Here’s a day that is celebrated on U.S. military bases around the world, and anywhere that a military spouse can be found.  It is celebrated by military personnel off base as well. Today is Military Spouse Appreciation Day.

 Military Spouse Appreciation Day is a day to recognize and honor the real backbone of the military….. the spouses of our soldiers. This day recognizes the contributions made by military spouses to the spirit and well-being of soldiers and military communities. Where would military morale be without their supportive spouses behind them?

Married military personnel uses this day to pamper their spouse in any way possible. If they are away on duty, they usually can send a card, flowers, candy, or other gifts.

Show your patriotism. Chances are you’ve expressed your appreciation to the men and women in the armed forces that serve and protect you. Today is your opportunity to do the same, for the spouses behind those brave people.

To all the military spouses out there, we thank you for being the rock-solid foundation behind your partner, as he or she performs their duty to our country. Your support for them is vital to the welfare of your loved one, as well as to the safety and security of every American.  We thank you.

Take a memo… Today is National Memo Day. What is it for? Who created this May 21 holiday? Why? These are questions awaiting an answer that may never come. Every once in a while, we discover a special day with no known history or description. As a result, people are inundating me with memos to do further research on this holiday. My response is on a memo I just sent back.

 Have a pen and paper handy. Go grab a post-it note. Stand ready at your PC. We suggest you enjoy National Memo Day by giving and taking memos wherever and whenever possible.

Note: If we had a say in the creation of this day, we would rename it “National No Memo Day“. Then, your boss and co-workers wouldn’t be burying you with requests that are on those notes. And, think of the extra time you’d have if you didn’t have to write any memos today!

National Macaroon Day is today. This May 31 holiday honors the Macaroon, a flourless cookie. It is popular among the Jewish community, especially during Passover, when Jews can not cook with flour. But, the popularity of the Macaroon doesn’t stop there. It is also enjoyed around the world.

Macaroons are made from ground nuts and leavened egg whites. Coconut and potato starch is common in Macaroon recipes. Macaroons were believed to have been first made in an Italian monastery in 1792. While monks are well known for their vows of silence, they just couldn’t keep quiet about this tasty treat.

Lumpy Rug Day is today. Aren’t you glad this May 3 holiday has come along to brighten up your day!? The objective of Lumpy Rug Day is two-fold. First, we should appreciate a good, high-quality rug. Second, this holiday encourages us to examine our existing rugs. Are they in good shape?  Or, should we consider repairing or replacing them? Additionally, take a good look to see if it needs shampooing.

A good rug should be smooth and even. It should not be lumpy. Many of us stretch out on a rug to watch TV, play games, and even catch 40 winks. If the rug is lumpy, you’ll know it. And, you won’t have a great experience with it.

If you can’t restore it to good shape, it’s time to replace it. There’s nothing better than replacing your old rug with a thick, cozy new rug. You’ll love to sink your toes into it.

National Loyalty Day is an opportunity to express and reaffirm our loyalty to our country. In proclaiming this day, President George W. Bush wrote: “We express allegiance to our Nation and its founding ideals, we resolve to ensure that the blessings of liberty endure and extend for generations to come.” This May 1 holiday is a good time for ous to affirm our allegiance and fidelity to our country.

But, this day did not start with George Bush’s proclamation. It dates back to the 1920s.

On Loyalty Day, we reaffirm our allegiance to our country and resolve to uphold the vision of our Forefathers. We should also take a moment to appreciate the members of our armed forces who are displaying the ultimate in loyalty and service to protect our freedoms, liberty, and our way of life.

While this day speaks to loyalty to our nation, we can use this day to express our loyalty to other people, organizations, and causes.  

Who is the most loyal? Your dog.

It’s Love a Tree Day. So on this May 16 holiday, go out and give a tree a great big hug. Or, climb up into your favorite tree, and share some quality time with it. You will both benefit from the experience.

Trees are a good thing. They give us shade, comfort, and warmth. They give off oxygen, too. There are many, many benefits provided by trees. So, you have good reason to love a tree or two.

Everyone has a favorite kind of tree. Use today to identify a tree you love, and to pamper it. Give it a trim. Eliminate competitors around it. Feed it a dose of fertilizer. Tree spikes work great. And, give the tree some water, if it is thirsty.

Important Note: On Love a Tree Day, your attention must be placed on trees. A bush or a shrub just won’t do.

You’re just going to love Lilac Sunday. It is perhaps the most fragrant of all flowers. It makes a popular and sought-after perfume. Many say its’ beauty is second only to the rose, and more than a few people see it as better than roses. So, it is only fitting that people around the world honor this beautiful flower on Lilac Sunday. Lilac bushes are native to cool mountainous hillside areas, from southern Europe to Asia. Lilacs were introduced into the United States in the 1750s. Their popularity quickly soared.

Celebrate Lilac Sunday with hugely popular springtime festivals and special events. Annual Lilac flower festivals have been held for over a hundred years. The oldest and biggest festival of them all is held at Highland Park in Rochester, NY. This festival has been held every year since 1905. The 10-day festival is a showcase for the world’s largest collection of lilac bushes, attracting over 500,000 visitors annually. The Arnold Arboretum at Harvard University in Boston, Ma. is also world known for its annual Lilac festival, held every year since 1908.

Celebrate Lilac Sunday by attending a Lilac festival near you. Or,  just stroll in a park among the blooming lilac bushes.

Hawaiian Lei Day is the Hawaiian version of May Day. This May 1  holiday is a celebration of Hawaiian culture and its people. It’s a fun two-day event, centered around the “lei”, a colorful flowery necklace. The “lei” represents an unspoken expression of “aloha”. While this is a Hawaiian holiday celebration, I’m sure you will admit you want to get lei’d, too. C’mon and join in on the fun. There’s no reason you can’t participate in Hawaiian Lei Day, no matter where you are.

Visitors to Hawaii, by plane, boat, or other means, usually receive a traditional lei upon arrival. Nowadays, they are often made of plastic. On Hawaiian Lei Day, people give and receive leis. You will see pretty much everyone is wearing flowery leis. This is a day of festivities and parades, filled with leis, flowers, parties, dancing, and more. There are lei-making contests, hula dancing, luaus, and even the selection and crowning of the Lei Day Queen.

Did You Know? Each Hawaiian island has its signature lei. For example, the island of Kauai is known for a lei made of fruit. Purple berries, with a sweet scent, are strung onto the necklace.

If you are not in Hawaii, we hope you still participate in Hawaiian Lei Day. Grab your hula skirt. Buy or make leis and give them out. Hold a family or group celebration. Have a pig roast, and don’t forget to serve the poi. 

Kentucky Derby Day is upon us. The “Running of the Roses” or “The Run for the Roses”, as the Kentucky Derby is called, is America’s premier horse racing event. Steeped in tradition, the derby is the first step in the Triple Crown of horse racing. It is held at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Each year approximately 155,000 people attend this all-day event, which culminates in a roughly two-minute race.

The Kentucky Derby runs on a 1 1/4 mile, 10-furlong, dirt track. The winner of the race receives a garland of roses and a $2 million purse. The winner has also reached the first step in winning the Triple Crown. The winning horse goes on to compete against other horses to hopefully win at the Preakness Stakes and finally at the Belmont Stakes.  

20 horses compete in the Kentucky Derby. Normally, far fewer horses race in any other horse racing event. To qualify for the Derby, the 3-year-old thoroughbred horses must travel the “Road to the Kentucky Derby”, a series of 35 horse races at tracks in the U.S. and around the world. Points are awarded and the top 20 horses proceed to the Kentucky Derby.

The race lasts about 2 minutes. All-day-long activities and celebrations precede the race. The excitement increases in intensity leading up to the opening of the gates, and the “Run for the Roses” begins.

Tradition abounds at the Kentucky Derby. People come dressed to the nines. Ladies wear extravagant hats and participate in a Hat Parade. Mint Juleps are the traditional drink and are consumed in huge quantities, approximately 120,000 during this two-day event.

Mint Juleps are the official drink of the Kentucky Derby. Use the Official Mint Julep recipe.

International Jazz Day is today. This May holiday celebrates Jazz music and history, as well as Jazz musicians. Jazz music was born in America in the 1800s. Over the years, it has become popular around the world. Everyone has their favorite style of music, and many say Jazz is tops. Some people have a type of music that they do not like.  But everyone likes and /or loves Jazz.  

The birthplace and home of Jazz music is New Orleans, La. Until you visit New Orleans and attend a real Jazz show in an authentic setting, you can’t fully appreciate the culture and beauty of this great style of music.

Enjoy International Jazz Day by sitting back and listening to your favorite Jazz tunes. Preferably, listen to them today as they are being played by a live jazz band.

Did You Know?  There is a second holiday with the same title.  An International Jazz Day was also created by the United Nations.