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.

Today there will be music and laughter. Put on your clogs or dancing shoes. All over the world, there will be dancing in the streets, as it is International Dance Day. On this April 29 holiday, grab your partner and step out onto the dance floor to show your moves. It’s also a great day to learn a new dance style. 

International Dance Day is a truly global holiday celebration. It encourages everyone around the world to participate by dancing. You can dance to any music genre you prefer. Bring out the Irish dancers. Do the Macarena, a tap dance, or a Tango for two. Tribal dances and dances steeped in local customs are all encouraged. It’s a day for events and festivities. It’s the perfect day to hold a dance-a-thon.

 Each year the  International Theatre Institute (ITO) selects an outstanding dance personality to write a message about dancing for celebration on  International Dance Day. The ITO also selects a host city each year, to hold dance performances, workshops, and a variety of celebrations related to the world of dance.

However, you decide to celebrate this day, be light on your feet, as you dance until dawn.

Today is International Beaver Day, an April 7 holiday. It’s a day to learn about and show appreciation for those cute and loveable dam builders. In addition to being cute and loveable, they play a very important role in the environmental ecosystem. They build dams. As beavers create a new dam, they are helping to create or restore natural wetlands.

You can find beavers in ponds and small streams in many parts of the United States. They are also found in many other countries in North and South America. They are also native to Europe. It’s fascinating to watch beavers at work. They ceaselessly build dams, dragging fallen branches and trunks of trees from the shore to the dam-building site. They often cut down small trees, using their sharp front teeth to cut the trees down. Their work never ends. They are either busy adding wood to an existing dam or building a new one.

The most enjoyable thing to do on International Beaver Day is to hike to an active beaver pond and watch them busy at work building a dam. Look around and you will likely see the wetlands that they create, filled with a wide variety of vegetation, birds, and other wildlife.

Guys, today is Husband Appreciation Day. It’s a day that every childless married man will love! The objective of this special day is for wives to show appreciation to their husbands in a marriage with no children. In a marriage with children, there is Father’s Day, a day to recognize the value of husbands with kids. So, it is only fitting that there be a special day, today, to recognize and show appreciation to childless husbands. 

It should be very easy to show appreciation to your husband, for who he is, and for the many great things he does. You know him well, his likes and dislikes. He will love being pampered. Start by telling him he is appreciated. Give him a few examples of why. Next, select a couple of things he likes or likes to do, and make it happen. You can give him a gift today, but it is not a requirement.

While this day was originally intended to honor husbands in a childless marriage, we encourage all wives to show appreciation for their husbands on this day, too. After all, showing your appreciation today and every day is a great way to have a wonderful marriage. 

Ladies, you will get your day, too. It’s in September……. Wife Appreciation Day

G’day, Mate! Today is Hug an Australian Day. You’re just gonna love this April 26 holiday. If you live in Australia or are currently visiting there, you’re surrounded by Australians and will have a great time hugging dozens of the citizens. However, if you are not currently Down Under your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to seek out Australians and give them a big squeeze.

This is a wonderful opportunity for you to do your part in improving international relations. And hugs benefit the receiver as well as the giver.

So, don’t be shy. Whether you’re in a big city like Sydney, or in the outback, go ahead and give an Australian a hug today. It will do you both good! We do caution you against attempting to hug live kangaroos and koala bears. They are very shy.

Important Message for Kids: Koala Bears come from Australia. If you have a koala bear, give this Australian a big hug today.

Hug a Newsman Day is today, an April 4 holiday. Today is your opportunity to give a great, big hug to your local newsperson. C’mon, admit it. You’ve watched your cute newsman day in and day out. You’ve always told yourself if you ever see him in person, you will give him a great, big hug. Well, today is your opportunity.

Any questions on how to celebrate this day?

Important Note: Today is also a day to hug a newswoman. They wouldn’t want to be left out of this very special day. While we most often think of highly visible news anchors and reporters, make sure to hug news people behind the scenes and anyone involved in reporting the news.

National Honesty Day, an April 30 holiday, encourages us to be honest and truthful today, and every day. Be forthright, too. Holding something back, for whatever reason, is not being totally truthful. We honestly believe you try your best to be honest all of the time.

Honesty is a great virtue. As the saying goes, “Honesty is the best policy”. If we want people to believe us when it’s important, then we need to be open and honest all of the time. We all know about the boy who cried wolf. When a wolf actually appeared, no one believed him. So, build a reputation of never lying, ever.

Honesty was instilled in the character of our nation even before its birth. As a child, George Washington who would become our first president. could never tell a lie. ( Learn more) And, President Abraham Lincoln was well known as “Honest Abe”.

Celebrate National Honesty Day in a completely open and honest way.

To be totally honest, there are few rules for this special day……just be honest and truthful.

Today is High Five Day. Gimme a high five. While you are at it, give one to everyone you today! And if you see them again later in the day, give them another. Guaranteed, you can’t do it often enough. It’s a fun and uplifting that makes you feel good and puts a smile on your face.

The “High Five” is a celebratory slapping of hands atop raised arms. It’s been a standard for celebrating sporting victories, special events, competitions, and many other activities for decades.

It’s fun and easy to celebrate this special day. Give a High Five to everyone you see. This includes friends, family, passersby, and total strangers. The more you give, the better for everyone involved.

BTW: It’s okay to give a “Low Five” today. But, only after you’ve given them a “High Five”.

Herbalism is an important study and profession. These professionals use medicinal herbs to create herbal remedies to help cure what ails you. Herbalist Day, sometimes referred to as “Thank a Herbalist Day”, is a celebration and awareness of the importance of herbs and herbalists in our lives. According to the Herbal Academy, this April 17 holiday is a “celebration of the many teachers, peers, and herbs that have guided us through our journey as herbalists thus far”.

Herbs unquestioningly play a very important part in our lives. There are many, many different herbs, providing medicinal, culinary, cosmetic, and aromatic uses. We use herbs to flavor countless foods. When you think about it, food would be pretty bland without herbs. Medicinally, herbs are used extensively, to treat a wide range of ailments. They are often infused in tea, or used in baths and topical solutions. Some herbs also offer an aromatic benefit. Lavender readily comes to mind. Herbs are an ingredient in many cosmetics and beauty products. Ornamental herbs are commonly used in fresh or dried arrangements. Many herbs serve more than one of these uses.

 Herbs are natural remedies for many ailments. Herbalists believe they are better for you than chemical medicines. Are herbs in actuality better or healthier for you? That is often the subject of much debate. Herbalists use their extensive knowledge of all the various herbs, to put them to good use for good health.

 We encourage you to do two things today: First, if you know a herbalist, thank them for all that they do. Secondly, spend some time learning more about herbs, and how they can be used to make your life a better one. You may find yourself becoming a herbalist.

Happy Herbalist Day!

Hairstyle Appreciation Day celebrates the uniqueness of all styles of hair. This April 30 holiday allows us to express our individuality. Each generation of youth creates their hairstyles, or comes back to a style that was popular years ago. We include among the hairstyles, hair coloring, and shaved heads. After all, no hair is a hairstyle.

Perhaps the most famous hairstyle for women was the “beehive” of the fifties. During the same period, crew cuts were the style of choice for the guys.

Celebrate today with a new hairstyle.

Guys: Make sure to take notice and compliment the ladies on how nice their new “do” looks. You should also head off to your local barber and change the style you’ve been wearing for decades.