Translated to English, Dia de Los Muertos is “The Day of the Dead”. In actuality, Dio De Los Muertos is not one, but two days spent in honor of the dead. The first day celebrates infants and children who have died. This is a group that is believed to have a special place in heaven, and are referred to as “Angelitos” or little angels. The second day is in honor of adults who have passed away.

While the culture in the U.S. shys away from discussions of death, Mexicans embrace death. They use Dio De Los Muertos as an opportunity to celebrate the death and the life of loved ones and friends they knew in this world. And it is a day of celebration, not a day of mourning. While not alone in the world in celebrating death, it is certainly uncommon and could make someone from the U.S. very uncomfortable. Note: Chinese also similarly celebrate their dead.

Dio De Los Muertos was celebrated in late July and early August by Aztec Indians for thousands of years. When the Spaniards conquered Mexico in the 1500s, they looked upon this celebration as a pagan ritual. To eliminate it, they moved it to the date of All Saints and All Souls Day in November. The effort failed, and the Aztecs along with all Mexicans continue to celebrate the holiday.

If you are a Leftie, then International Left-Handers Day is just for you! Left Hander’s certainly earned the right to have a day dedicated to them. Sometimes called Southpaw Day, this August 13 holiday is our day. Take a minute to appreciate your left-handed friends and loved ones. Also, our left-handed trivia will make you an expert on the subject.

They say everyone is born right-handed and only the greatest overcome it. (tee,hee) Left Handers, also commonly referred to as a Southpaw, are the brunt of more than their share of jokes all year long. How do I know? Yup, you guessed it! It ain’t easy being a leftie. But those of us who are southpaws would have it no other way. Lefties are proud of it.

Give us some elbow room. The world is built for right-handed people. Examples are everywhere. For example:

• In school, have you ever seen a left-handed desk? They don’t exist.
• Many left-handed items cost more.
• Novelty coffee mugs have the picture or text imprinted for a right-handed pick-up.
• Scissors are for right-handers. Only a lefty understands the problem this poses.
• The computer mouse design is for right-handed users.

Did you Know? Right-handed people operate on the left side of the brain. Conversely, left-handed people use the right side. Therefore, only left-handed people are in their right mind.

Remember today and every day: “Lefties have rights!”

As lefthanders, we never do anything right…Kewl!

Leap Day is every four years….almost. It’s every four years except years ending with “00” that are not divisible by 400. The year in which Leap Day occurs is called a Leap Year. There are no other February 29 holidays or events.

Why the fancy calculation? The earth rotates around the sun once every 365 and about 1/4 days. So, by adding an extra day every four years, we get mighty close to keeping the calendar consistent with the Earth’s annual trip around the sun. And to be very precise, the Earth orbits the sun every 365.242190 days. So, on years ending in “00”, (except those not divisible by 400) we skip Leap Year and Leap Day. With all that fancy calculating out of the way, let’s just celebrate the day.

Did you know? There are occasional “Leap Seconds”. We will spare you the details on those, except to say it helps to correct minor variations. On December 31, 2016, the folks who maintain the official time for the planet, added an extra second to the day! Did you enjoy the extra time? Adding a leap second is not always a sure thing. This is because the Earth’s rotation changes ever so slightly. Lately, its rotation has been a bit faster than usual, delaying the addition of a leap second.  The next possible date after that is June 30, 2024.

If your birthday is on Leap Day, congratulations, you finally get to celebrate your birthday on your birth date. Just how many of us are celebrating our Birthday on Leap Day? Only about one in 1461 people. If you were born on this day, consider yourself very, very special.  

Kwanzaa is an African American holiday celebrating history, culture, family, and community. The name derives from the Swahili phrase “Matunda ya Kwanzaa”, which translates into English as “first fruits”.

The roots of this holiday go back to West and Southeast Africa. Located in the Southern Hemisphere, it was a celebration of the harvest festival. 

Focusing on values, culture, and history, Kwanzaa encourages people to learn more about their roots and to focus on their values.

Pucker up. Today is Kiss Your Mate Day, an April 28 holiday. This is a perfect chance to smooch with your partner, as if you need an opportunity to share a kiss or two with the one you love. With spring in the air, April is an appropriate time for Kiss Your Mate Day. Certainly, you never know where a kiss may lead.

Some people may ask “Why do you need a holiday to kiss my mate?” Others say “Every day should be Kiss Your Mate Day.” Indeed, researchers tell us that smooching is an important part of romance and intimacy. Unfortunately, it is the first thing to go in a relationship. If you don’t currently kiss your mate every day, use today to re-establish kissing in your love life. 

Ladies and Gentlemen……. Do we need to tell you what the tradition is for this great holiday? I didn’t think so. Now, get to it!

For some of us, every day is Junk Food Day. For the rest of us, National Junk Food Day, a July 21 holiday, is an opportunity to guiltlessly eat your favorite junk food.

Dietitians will tell you that junk food is any food that contains little nutritional value. That means most snacks and candies are junk food. We also include foods that are high in salts, fats, and sugars. In other words, junk food is all that tasty stuff that the dietitians, and Mom, say is bad for us.

On National Junk Food Day, you get to eat anything you want. Eat any amounts that you want, too. Tomorrow, however, it’s back to a healthy diet.

Please Note: Junk food may be hazardous to your health. After all, mom knows what’s best for you. So, consume junk food at your own risk. That risk includes Mom saying: “I told you so!”

Juneteenth day, a June 19 holiday, celebrates and symbolizes the end of slavery in the United States. President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862. However, it was not until June 19, 1865 that all slaves were finally freed. That concluding event was when General Gordon Granger rode into Galveston, Texas with his troops and issued Order Number 3 which finally freed the last of the slaves.

The formal end of slavery was marked by the passing of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. The United States Congress passed the Amendment on January 31, 1865.

In 2021, Juneteenth became a Federal holiday. The formal name is Juneteenth National Independence Day. It is sometimes referred to as Emancipation Day or Freedom Day.

Today is International Women’s Day, a March 8 holiday. The United Nations sponsors this worldwide event. However, the UN did not originate this special celebration. The roots of this celebration go back to the late 1800s and early 1900s. It grew from women’s socialist movements and early women’s trade union groups. In those early days, it was called International Working Women’s Day.

The first celebration was held on March 19, 1911. Female socialists and trade unions held an earlier Women’s Day on the last Sunday in February 1908. The event grew from there and has been celebrated annually since. The focus is on women workers and advancing women’s rights in the workforce, politics, and society. 

Nowadays, the goals are to promote and celebrate women’s cultural, political, and social issues and accomplishments.

The Ides of March, a March 15 holiday, is the first day of the Roman New Year. It also marks the first day of spring in the Roman calendar. And, it marks the assassination of Roman Emperor Julius Caesar. Consequently, this day is associated with doom and misfortune. Many people consider this an unlucky day. So, be very cautious to avoid mishaps and troubles throughout the day.

On this day in history, Julius Caesar was warned by soothsayers to “beware of the Ides of March”. It was a warning that his enemies in the Roman Senate were planning against him.   Apparently, he did not heed the warning strongly enough. He did not add additional security guards to protect him. It proved to be a fatal mistake. He was stabbed and killed by Marcus Brutus on the Ides of March in 44 BC.

In 1984, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed July as National Ice Cream Month. He also established National Ice Cream Day as the third Sunday in the month.

When you get the urge for a snack on a hot, humid summer night, what’s the first thing that comes to your mind? That’s right….Ice Cream! Therefore, it’s only fitting that it is given its own special day. On this day, we hope you enjoy a cone, a sundae, or a milkshake. Set the diet aside and splurge a little…have one of each!

Ice cream is nutritious. A little heavy on sugar and calories, ice cream is otherwise good for you. Its base ingredient is milk, which is loaded with healthy vitamins and minerals.

Did you know? Charles E. Minches of St. Louis, Missouri is credited with inventing the ice cream cone. On July 23, 1904, at the World’s Fair in St. Louis, he filled a pastry cone with two scoops of ice cream to make the first cone. There is some controversy over this claim. Italo Marchiony of New York City filed a patent for the ice cream cone months before the fair opened. And, he was selling lemon ice in cones as early as 1896.