Strange Days

     It’s St. Patrick’s Day, and I’ve enjoyed watching how different people celebrate the occasion. Chicago dyed its river green; bars are serving green beer; and shamrocks decorate storefront windows, while the smell of corn beef and cabbage permeates the air in many restaurants and pubs.  Another tradition that marks this day of Irish celebration is the practice of wearing green.  But, if you’re not, then you’re subject to a sharp pinch without any apology attached.
     Of course, there are many more largely recognized and celebrated holidays, but there are also lots of obscure ones that we hardly ever hear about.  For example: I heard on the radio that this past Tuesday was National Potato Chip Day.  Hearing that compelled me to go buy onion dip and then to do a search for other strange days where we loosely pay tribute to something or someone that doesn’t really deserve a day, but gets it anyway.  And I also wanted to look for days that do deserve to be observed or made a point of, like perhaps a National Kindness Day, or a National Forgiveness Day.  What I found amazed me, and, at times, made me shake my head in absolute perplexity that each of these should be given even a moment’s pause, much less a whole day of recognition.  Here are some of my favorites:January 3rd – Festival of Sleep Day.  So, what, we sleep through the celebration?!
January 7th – Old Rock Day.  Whoever thought this one up was as dumb as a…Surely, you can fill in that blank.January 16th – National Nothing Day.  No comment.February 1st – Hula in the Coola Day.  Really, folks, I couldn’t make this stuff up.
February 9th – Toothache Day.  Shouldn’t it be Non-Toothache Day we celebrate?
March 19th – Corn Dog Day.  Okay, I’m in.
March 20th – National Aliens Abductions Day.  What on Earth!?
April 30th – National Honesty Day.  So is it all right to lie the other 364 days of the year?
May 3th – Lumpy Rug Day.  I’m…well… just speechless.
May 16th – National Sea Monkey Day.  I thought those were little plastic figures in a Milton Bradley game.
July 3rd – Compliment Your Mirror Day.  Translation: Compliment Yourself Day.
July 22nd – Rat-Catcher’s Day.  This date happens to be my friend’s birthday.  I’d rather drive lit bamboo sticks under my nails than to tell her what she shares her special day with.
July 27th – Take Your Plants for a Walk Day.  And then walk yourself to the nearest mental health facility.
Sept. 5th – Be Late for Something Day.  What’s special about that?  Most of us celebrate this on a daily basis.
Oct. 7th – International – yes, INTERNATIONAL – Moment of Frustration Day.  Don’t know about y’all, but my day usually consists of about 20, 000 moments of frustration.
Oct. 23rd – National Mole Day.  The kind on your skin or the kind in the ground?
Nov. 8th – Cook Something Bold and Pungent Day.  That oughta keep those pesky neighbors away!

     But, finally, after scrolling through all of these other days that we need not mark on our calendars, I saw it.  Hallelujah!  November 13th - World – yes, WORLD -Kindness Day.  Thank God!  However, I did notice that it took us almost the whole year to get around to it, but, at least we finally did!  All things considered, I’m delighted to report that my faith in mankind has been restored.  I’ll just pretend that Have a Bad Day Day isn’t observed six days later.