There’s a special day to celebrate donuts. So, it only makes sense that there should be a special day to give recognition to Bagels. Fortunately for bagel lovers, that day has thankfully arrived. Why National Bagel Day is so special, that some people refer to it as a “Hole-y Event!” As far as food holidays go, you’re gonna love this January 15 holiday.

Depending upon who you talk to and what you read, the word bagel and the recipe originates in different areas and at different times. In some places, bagels are spelled “biegels”. Some folks say the word “bagel” comes from the German word “Bougel”, dating back to the 16th century. But, it is believed that the recipe for bagels evolved from the ringed Polish bread “Obwarzanek”, which was invented in the late 14th century. In Krakow, Poland, they were given as gifts to women after childbirth.

We don’t care what it is called, or how it came to be. We are just thankful that there are plenty of bagels for all of us! As for flavor choice, I’ll take mine with everything!  

Setting the date Straight – The date for this special event was originally February 9. The date was moved to January 15 by bagel manufacturer Thomas Bagels, to avoid sharing the date with National Pizza Day.

The only requirement for this day is that you eat bagels. And, have it your way. You can have them toasted or un-toasted. Add whatever you prefer: lox, cream cheese, butter, or your favorite jelly.

Measure Your Feet Day, a January 23 holiday is a day to, well it’s a day to measure your feet. At this point, we stop and ask ourselves…why? We pondered this question for a while. Then, we decided it was best not to even speculate.

Celebrate today by determining the size of your feet. Both of them. Measure the length. Then, measure the width. For a little fun, see if you can measure someone else’s feet.

During our initial research in the early 2000s, everyone referred to this day as Measure Your Feet Day.  We were happy to determine that congress did not spend the time to declare this a “National” day. Then, we researched this day again in the early 2020s. We did not find any additional information. However, for some unknown reason, we discovered some internet websites were referring to it as National Measure our Feet Day. 

Our kids are our future. We’ve heard this expression used often and in many, many ways.  It’s well known that kids have creative, untethered minds. As a result, the youth of the world come up with a lot of good ideas, concepts, and inventions. All you need to do is encourage them, and then listen and see what happens. It’s only fitting that Kid Inventors Day exists to recognize kids for their past, present, and future achievements and inventions. This January 17 holiday also encourages kids to dream up new inventions and pursue their creative ideas.  

Never underestimate the value of the brilliant, young creative minds in the world. Untethered by why “you can’t do this”, or “you can’t you do that”, these inquisitive and ingenious young minds conceive and create countless ideas for products, processes, art, foods, and a whole lot more things that make our lives better, more fun, easier and more enjoyable. 

There are many great examples of kid inventors. According to Lee Ward, the creator of this day, children and teens invent over 500,000 gadgets and games every year! Perhaps the best example is Benjamin Franklin, who at the age of 12 invented swimming fins. As we all know, Benjamin Franklin grew up to be one of the greatest inventors in American history. With their “can do” attitude, youthful inventors and thinkers have brought countless inventions into existence. Among them are earmuffs, popsicles, and water skis. Every parent knows full well the impact of a kid’s creative thinking. We’ve all witnessed the seemingly wild and crazy concoctions they make in the kitchen. More than a few of these culinary creations turn into huge hits.   

It’s concert time. Dust off your favorite childhood musical instrument. People young and old love Kazoos. They are fun and easy to play. You don’t have to have musical talent. National Kazoo Day, a January 28 holiday, celebrates the joy of this musical instrument.

Alabama Vest of Macon Georgia made the first Kazoo in the 1840s. He conceived the Kazoo and had Thaddeus Von Clegg, a German clock master make it to his specifications. 

Commercial production of the Kazoo didn’t occur until many years later in 1912. Manufacturing was first started by Emil Sorg in Western New York. Sorg joined up with Michael McIntyre, a Buffalo tool and die, maker. Production moved to Eden, NY where the factory museum remains today.

Kazoos are easy to play. Simply hum a tune into the kazoo, and you’re an expert. Kazoos can be played solo, or in groups. It plays a great tune both ways.

What do you do on National Kazoo Day? Why, play the kazoo, of course. A solo is quite acceptable. playing the kazoo with a group of friends is even more fun.

Today is International Stop Spam Day, a January 2 holiday that is relevant to the entire world. No, we’re not talking about spam, the processed pork in a can. We’re talking about the millions upon millions of junk texts, emails, and voicemails that bombard our cell phones and email accounts each and every day. It is an international problem, occurring anywhere and everywhere on the planet. Often the spammers come from offshore sites, making them unidentifiable and untouchable.

International Stop Spam Day was created to officially recognize spam texts and emails as one of the greatest scourges of our time, and to do something about it. Spam messages are a total waste of the recipient’s time and there’s seemingly no way to eliminate these time-consuming junk and scam messages from our lives. Spam filters are getting better at identifying spam. The trouble is, many spam messages still get through to your email account. And, junk mail folders sometimes trap real and important messages. That means you still need to spend time scanning the messages in your junk folder, lest you miss an important message.

Today is National Inane Answering Message Day, a January 30 holiday. Many people look at the title of this day and think ….huh!!? Some people think it’s a typo, and the day should read “National Insane Answering Message Day”. That’s because sometimes people leave the weirdest and craziest messages.  

Let’s clarify the meaning of an “inane” answering message. We all get them. An inane message is a senseless or meaningless message, spam, or a prank call. Or, it could be literally an insane message. So, National Inane Answering Message Day is a day to end those numerous annoying messages. The trouble is…….how do you do that? 

This is an old holiday that dates back to before cell phones when people had an answering machine attached to their landline telephones. Many of us did not grow up with a physical answering machine, either separately, or plugged into a landline phone. Updated to today’s world, we’re talking about inane voicemail. While technology changes, the messages we receive on our cell phones are as crazy and insane as ever. When we think about today’s inane messages, we think about political, marketing, and scams of all kinds. There’s no shortage of them, and they’re proliferated by mechanized robocalls.  

Today is Houseplant Appreciation Day, a January 10 holiday. The holidays are over. The decorations have been put away for another year. The house looks a little plain, a little drab. In the greyishness of January, your eye catches something in the corner of the room. Why it’s a houseplant! Funny, but with all of the holiday hullabaloo, you’ve all but forgotten your houseplants.

Today is THE day to get back to tending to and loving your houseplants. And, it’s also a day to appreciate just how special and important they are. They are therapeutic, lifting your mood and outlook. They add warmth and a calming effect. If you are a gardener, they allow you to play in the dirt, until spring arrives in the far, distant future.

Growing houseplants is pretty easy. They need a little sunlight, water, occasional nutrients, and a little love.

More on growing houseplants

Inspire Your Heart With Art Day celebrates art and the effect it can have on your heart. Art is valued and appreciated for all sorts of reasons. Its impact on feelings and the heart is the strongest. On this January 31 holiday, we celebrate and appreciate all forms of art. There are many forms of art. We commonly think of art as drawings, paintings, and sculptures. there are many more, including cinema, literature, music, and theater.

Look at a piece of art and ask yourself: What is is telling me? How does it make me feel? What emotions is it evoking (if any) within me?

A sense of love and romance is one of those feelings and emotions that a piece of artwork can awaken and inspire. Looking to create a little romance with that special someone? Try setting the mood, with an appropriate piece of art.

While the title of this day suggests you inspire “your” heart, we’re guessing you may use today to inspire someone else’s heart…to romantic thoughts….of you. Writing a poem to a loved one sounds like a great way to participate in this day.

National Handwriting Day is today, a January 23 holiday. It is an opportunity to reintroduce yourself to a pen or pencil and a piece of paper. In this day of computers, more and more information, notes, and letters are sent back and forth via a keyboard and sent via cyberspace.

According to the Writing Instrument Manufacturers Association (WIMA) website “The purpose of National Handwriting Day is to alert the public to the importance of handwriting. According to WIMA, National Handwriting Day is a chance for all of us to re-explore the purity and power of handwriting.”

Some of the available documentation we read, suggests concern by stationary, paper companies, and pen and pencil manufacturers that the electronic world will shrink demand for their products. But, indeed, statistics show that pen (or pencil) and paper are alive and well, with growing demand.

Participate in National Handwriting Day by writing a note or letter to someone. Love letters are cool. Notes to people who are ill or incapacitated will be well received.

Sending handwritten notes and letters generally means sending them via snail mail. However, you can send the handwritten letter by fax, or pdf. You can also take a picture of it and send it as a JPG.

Now here’s a day that is certain to make you laugh. It’s Global Belly Laugh Day! This January 24 holiday exists to have a few hearty laughs. You can participate by yourself. However, it’s much more fun if you gather a group together for a good chuckle or two.

This is a “feel good” day. It’s so easy and enjoyable to participate in this day. Elaine Helle, the originator has this celebration established down to the minute. Make plans to join the “Belly laugh bounce around the world!” At exactly 1:24 p.m. on your local time, put a big smile on your face, throw your hands into the air, and give a hearty laugh as loud as you can. Let it resonate all the way from your belly. The result is certain to make you and those around you feel better, Yes, your belly laugh should not be performed alone. Rather, do a belly laugh or two in front of others. Better still, get a group of friends together in a public place, and have a pleasurable belly laugh as a group. You will be chuckling about this day for years. Everyone will be glad you did!