Look Up at the Sky Day is a fun day to check out what’s up there. ‘Ya never know what might be going on up there. An asteroid or meteor may be on its way. A solar eclipse could be on display. A flock of geese or birds may be overhead (you may need to duck for cover). Or, the clouds may be forming into interesting characters and patterns. On this April 14 holiday, sky watchers, amateur astronomers, and daydreamers will be looking up to the heavens both day and night. There is much to see.

Look up to the heavens. What do you see? It’s definitely not boring. The sun, the moon, and the stars. Definitely. But, there is so much more. During the daytime, you can see all kinds of weather. Then, there’s a wide range of airplanes, helicopters, and perhaps a few weather balloons. As astronomers know, the heavens are filled with comets, asteroids, black holes, and many other heavenly objects. If you’re lucky, you will see the Aurora Borealis. And nowadays, the International Space Station as well as other manmade satellites are waiting for you to discover and view in awe. Yes, sir, the skies are anything but boring.

Take a few minutes out from your busy day to look up at the sky today. If nothing else, the break from the routine will be relaxing.

Oh Boy! It’s Look Alike Day., an April 20 holiday. Have you ever seen or been told that someone else looks just like you? We all have a doppelganger or two. All you need to do is look around and you will eventually find them. Today, you can begin the search. If you have an identical twin, you’re just gonna love today.  If not, use this day to dress and look like somebody else. It’s perfectly okay to be a copycat.

Today’s a day to find someone you look up to and try to look like them. Start with the hair. Cut and style your hair, as needed, to look like the person you’ve selected to look like. Then, select items from your wardrobe (or buy some new clothes!) that your lookalike wears. Along the way, make sure to practice and copy their walk, their talk, and their facial expressions. In other words. try to be as identical to that person as possible.

The best example of look-alikes is Elvis Presley impersonators, who number in the hundreds, and perhaps even thousands. You also have a look-alike somewhere out there. It is said that everyone has someone in the world, and perhaps more than one person, who looks just like them. This look-alike is called a “Doppelganger”. 

Who should you look like? Anyone you want. It’s as simple as that. Pick an actor or actress, a singer, a politician, a family member, or a friend.

Look-alike contests and parties are a great idea for today.

Most Famous Look-Alikes (Impersonators): Elvis Presley, The “King”. Also, current and past presidents.

Today is National Bookmobile Day. We celebrate Bookmobiles. It’s our chance to recognize and appreciate their value in bringing education and knowledge to your area, making it much easier to gain access to books of all kinds. The traveling bookmobile may visit your neighborhood. It may make a stop at your local school, or community center. By being mobile, it gets books to people who may not be able to get to the local library. The more rural the community, the greater the need for a traveling library.

 Bookmobiles have been around since at least the 1800s. Bookmobiles helped to bring knowledge and education to America. For example, in 1839, the American School Library, traveled around to American frontier towns, bringing Harper and Brothers books to remote schools.

The arrival of the Internet made information and online books of all kinds to anyone who has an internet connection. This has caused a decline in the importance of bookmobiles. Has the internet ultimately spelled the end of the bookmobile? That book has yet to be written.

National Librarian Day, an April 16 holiday, celebrates and honors librarians. They are among the most knowledgeable people you know. When you visit your cavernous library in search of a particular book, or a specific research topic, they always quickly point you in the right direction. And, they do so with a smile.

Experts of the Dewey Decimal System, your Librarian aids and assists you in identifying and retrieving a myriad of books, periodicals, and reference materials.  Librarians hold a wealth of knowledge in their heads. Got a subject you are researching? Chances are, the Librarian will point you right to the book you need.

Did You Know? As of 2020, there are 17,454 libraries in the U.S. This number includes main and branches, as well as bookmobiles.

Today is School Librarians Day, an April 4 holiday. This special holiday honors those who serve our young students so well in the local school libraries. The education of young minds needs to be encouraged, nurtured and fed. Feeding those minds with good quality, yet challenging reading material and reference materials is what school librarians excel at.

Working with school children offers many rewards and challenges. They help to develop, enrich, and mold young minds. They promote a lifetime of enjoyment and learning through reading.

So, take a minute today to thank all the hard work that a school librarian does daily, and the patience the librarian displays, as he or she aids our youth.

Did You Know? As of 2020, there are 17,454 libraries in the U.S. This number includes main and branches, as well as bookmobiles.

Today is National Library Workers Day. Sometimes called National Librarians Day, this day is dedicated to Librarians, as well as all library staff and administrators. It is in recognition of the hard work and dedication of those who support our literary and reference needs. When you enter your local library, you will find highly skilled workers who will quickly and efficiently help you find information and books on just about any topic. They are so knowledgeable, that sometimes you might think they’ve memorized all the books in the library, their Dewey Decimal System number, and the shelf where they will be located. 

Nowadays, libraries often have much more to offer than just books. They usually have computer workstations allowing you to do research or homework assignments in a quiet environment. Many libraries loan out videos and even music CDs. They offer children’s learning activities and events, making it fun to visit the library. They may even have a small coffee shop.

Did You Know? As of 2020, there are 17,454 libraries in the U.S. This number includes main and branches, as well as bookmobiles.

Friedrich Frobel from the village of Bad Blankenburg in Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, Germany started the first kindergarten in 1837. He called it the “Play & Activity Institute”.  His objective was to provide an opportunity for children to socialize before entering school. In 1840, he renamed the institute “Kindergarten”, a German word that means garden of children.

Frobel trained many women who went on to create Kindergartens all over the world.

International Jugglers Day and World Juggler’s Day celebrates the skill of juggling and those talented people who can juggle many balls and objects at a time. Common objects include balls, clubs, swords, plates, rings, and flaming sticks. The best jugglers can juggle up to ten balls at a time. And, the world record is more than that.

Juggling is a skill and form of entertainment that has been around for thousands and thousands of years. Some of the earliest recorded history supplies proof that juggling was around during the early days of civilized Man. Juggling is primarily entertainment. It is most well documented in Medieval times in Europe. Juggling remains popular today. It can be most frequently seen when the circus comes to town.

Some might suggest that office workers are jugglers, as they multi-task and keep several “balls” (projects) going at the same time. And when you think of it, aren’t we all jugglers as we try to manage the many tasks and demands of our daily lives!?? 

For the Record: Alex Barron of the United Kingdom holds the world record for the most balls juggled in the air. He juggled 11 balls, achieving 23 consecutive catches. His balancing act was performed at the Roehampton Squash Club, London, UK, on April 3, 2012.

Get out your sax. Grab your trombone. Dust off your trumpet. Then, bring the old gang together to play a few songs in celebration of International Jazz Day, an April 30 holiday.

This special musical holiday was created by UNESCO to highlight jazz and its role in uniting people around the globe. Artists and jazz enthusiasts alike, eagerly partake in this day. United Nations organizations, communities, schools, and performing arts organizations, are among the many groups to hold jazz concerts and educational programs on this day, to promote jazz as a musical genre, and learn about its historical roots.

Jazz was born in New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 1800s. If you are a jazz enthusiast, at some point in your life you must take a trip to the birthplace of jazz. From its origin in New Orleans, jazz music spread in popularity across the planet. It has an important international role in art, culture , and communications. On  International Jazz Day, it is estimated that around a billion people will engage in jazz music in some manner, in celebration of jazz and its effect on people and society.      

Musical of the Day: All That Jazz

Did You Know?  You just might be seeing double. There is another holiday with the same title. In 1991, Dr. Michael Denny, a board member on the New Jersey Jazz Society, created a second International Jazz Day. It is celebrated in May.

Today is International Haiku Poetry Day. This April 17 holiday is a day for poets and lovers of poetry around the world to savor and enjoy. It’s also a great day for you to try your hand at this unique form of poetry. Perhaps you’re a poet and you don’t know it!

The Haiku poem is a Japanese art form. We were all introduced to this interesting Japanese art form back in our High School days. The Haiku is a simple, non-rhyming poem. It consists of short and simple, 3-line stanzas consisting of  5-7-5 syllables. The subject of the poem can be about anything: love, nature, life, or any other topic that you desire.

Did You Know? April is National Poetry Month.