

 Are you a Travelin’ man (or woman)? Today is a great day to be a tourist. Go see the world. Or, just check out what to do in your state.  There are endless possibilities. It’s National Tourism Day! On this May 7 holiday, municipalities and tourism sites around the country promote their area or region. This holiday is for the tourism industry to strut its “Things to do”. Municipalities and entertainment venues big and small, use today to let people know about activities and events in their areas. They will often do so in a big way.

A great way to promote your area is to hold activities and events on this day. Ideally, make it a weekend, or a week-long celebration. Along with advertisements, offering discounts and other promotions will work well. If you are a tourist, use the information the tourism industry provides today to plan your next trip. Withs all of the effort you expend today, prepare yourself for a huge influx of tourists.

If you are a tourist venue, use this day to spread the word on what you are all about. As a tourist, use today in search of a new, exciting, and interesting place to go. And, look for deals that may be offered today. Don’t just browse and dream. Book your travel plans today!

Today’s Top Song: Travelin’ Man by Ricky Nelson (1961)

Today’s Top Movie: Around the World in 80 Days (1956)

It’s National Tap Dance Day, a May 25 holiday.  Tap dancing is an art. Not everyone has this skill. But, those who do are very entertaining. Many musicals feature tap dancers.  Are you ready to dance? Then, go into your closet and pull out your Tutu. Then, grab your tap-dancing shoes. Today is a great day to tap dance the night away…. and the daytime, too!

This day was created in honor of the birthday of legendary tap dancer Bill “Bojangles” Robinson on May 25, 1878. But, he wasn’t the only person to tap dance into history. There are many more (see below).  

Memorable Tap-Dancing Movie: Singin’ in the Rain starring Gene Kelly (1952)

Today is Star Wars Day, a May 4 inter-galactic holiday. It exists all because of a play on words! This holiday is held on May the Fourth, because of a famous quote from the hugely popular science fiction series blockbuster, “May the Force (Fourth) be with you”.

The franchise produced 12 movies in all. It includes three sets of trilogies (9 films). In addition, there are two standalone films and one animated movie. This franchise is one of the two greatest sci-fi series ever produced. We will let you debate whether Star Wars or Star Trek is the greatest). It features numerous heroes, including Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, Princess Leia, the Wookie, and countless others. There is no shortage of bad guys either. Among them are Darth Vader, Kylo Ren (Formerly Ben Solo), and of course the Evil Emperor.

Did You Know? Some call this holiday Luke Skywalker Day. But, this day is about much more than just one character in this greatest epic movie series of all time.

Space Day allows you to participate in the excitement and fascination of space. Space exploration is a topic of great interest to millions, old and young alike. It’s a topic as broad and deep as the universe!

Originally started to get America’s youth interested in math and science, Space Day focuses on creating interest and awareness of all kinds of topics and issues related to space and space exploration. This holiday caught on quickly and became wildly popular.

On this day all kinds of space-related organizations, groups, and agencies hold celebrations, demonstrations, and educational programs.

Today’s Theme: “Space, the final Frontier:” – Star Trek Series