This April 10 holiday event supports a noble cause. According to Colleen Paige, the creator of this day, National Farm Animals Day was created to “raise awareness about the plight of slaughter animals, as well as to find homes for abandoned and abused farm animals”. The day promotes the welfare of American livestock.

Old McDonald has a farm. On Old McDonald’s farm and many other farms, you will see a wide variety of domesticated animals. Some of the common farm animals include cows, chickens, horses, pigs, sheep, turkeys, ducks, rabbits, and goats. But, that’s not the whole list. Many other animals are sometimes raised on farms. Other less common farm animals are  Llamas, ostriches, buffalo, oxen, and more.    

When we think of farm animals, We think of the many lovable sides of them. We don’t think of their treatment and living conditions. It’s not always ideal. In addition to many forms of abuse,  they are often treated with excessive hormones and antibiotics.

Visit a working farm today. It’s a great way to gain an appreciation for the treatment and living conditions of farm animals.

Today is National Dolphin Day, an April 14 holiday. Flipper, the TV dolphin would be so proud to know that this day is in honor of him and his fellow aquatic friends. He was the star of a television show bearing his name. Flipper, the heroic dolphin, debuted on September 19, 1964, and ran through 1967.

But, this special day is not just about Flipper. It is about all dolphins. While we think of them as fish, dolphins are actually mammals. They are friendly and intelligent. Dolphins are easily trained to do a variety of things and readily interact with humans. They live in shallow waters and continental shelves, leading to frequent sitings and human contact. Growing from 4 to 30 feet long, their main diet is fish and squid.

We are surprised that this is called a “National” day, as there are many dolphin-themed events and educational programs around the world on this day. It seems like everyone around the world loves dolphins. So, this would be better titled as an international day.

What do you know about your DNA? Don’t you think it’s about time you found out? National DNA Day was created to encourage students, teachers, and the general public to learn about genetics and genomics. This April 25 holiday also encourages us to learn about current research and advances.

This special event commemorates the completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003, and the discovery of DNA’s double helix in 1953.

A great way to celebrate National DNA Day is to get your DNA tested, to identify your ancestry. Armed with your DNA results, you will find it exciting, and perhaps a little intriguing, to research your ancestry to see who is in your family tree. Do you have anyone famous in your family tree?

Start the search for that question, by getting your DNA tested today. Once your kit arrives, all you have to do is spit in a little tube and mail it back. The results will come in a couple of weeks. An exciting search for members of your family tree will follow. But, be prepared. You don’t know what you will uncover about your ancestors.

It’s a Wrap!! Move over tacos. Burritos are a very popular sandwich or wrap. If you are a fan of Mexican or Tex-Mex cuisine, you certainly have had your share of burritos. Today is your chance to enjoy even more burritos, as it is National Burrito Day.

What’s in a Name? Burritos originated in Mexico, a Spanish-speaking country. In Spanish, burro means “donkey”, and burrito means “little donkey”. So, how did this delicious wrap earn the name “burrito”? Thankfully, the ingredients of a burrito have never included little donkeys. Whew, that’s a relief!

That question, of how the burrito got its name goes back to one of several Mexican stories about its creation. According to the most popular folk legend, burritos were first made by Juan Mendez around 1910 during the Mexican Revolution. Mendez wrapped food in flour tortillas to keep it warm. He carried them on his little donkey. His customers referred to them as “donkey food”. Hence, they were named “burritos. The problem with this theory, is the burritos appeared in the “Dictionary of Mexicanisms” in 1895, 15 years before the Mexican Revolution. Whatever and however they were first created, I’m sure you’ll agree with me that were all so thankful for their creation.   

The first burrito recipe was just beans and rice with a sauce, wrapped in a flour tortilla. Over time, various burrito recipes called for meats, cheese, tomatoes, vegetables, sauce, and spices. Burritos are a good example of why you can’t keep a good thing under wraps. Burritos became popular all over Mexico. By the 1920s, burritos were quickly becoming popular in the Southwestern U.S. and Texas. From there, its popularity spread across all the U.S. and internationally, too.  

Today is National Beer Day, an April 7 holiday. Needless to say, this a very popular holiday. It marks the repeal of the U.S. prohibition of beer in 1933. Does anyone really need a reason to guzzle down a pint or two!? That’s what I thought. Now the good news, it there are countless varieties of beer. There’s one to match the taste buds of each and every one of us.

Sumerians, Babylonians, Assyrians (now modern-day Iraq), and ancient Egyptians were the first to brew beer. The earliest records go back to around 1975 B.C.  Since then, people around the world have been brewing and consuming it in sometimes copious amounts. Large national and regional breweries have been quenching the thirst of Americans for a couple hundred years or so. However, the latest trend is local craft breweries. New ones open up every day, creating a wide variety in seemingly endless flavors. Homebrewers get into the act, too. Many grow their own hops.

Today is a day to celebrate your favorite beers, lagers, IPAs, and ales at your favorite watering hole. Bottoms up!

Bottoms Up and Happy National Beer Day!

Do you see the guy at his desk with the green visor!? He’s pounding away at his desktop calculator. While he’s working hard, he knows it’s his special day. It’s his special day. Today is National Bean Counter Day, an April 16 holiday. This is the day after taxes are due. Your financial team is worn out and needs a little time off.

Today is a day for profitable assets, without the presence of liabilities. For financial types, it is a day of rest, relaxation, and celebration. All too soon, the 17th will arrive, and your faithful bean counter will be once again hard at work, doing the daily and monthly accounting tasks, filing amended returns, and quarterly fillings. You see, your accounting staff works hard for you every day of the year.  

Give your bean counter a little TLC. Let him or her have a vacation day and enjoy the day off. Let your follow-up calls and questions wait until tomorrow.

If you are a bean counter, take the day off. Kick back and relax. Treat yourself and your family to a nice dinner out. Or, celebrate this day in any way you prefer, as it is your day. And, rest assured no one will audit your activities today.

Are you satisfied with what people call you? Name Yourself Day holiday, is your chance to rid yourself of the name your parents bestowed upon you at birth. On this April 9 holiday, you can give yourself whatever moniker you’d like…for a day.  Or, you can legally change it, if you prefer. If you like your name, then change it for just today. If you don’t like your current name, use today to select a new one for life!

Lots of people change their name. You can change your first, middle, or surname. Often, they take on a nickname. Or, they change their formal name legally. With just a few exceptions, you can legally change your name to anything you’d like. Do you want to be called “Lovely”? Some people have that name. Or, would you prefer Bozo”? It’s your choice.

Did You Know? In the United States, an estimated 300 people have “Bozo” as their last name. 

There are countless names to choose from. Books about with thousands of selections. Give yourself a cool and catchy nickname. Once you’ve selected your name, you’ve gotta communicate it to all of your family and friends. This could prove to be the hard part. It will likely take time for your new name to catch on.

Let’s Celebrate! Today is the Day of the Mushroom, or simply Mushroom Day. This is a special day to enjoy and appreciate the culinary value of ‘Shrooms. On this April 16 holiday, enjoy this culinary treat at every meal. If you think it’s not for breakfast, think of egg omelets with mushrooms. 

Mushrooms first entered the culinary scene in the 19th century, when French chefs first began using them. Since then, the popularity of mushrooms has bloomed around the world.  

Shrooms are classified as a fungus. They grow in a dark and damp areas. There are over 14,000 varieties.  No matter how much you love them, don’t go out into the woods to harvest mushrooms yourself. You have to know your mushrooms, as many varieties are from mildly to highly poisonous.  

One thing we know for certain, recipes abound for Shroom lovers.  Find a mushroom recipe, and have a very happy Day of the Mushroom!

Did You Know? There are over 14,000 species of mushrooms. It is important to note, that many are poisonous. So, don’t go out into the forest to pick them yourself.

Morse Code Day and Learn Your Name in Morse Code Day are two separate and special days. We celebrate them for similar, yet slightly different reasons. These holidays center around Samuel Morse, the communications code he created, and the magnetic telegraph machine that was first used to transmit this revolutionary means of communication from one distant location to another. In 1836, Samuel Morse and his compatriots, Alford Vail, and Joseph Henry developed the code. On January 11, 1838, Samuel Morse and Alford Vail demonstrated the use of the electric telegraph to transmit a message in code for the first time.

Did You Know? SOS signals were often sent in morse code. While SOS had no specific translation, it was said to mean “save our souls” or “save our ship”.

A unique series of dots and dashes, called “dii and dah”, for each letter of the alphabet, and the numbers 0 thru 9. Long before the invention of radios and cell phones, operators used telegraph machines to send messages using this code. On the receiving end, the morse code is translated back into alphabetic characters and numbers to form the message. The message allowed for an instant, coast-to-coast communication of information over telegraph lines. Once radios arrived, morse code continued to be a major means of communication. Morse code was in use in the military, ham radios, and other means of communication for decades. 

 Morse code is in danger of disappearing as a means of communication. As of 2007, knowing it is no longer a requirement for a ham radio license. 

 International Moment of Laughter Day is a special day that will put a big smile on your face. The objective of this April 14 holiday is to laugh more frequently and to share a good laugh with others to laugh, and to laugh more often. Make it your goal today to share a whole-hearted belly laugh or two we people you know and love. After all, “laughter is the best medicine”.

We all could use a little more laughter in our lives. A good laugh relaxes us and eases stress levels. You want to be healthier, don’t you? Well, studies show that people who are happy and laugh a lot live longer.

This day is also known as National Moment of Laughter Day, and plain old Moment of Laughter Day. We don’t care whether you celebrate today as a local, national, or international day. What’s important is that you bring about laughter (and happiness) to those you come in contact with today.

To celebrate this special day, simply tell jokes or do funny things that cause people to laugh. A smile is not a good enough reaction. Successful participation in this day results in whole-hearted laughter.