The "That's a Holiday?!" Podcast: Recent Episodes
Ryan Graber
It’s a holiday everyday somewhere! Everyday you’ll be able to find another little-known holiday featured here with info on the holiday history, a few pieces of trivia to impress your friends, and tips on how to celebrate!
Unfortunate and unavoidable technical difficulties have resulted in a holiday hiatus. "Hiatus" is also a weird word.
It's Saturday, June 27, 2015 and today is Sunglasses Day.
This day is to celebrate the lenses that protect your retina from the big, orange object that tells us that it is, in fact, day.
It’s a holiday everyday somewhere and here on the That’s a Holiday podcast we’re celebrating every single one... that we feel like celebrating. Everyday, you’ll be able to find another little-known holiday featured here, and every Friday you’ll find a Holiday Heads-Up-isode: an extra episode giving you the heads-up on holidays coming the following week. Stick around after the holiday heads-ups for a special announcement.
Monday, June 29th, is Camera Day?!
Tuesday, June 30th, is Social Media Day?!
Wednesday, July 1st, is Canada Day!?
Thursday, July 2nd, is World UFO Day?!
Friday, July 3rd, is International Bag Free Day?!
July 4, is National Country Music Day?!
July 5, is Build a Scarecrow Day?!
It's Friday, June 26, 2015 and today is Canoe Day.
This holiday is of Canadian origin and celebrates the useful and practical narrow boat with pointed ends called the canoe. It was actually voted one of the Seven Wonders of Canada.
Sorry, no, Celine Dion was not one of the others.
It's Thursday, June 25, 2015 and today is World Beatles Day.
On June 25, 1967, The Beatles participated in a global BBC transmission of their song, “All you Need is Love.” Of course the BBC participated in the British invasion. We love their documentaries.
It's Wednesday, June 24, 2015 and today is Pralines Day.
This day celebrates the sweet confectionary whose name, “praline,” has several definitions. According to Dictionary.com, it could refer to 1) “a French confection consisting of a caramel-covered almond or, sometimes, a hazelnut,” 2) “a cookie-size confection made especially of butter, brown sugar, and pecans,” 3) “a similar confection of nuts mixed or covered with chocolate, coconut, maple sugar or syrup, etc.”
Basically, make sure you get some sugar on a nut and you can have a praline.
It's Tuesday, June 23, 2015 and today is Public Service Day.
Public Service Day celebrates the value of those working in government services to the community, and encourages young people to pursue careers in the public sector. It is also a U.N. recognized holiday, which means United Nations recognized, not unrecognized.
It's Monday, June 22, 2015 and today is Onion Rings Day.
This day appears to be a child of the Internet, gaining popularity in the latter 20-oughts. It’s a day to celebrate the dipping and deep-frying of the onion (which is the only way it can succeed as the main feature of a dish).
It's Sunday, June 21, 2015 and today is Summer Solstice Day.
While most are celebrating Father’s Day, this day also marks the Summer Solstice and therefore the first official day of summer in the United States. It occurs either on June 20, 21, or 22 every year when the top of the sun’s arc across the sky (it’s zenith) reaches its northernmost point, as the northern hemisphere leans closest to the sun.
Basically, the sun just decided, “That’s close enough, Canada!”
It's Saturday, June 20, 2015 and today is World Juggling Day.
This day recognizes the founding of the International Jugglers’ Association on June 17th 1947. Every year “World Juggling Day” takes place on the Saturday closest to June 17th and it invites jugglers the world over to organize events like juggling festivals, juggling games, or juggling stunts. Creepy clown paint is optional.
It’s a holiday everyday somewhere and here on the "That’s a Holiday?!" Podcast we’re celebrating every single one... that we feel like celebrating. Everyday, you’ll be able to find another little-known holiday featured here, but every Friday you’ll find a Holiday Heads-Upisode: an extra episode giving you the heads-up on holidays coming the following week. Monday, June the 22nd, is Onion Rings Day?! Tuesday, June the 23rd is Public Service Day?! Wednesday, June the 24th is Pralines Day?! Thursday, June the 25th is Global Beatles Day?! Friday, June the 26th, is Canoe Day?! Saturday, June the 27th is Sunglasses Day?! Sunday, June the 28th is Insurance Awareness Day?!
It's Friday, June 19, 2015 and today is Juneteenth Day.
Juneteenth is a clever hybrid between the words “June” and “19th.” It commemorates this date in 1865 when Union Soldiers finally came to Galveston with the belated news that the Civil War was over and slaves were now free. This is now an official state holiday in Texas.
It's Thursday, June 18, 2015 and today is International Picnic Day.
It’s a day to share your lunch with a friend without a roof over your head.
...and a day to be lunch for the mosquitoes.
It's Wednesday, June 17, 2015 and today is Bunker Hill Day.
This day marks the anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill which occurred in 1775 during the American Revolutionary War. Although originally considered a victory for the British, the colonists here displayed their ability to strongly resist a professional army.
It's Tuesday, June 16, 2015 and today is Fudge Day.
Fudge is a uniquely Western confectionary that, you all should know before you eat it, is basically just milk, butter, and sugar.
Which is why we love it.
It's Monday, June 15, 2015 and today is Magna Carta Day. Many events taking place this day commemorate the anniversary of the signing of the famous document known and used for protecting the rights of the individual citizen from arbitrary and tyrannical laws. The Magna Carta recognized that a king, or any other political leader, does not have absolute power over the people. This is the 800th birthday of the Magna Carta. Enjoy it. It·s unlikely you·ll be here for the 900th.
It's Sunday, June 14, 2015 and today is Flag Day.
This day is not a federal holiday but is a nationwide observance. It is a legal holiday, though, in a few areas, and it commemorates the flag’s adoption. It falls within National Flag Week, because some holidays can’t be contained in 24 hours.
It's Saturday, June 13, 2015 and today is World Doll Day.
This day celebrates the history and heritage of dolls and doll-making. Traditionally, dolls are given to one another on this day and you can also attend doll shows, but not after watching terrifying films where dolls come alive. I’m looking at you, Toy Story.
It’s a holiday everyday somewhere and here on the "That’s a Holiday?!" Podcast we’re celebrating every single one... that we feel like celebrating. Everyday, you’ll be able to find another little-known holiday featured here, and every Friday you’ll find a Holiday Heads-Upisode: an extra episode giving you the heads-up on holidays coming the following week.
Monday, June the 15th, is Magna Carta Day?!
Tuesday, June the 16th is Fudge Day?!
Wednesday, June the 17th is Bunker Hill Day?!
Thursday, June the 18th is International Picnic Day?!
Friday, June the 19th, is Juneteenth Day?!
Saturday, June the 20th is World Juggling Day?!
Sunday, June the 21st is June Solstice Day?!
It's Friday, June 12, 2015 and today is Loving Day.
This day celebrates the landmark Supreme Court decision that declared all laws against interracial marriage unconstitutional in the United States in 1967. The case was called Loving v. Virginia, from the surname of the couple involved in the case, Mildred and Richard Loving.
How fortuitous.
It's Thursday, June 11, 2015 and today is Kamehameha Day.
Kamehameha the Great was the monarch of Hawaii from 1782 to 1819 and he is known for establishing the Kingdom of Hawaii. Therefore this day, his birthday, is a state holiday in Hawaii and includes horse, cycle, and footraces, as well as a hula competition. It’s almost as big of a deal over there as SPAM.
It's Wednesday, June 10, 2015 and today is Ball-point Pen Day.
On this day in 1943, brothers Laszlo and Georg Bíró filed a patent for what’s now the world's most popular writing instrument. I guess they made their point.
It's Tuesday, June 9, 2015 and today is Donald Duck Day.
This commemorates the debut appearance of Donald Duck on June 9th 1934. He is an short-tempered, ranting cartoon duck who was Walt Disney’s second most famous cartoon character after Mickey Mouse.
He also never wears pants.
It's Monday, June 8th, 2015 and today is World’s Oceans Day.
This day is held every June 8th and is recognized by the United Nations in order to bring attention to the increasing pollution in world’s oceans and to the floating plastic island the size of Texas we made all by ourselves.
It's Sunday, June 7, 2015 and today is National Cancer Survivors Day.
Observed each year on the first Sunday in June, National Cancer Survivors Day encourages cancer survivors, defined as anyone living with a history of cancer. Today your community can bring awareness to your active, productive cancer survivor population and to the challenges faced during and after treatment.
It's Saturday, June 6, 2015 and today is the Anniversary of D-Day.
This day commemorates the 160,000 Allied troops who landed on the beaches of Normandy, France, to fight Nazi soldiers on June 6, 1944. The invasion is considered one of the most significant military attacks in history and provided about 72% of the History Channel’s programming.
It's Friday, June 5, 2015 and today is Donut Day.
According to DonutDayUSA.com, this day, the first Friday of every June, commemorates the work that the Salvation Army does to benefit veterans, including the provision of free donuts and coffee.
It's Thursday, June 4, 2015 and today is Hug Your Cat Day.
If the 4th is the day to hug your cat, then I submit June 5th as “Pick Off All the Hair Out Of Clothes Day.” By the way, please don’t celebrate if you own a tiger.
It's Wednesday, June 3, 2015 and today is National Running Day.
Go to runningday.org for more info, but National Running Day is held on the first Wednesday in June. It celebrates running for recreational reasons and for staying healthy! Just do it!
It's Tuesday, June 2, 2015 and today is Rocky Road Day.
This holiday is celebrated to commemorate one of the greatest ice cream flavors invented, with chocolate ice cream, nuts, and marshmallows. Some think it is of Australian origin, so we can thank them for making us aware of this dessert and of dingoes.
It's Monday, June 1, 2015 and today is Say Something Nice Day.
Say Something Nice Day is a celebration of general kindness, well-mannered interactions, and delightful individuals.
Being Nice: It’s the engine oil of society.
It's Sunday, May 31, 2015 and today is World No Tobacco Day.
This yearly celebration informs the public on the dangers of using tobacco, the business practices of tobacco companies, and about what is being done to fight the epidemic of tobacco (and unnecessarily long acronyms) by the World Health Organization AKA the W.H.O.
It's Saturday, May 29, 2015 and today is Mahlon Loomis Day.
This day remembers Mahlon Loomis, a dentist who patented his wireless telegraphing method via static electricity in the air. Loomis also had sideburns that look like they could’ve conducted electricity.
It's Friday, May 29, 2015 and today is Learn About Composting Day.
This day, every May 29th, is about composting: using fertilized soil from a mixture of various decayed organic substances, like dead leaves, vegetation, kitchen scraps, or manure.
It's Thursday, May 28, 2015 and today is Burger Day.
This uniquely American holiday drops all pretense of pomp or circumstance and says, “Oh, who needs a reason. I want a hamburger.”
It's Wednesday, May 27, 2015 and today is National Senior Health & Fitness Day.
This year’s theme for the National Senior Health & Fitness Day is "If You Keep Moving…You’ll Keep Improving!" 100,000 older adults will participate on the 22nd annual event of this celebration. This holiday is the nation's largest annual health event for older adults. But no matter our age, we should get fit now, so we don’t become the nation’s largest adults.
It's Tuesday, May 26, 2015 and today is Blueberry Cheesecake Day.
Why does this holiday exist? Three words. Blueberry. Cheese. Cake. ‘Nough said.
It's Monday, May 25, 2015 and today is Jefferson Davis’ Birthday.
His birthday is celebrated in several states, and is combined with Memorial Day in Mississippi on the last Monday of May. Jefferson Davis served as the Secretary of War, was chosen twice to the US Senate, and was the only president of the Confederate States of America, which, as a Yankee, I’m not allowed to acknowledge the existence of.
It's Sunday, May 24, 2015 and today is Indianapolis 500 Day.
Although not technically a “day,” this event has become a holiday in the same sense that the Super Bowl is a holiday. The 99th Indy 500 takes place this Memorial Day weekend. Since the inaugural race in 1911, the Indianapolis 500 has become steeped in tradition. One of these traditions seems to be that dads everywhere reserve the television for Sunday afternoon so they can watch it for fifteen minutes and then fall asleep.
It's Saturday, May 23, 2015 and today is World Turtle Day.
This day recognizes the need for protection and preservation of turtles, which are rapidly disappearing as a result of habitat destruction and the exotic food industry. Although I’m not sure why they’re considered an exotic food. They’re just caramel and pecans, right?
It's Friday, May 22, 2015 and today is International Day for Bio-diversity.
This day is recognized to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues. “Bio” meaning living things and “diversity” meaning a wide variety. This was to help prevent what is called a “monoculture,” “mono” meaning “one” and “culture” meaning what I’m growing on some cheese in the fridge.
It's Thursday, May 21, 2015 and today is One Day Without Shoes Day.
This day recognizes the plight of many people in the world who still do not have access to or the finances for adequate footwear, which prevents safety and limits opportunity for many people.
It's Wednesday, May 20, 2015 and today is Pick Strawberries Day.
Today celebrates that bright red berry that's unashamed to wear its seeds where all can see. Just like the bun of a Big Mac.
It's Tuesday, May 19, 2015 and today is Malcolm X Day. Malcolm X Day recognizes the civil rights work of this man who was born Malcolm Little on this day in 1925. It is officially celebrated in Berkley, CA, but is not a federal observance.
It's Monday, May 18, 2015 and today is International Museum Day.
Today celebrates the positive benefits museums have provided modern society by preserving and enriching our own culture and others as well. You also have very specific museums like the Burlingame Museum of Pez Memorabilia or the Museum of Questionable Medical Devices
It's Sunday, May 17, 2015 and today is Packrat Day.
Today is a day for you to take a good and honest look at yourself and admit whether or not you have a packrat problem. And, no, you don’t have be as bad as the hoarders on television to be a pack rat.
This will be the 4th annual National Learn to Swim Day, and is a great time to raise awareness about the importance of teaching kids to swim. This is an invaluable skill that is not only fun, but keeps them safe!
Endangered Species Day is a celebration of the nation’s wildlife. On this day, every year on the third Friday in May, it also recognizes the success of the Endangered Species Act for preventing the extinction of animals like the Bald Eagle, the grizzly bear, and the wild salmon. Although I’m pretty sure the salmon wouldn’t mind there being less grizzlies.
It's Thursday, May 14, 2015 and today is National Chicken Dance Day.
Known as “the Birdie Song” in many other countries, this day celebrates the polka-rific song and dance number originating in Switzerland called the Chicken Dance. This song, where you flap your arms like a flightless bird, alternates between the most fun or most annoying song, depending on your mood.
It's Wednesday, May 13, 2015 and today is Leprechaun Day. Today celebrates leprechauns, those familiar, fictional creatures that look like something in between an elf, a dwarf, an annoying little kid, and somebody taking St. Patrick's Day way too seriously.
It's May 12, 2015 and today is Limerick Day.
May the 12th was when Edward Lear came,
Into this world and popularized a game,
Of taking a few lines,
And making them rhyme,
If you don’t write limericks, you’re lame!
It's May 11, 2015 and today is Twilight Zone Day.
This holiday celebrates that cult classic television series from the 50’s and 60’s that introduced American audiences to the tropes of sci-fi and fantasy. It was from the dimension of imagination.
It's May 10, 2015 and today is World Lupus Day.
Many people will be celebrating Mothers' Day today, (and you should call her), but today also recognizes the plight of sufferers of Lupus, a little-known disease with no known cure which makes the immune system overactive, leaving diverse parts of the body with inflammation, pain, and damage. Get informed and do something today. Especially if your mom has lupus.
It's Saturday, May 9, 2015 and today is Lost Sock Memorial Day. Today takes time to remember those lost socks that have been left behind under beds, couches, behind washing machines, and in the back of closets.
It's Friday, May 8, 2015 and today is Iris Day. Today does not celebrate the colored center of your eye, but rather the beauty you lay your eyes upon when you see the flowering plant called the iris. This popular perennial poses with an upright, long stem and large, showy flowers with drooping petals in many colors. It is a favorite of gardeners, painters of nature, and pretty much everybody. I mean, who dislikes a flower species?
It's Thursday, May 7, 2015 and today is Roast Leg of Lamb Day.
Today is another one of those oddly-specific food days. And despite an hour of research, I have no clue who invented this day. I’m convinced it was a group of activist chickens.
It's Wednesday, May 6, 2015 and today is National Nurses Day.
National Nurses day is a national U.S. observance all about recognizing the sacrifices and hard work of men and women in the nursing profession.
It's Tuesday, May 5, 2015 and today is World Asthma Day. While others celebrate Cinco de Mayo, this day occurs every May on the first Tuesday of the month and, it aims to improve awareness and care for asthma sufferers around the world.
It's Monday May 4, 2015 and today is Star Wars Day. The fact that "May the 4th be with you," sounds similar to "May the force be with you," is pretty much the only reason why today is Star Wars Day.
It's Sunday, May 3rd, 2015 and today is National Two Different Colored Shoes Day. This day is obviously celebrated by wearing differently-colored shoes, and recognizes the variety and diversity among humanity.
It's Saturday, May the 2nd, 2015 and today is Join Hands Day. This is not a day to surgically attach your hands together. Every first Saturday in May is a national day of volunteering with an emphasis on the young and old working together in their communities. This is intended to begin a year-round process of relationship building among the generations.
It's Friday, May 1, 2015, and today is Law Day.
A day totally dedicated to celebrating the rule of law and recognizing the role of courts in the U. S. of A. This is a national observance in the U.S. although not a federal holiday, so unfortunately no day off work. Which seems like an injustice!
It's Thursday, April 30, 2015 and today is International Jazz Day. Today celebrates this uniquely American musical style that has crossed cultural boundaries, nationalities, ethnicities, and all that jazz.
It's Wednesday, April 29, 2015 and today is International Guide Dog Day. One of the best of the dog days, this day recognizes the helpfulness of these skilled creatures in providing accessibility to the blind or vision-impaired.
It's Tuesday, April 28th, 2015 and today is Blueberry Pie Day. This is not a day to be blue. It celebrates the deliciousness that is Blueberry Pie!
It's Monday, April 27th, 2015 and today is Confederate Memorial Day. This day is controversial as it remembers the deaths of confederate soldiers in the Civil War. Many simply want to recognize the deaths of these men, while others see this as a vestige of a slave-holding era. Nevertheless this day is celebrated on varying days by many southern states including Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Tennessee
It's Sunday, April 26, 2015 and today is National Pretzel Day.“Two pretzels were walking down a street. One was assaulted.” Today celebrates the baked dough tied into a knot and salted.
It's Saturday, April 25, 2015 and today is Hairball Awareness Day. Beware. Today, might be nausea-inducing. This hairball awareness day is one of the more strange holidays, because, really, isn't the sound your cat makes enough to make you aware of hairballs?
It's Friday, April 24, 2015 and today is Arbor Day. This day celebrates trees and tree-planting, and it·s one of our oldest national observances. How can we tell? By counting the rings!
Arguably one of the longest-named holidays, Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day is every fourth Thursday in April across the world. It encourages people to show their workplace and occupation to not only their own children, but children without parents as well. That’s why it’s called “Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day.” You almost missed it with all those other words didn’t you?
The Earth Day Network claims that Earth Day, celebrated every April 22, is the largest civic event in the world and aims to promote awareness of environmental issues. This day just says, “Forget it. We’ll just celebrate the whole world.”
It's Tuesday, April 21st, 2015 and today is Kindergarten Day. Kindergarten Day celebrates the birthday of Friedrich Froebel who was born in 1782 and started the first kindergarten, thereby stealing one more year of freedom from the children.
Not to be confused with Patriot Day (singular), which is on September 11 to commemorate the 9/11 attack. This holiday is primarily celebrated in Massachusetts and Maine every third Monday of April with a day off. It commemorates the battles of Lexington and Concord, and guys like Paul Revere.
It's Sunday, April 19, 2015 and today is National Garlic Day. This day celebrates that pungent bulb that goes so well on buttered bread. Try a new garlic recipe on this day and I'm thinking a new holiday should be started tomorrow, celebrating breath-mints.
This day celebrates the world of amateur radio, AKA ham radio, which surprisingly has nothing to do with swine. The word “amateur” does not refer to inexperience, as many of these operators are experts. Rather, it denotes radio operators who are in it for reasons other than money-making. Not that radio is making as much money anymore. Thanks to those newfangled podcasts.
It's Friday, April 17, 2015 and today is Haiku Poetry Day?!
Haikus are poems,
A Japanese tradition,
Celebrate this day!
It's Thursday, April 16, 2015 and today is Eggs Benedict Day. Comprised of an english muffin, topped with ham (or sometimes bacon), poached eggs and a hollandaise sauce, few things are as deliciously tasty and full of cholesterol. This is the hollandaise holiday.
It's Wednesday, April 15th, 2015 and today is Banana Day! This day celebrates bananas and the fun of having gone bananas. Banana day is celebrated by passing out free bananas, community service, and recipes with bananas.
It's Tuesday, April 14th, 2015 and today is Dolphin Day. Dolphin Day was started to bring attention to the endangerment of these animals, and our fascination with them. How else can you explain the 3 movies and 3 tv series of Flipper?
This day is a national observance, although not a federal holiday, and it celebrates Thomas Jefferson and his achievements. He was a scholar, farmer, inventor, and architect. He secured the purchase of the Louisiana Territory and wrote the Declaration of Independence. He was our first secretary of state, second vice-president, and third president.
This day is all about the celebrating the history of one of my most favorite foods: licorice! To this day, I still do not understand why Lord Licorice is the evil guy in Candyland.
Barbershop quartet music is described as usually an all-male or all-female form of a capella singing with three harmonizing voices to one melody voice for a total of four, four being a quartet. Today celebrates this singing style which used to be quite popular in these United States.
It's Friday, April 10th, 2015 and today is Safety Pin Day. This day celebrates the usefulness of small inventions like the safety pin, and encourages you to get in on the inventing game. Personally, I think we need a safer safety pin.
Today celebrates the date in 1963 when Winston Churchill, a prime minister of Great Britain and regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the 20th century, was made an honorary citizen of the United States. He remains one of our most favorite Brits, right after Sting, Princess Diana, and the Charlie-bit-my-finger kid.
It's Wednesday, April 8th, 2015 and today is Zoo Lover's Day?! Contrary to what you might think, Zoo Lover's Day is not about celebrating people who love the zoo, but the zoo itself.
It's Tuesday, April 7, 2015 and today is International Beaver Day. International Beaver Day is a day to recognize and raise awareness for the plight of the disappearing beaver population in Northern America and around the world.
For the Scots who were disappointed that Tweed Day last Friday wasn't about the tweed fabric, they have Tartan Day! Tartan is the familiar textile used to make kilts and it celebrates Scottish history and heritage, especially the contributions to the United States made by Scottish-Americans.
It's Sunday, April 5th, 2015 and today is National Read a Roadmap Day?! It's a day to celebrate however we survived in the 90's without GPS. Apparently your supposed to unfold that crinkly piece of paper in your glove box, use it, and then figure out how in the world to fold this thing back together!
It's Saturday, April the 4th, 2015 and today is International Pillow Fight Day. From Shanghai to Warsaw, from Amsterdam to Cincinatti. It's the fluffiest World War we've ever had. Go online and find out where a city near you is scheduling its mass pillow fight, annually on the first weekend of every April for International Pillow Fight Day.
It's Friday, April 3, 2015 and today is National Tweed Day.
There is confusion as to whether National Tweed Day celebrates the Tweed fabric or the corrupt New York politician, William M. “Boss” Tweed and his April 3rd birthday in 1823. So what should we be celebrating- the swindling statesman or Scottish textiles? Let’s find out on Tweed Day.
It's Thursday, April 2, 2015 and today is National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day! It's peanut butter jelly time! Today is a day to celebrate this deliciously nutty sandwich. So enjoy today with a bite of a PB&J.
It's Wednesday, April 1, 2015 and today is National Fun Day?! Apparently it's a day simply to enjoy the activity of having fun. In the "long" legacy of this podcast's history, I think few holidays have been as honest about their endgame.