Humiliation Day is not a day to humiliate someone or put them to shame. Rather, this January 3 holiday is a time to recognize the negativity of humiliating or embarrassing someone or a group of people. You might begin by eating humble pie yourself. Then, you can look for ways to fight humiliation wherever you see it.

Perhaps too many people associate humbleness with humility. So, they think today is a day to be humble. Being humble is a good virtue. However, it is not the same as humility. Humiliation is a negative impression placed upon someone….which is not good, period.

Let’s all use this special day, to remind us to avoid humiliating or demeaning anyone for any reason.

Today is also the perfect time to eat a little humble pie.

Today’s Theme Song: Always Be Humble and Kind By Tim McGraw

Today is National Hugging Day, a January 21 holiday. What a great day it’s going to be! Today is an opportunity to give and to receive. Give a big bear hug, and you automatically receive one in return. Sure, someone might not hug back. But, how often does that happen!?!

Hugs are loving. They are therapeutic. Hugs are caring. They are celebratory, too.  And, they make you feel good inside. It is a way to say everything is or will be okay. Have you ever received one from someone who didn’t care? I didn’t think so. That’s proof positive that you’re loved and cared about.

Celebrate today by giving the “big squeeze” to family, friends, and loved ones. You’ll love the warm feeling you get.  

Northern Hemisphere Hoodie-Hoo Day is today, a February 20 holiday. On this cold winter day, people go out at noon, wave their hands over their heads, and chant “Hoodie-Hoo”. If the weather is really nasty and you can’t go outside, get on the telephone and call everyone you know. Yell “Hoodie-Hoo” into the phone. 

Today is a day to chase away winter blahs and bring in spring. After all, everyone in the northern hemisphere are sick and tired of winter at this point and a little crazy being cooped up inside all winter and not seeing the sun.

Did You Know? Winter in the Southern Hemisphere is during our summer season. Therefore, Southern Hemisphere Hoodie-Hoo Day is August 22.

National Hat Day, a January 15 holiday, exists to encourage you to wear and enjoy the headwear of your choice and style. Isn’t it great that millinery comes in all shapes, sizes, colors, and styles? There’s one to fit every size head and personality, too. Most people wear them. And, some people wear them all of the time. As a result, they own many head toppers.

Hats are used to make a statement or to promote a cause or a product. Back in 1797, the introduction of the Top Hat almost caused a riot. It was first worn by James Heatherington in London England. As Heatherington strolled through the streets of London, England displaying his Top Hat, crowds gathered, Some people began to push and shove. Heatherington was fined for “going about in a manner that frightened timid people”. Apparently, that is a law in London. 

Oh yeah… headwear has practical uses, too. For example, helmets offer safety protection. Some hats keep your head warm, or the sun out of your eyes….how boring.

National Hat Day is not intended to just keep your noggin warm. It’s a chance to make a statement and display your favorite headgear. We suggest you wear several different hats over the course of the day.

Did you know? More body heat is lost from your head than other parts of the body. So, wearing a woolen cap, or any kind of head covering, goes a long way towards staying warm on a cold winter’s day (or night).

Summer is in full swing. It’s time to slow down and relax. During the Dog Days of summer (and all of the other summer days, too), there is no better place to slow down and relax, than on a hammock under a shady tree as you read some hammock trivia or your favorite book. Therefore Hammock Day, a July 22 holiday, is celebrated at the perfect time of year. All you need is a hammock and a couple of trees, or a couple of sturdy poles, And oh, don’t forget an ice-cold beverage of your choice. 

This holiday is appropriately celebrated right in the middle of the Dog Days of summer (July 3 through August 11th).

Hammock Day exists to celebrate and enjoy summer as it should be enjoyed. People celebrate this day by spending as much time relaxing on it as possible. There’s a wide variety of hammocks. Most notably, single and double hammocks. The doubles exist so you can lounge today with someone special. Getting out of your hammock to get a snack, or your favorite summer beverage is okay. But, it is not a day for work. Cutting the lawn is forbidden on this holiday. However, it’s the perfect place to watch someone else cut the lawn. 

Today is National Grandparent’s Day, a September holiday. Your grandmother and grandfather are beloved members of your family. The objective of this holiday is to recognize our grandparents and the important role they play in the family structure. It is only right and fitting that one day of the year is set aside to honor our grandparents. It is time to celebrate those special people who are always there with a hug, a kiss, a cookie, something special, or take us somewhere.

National Grandparent’s Day originated in 1978. Then President Jimmy Carter declared it to be the first Sunday after Labor Day. In the proclamation, President Carter. Does that mean you’re old and ready for the rocking chair? Absolutely not. It only means you have a wonderful child who has a wonderful child. As a grandparent, you’re still as young as you feel. So, go out and participate in your favorite active activity today. 

If you can, enjoy the day with them. That is the greatest gift they can receive from you. If you can’t see them, call them, or Skype them. When you call, make sure you have the time for a long conversation. Remember, grandparents will always ask about you first and listen intently to everything you have to say. They are never rushed or in a hurry. They are there just for you.

Thought for the Day: If momma ain’t happy, nobody’s happy. If Grandma ain’t happy….. RUN !

Grab your skateboard and hit the sidewalk (or road), as today is Go Skateboarding Day, a June 21 holiday. This is a popular sport, that just about anyone can enjoy. It has gained significant popularity. In 2020, skateboarding became an Olympic event in the summer games in Tokyo, Japan 

It should come as no surprise that this sport originated on the west coast of the U.S. Skateboards first appeared in the 1940s. It quickly gained popularity across the U.S. It has gained popularity worldwide. A skateboard is a popular gift for Christmas and birthdays.

Go Skateboarding Day was created to make this sport more accessible to everyone and to make it popular worldwide. On this date, the IASC annually holds events in major cities around the world.

Now here’s a day that just about everybody can relax and enjoy. It is National Goof Off Day, a March 22 holiday. This is a day to do anything and everything…..except what you’re supposed to do today. Normally, we all work pretty hard. So, a day to idle around doing nothing is well-deserved.

Assuming you won’t get in trouble at work or school, go ahead and play some golf, or play games all day. Spend extra time surfing the net. Go out and spend the day window-shopping with your favorite friend. If you’ve got chores to do at home, go fishing instead. Or, just read sit down and read a book or watch TV. This day is set aside for you to do anything you enjoy doing.

A few years ago, a survey was performed to identify the most popular activity for goofing off. The top activity was playing video games. Who conducted the survey? Nintendo…….no surprise. It kinda makes you wonder just who might have had the brainstorm to create this day……hmmmm. Nowadays, the most popular Goof Off Day activity is likely playing games on the internet, or on our smartphones.

Some avid golfers might suggest any and every day is Golfer’s Day. But this April 10 holiday is officially dedicated to golfers. The only question is, does this day honor the golfer, the sport, or the weather? Well, it’s a little of each. Golfer’s Day, also called “Golf Day”, is an opportunity to be thankful that someone invented this addicting, yet relaxing hobby.

Also referred to as “Golf Day”, there is only one proper way to enjoy this day. And, that’s out on the golf course.

When Golfer’s Day falls on a weekday, it is even more special. That means you now have an excuse to take a day off of work and go play a round …or two. Regardless of your score today, you know that even a bad day on the greens is better than a good day at work.

Groundhog Day, a February 2 holiday, is celebrated in the U.S. each year on February 2. On this day in mid-winter, the groundhog awakens from a long winter’s nap and goes outside of his den to see if he sees his shadow. This tradition is big, on an otherwise cold and dreary mid-winter’s day.

According to legend, if the groundhog sees his shadow (a sunny morning), there will be six more weeks of winter. He then returns to his den and goes back to sleep. If however, he does not see his shadow (cloudy days), he plays around outside of his hole for a while. If he does not see his shadow, spring is just around the corner.

The Groundhog’s Day tradition travelled a long way. It comes from German roots.  In the early 1800s, German immigrants to America brought the tradition of predicting winter weather on February 2. In their native Germany, they used Hedgehogs to predict the weather. As they settled in the hills of Pennsylvania, they began the tradition, of using the Groundhog to predict the arrival of Spring. The tradition is based upon Candlemas, the day that is the midpoint between Winter and Spring.

A famous Candlemas poem goes:

If Candlemas be fair and bright,
Winter has another flight.
If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,
Winter will not come again.

Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania is the site of the annual Groundhog event. Our little rodent friend (yes, Groundhogs are classified as rodents) is called Punxsutawney Phil. He has been making this annual winter prediction since 1887. There are a few other “predictors” around the country, but they all pale in comparison to Phil’s ability to predict the remainder of winter.

For the Record Phil sees his shadow about 9 out of 10 times,