What to Celebrate August 17 thru 23, 2020
Celebration Ideas for August 17 – 23, 2020
We’ve made it through another week of this crazy journey called life! Hopefully everyone has made the most of each day & found at least little ways to make each one special.
Let’s all do the same again next week! So c’mon, take a peek and plan your week. And make sure it’ll be one you’ll …
Enjoy!
Celebrate for the rest of August
As we enter the 2nd half of August we know summer’s coming to an end. And school’s right around the corner. For some that corner’s closer than others. So this week’s monthly celebrations are all about making sure you & your kids are ready. And taking a break to appreciate some American artists.
National Back to School Month: If you’re a parent (and even if you aren’t!) you know school is starting back up within the next few weeks. How, exactly, isn’t completely clear in many districts this year. Just the same, this is the time to take advantage of the Back to School sales and do your best to get your student(s) excited to learn.
Children’s Vision & Learning Month: Have your kids had eye exams this year? Being able to see clearly is one important key to learning. A child who can’t see the blackboard, teacher, or books clearly will have trouble learning. And since kids may not understand that they’re not seeing clearly they don’t know to tell you about it! Why not consider a comprehensive eye exam as part of your back to school preparations?
American Artist Appreciation Month: How many American artists do you know? Surely you’ve at least heard of Georgia O’Keeffe and Andy Warhol? Maybe Mary Cassatt and Joan Mitchell, too? But what about Jasper Johns, Chiura Obata, and Gordon Parks? Or some of the dozens of other American artists whose work has made our world more interesting? Why not learn more about some of them this month? If art galleries near you are open, go see what works by American artists they’re displaying. Or take virtual tours of their works.
Weekly Celebrations for Aug. 17 to 23
There are no weekly celebrations that we could find for this week! 😲
You’ll just have to double-down on the monthly and daily celebrations. You can do it! 🎉
Celebration Days coming up for Aug. 17 thru Aug. 23
Black cats & orangutans & mosquitoes, oh my! Celebrate them serendipitously. Or with photos. Or while topless. Or any way you please!
You may also like to visit a thrift shop, listen to the radio, and be an angel. Possibly while eating fajitas, soft serve ice cream, and chocolate pecan pie.
How will you make your week a fun-tastic one?
August 17:
Black Cat Appreciation Day: We just had a day just for cats, but black cats are so special they deserve a day all to themselves! In many cultures these beautiful felines are considered good luck, but here in the States they’re looked at as bad luck or even evil. 😿 Let’s change that!
National I LOVE My Feet Day: Your feet do so much for you. Show them how much you appreciate them with a nice soak and a massage. Maybe even a pedicure?
Baby Boomers Recognition Day: No, Boomers are not just doddering old folk taking up space! They helped create the world we live in. And while it’s not perfect, Boomers have contributed many, many positive things to our world. Let’s show them the recognition they deserve. And if you happen to be a Boomer, make sure you include yourself in that recognition.
National Thrift Shop Day: If you love to save money you know the amazing value thrift shops can be. Why not head out to see what bargains you can score? If you’re not a thrift shopper, use this day to find out what you’re missing! And either way, if you have usable items you no longer use, bring them with to donate so they can find new homes where they’ll be valued.
National Nonprofit Day: Nonprofits make a difference in their communities and around the world. We recognize their positive contributions on the anniversary of the Tariff Act of 1894, which taxed businesses for the first time but exempted nonprofits and other charitable organizations.
August 18:
Bad Poetry Day: Read, write, and/or recite bad poetry all day! Drive your unwilling audiences crazy with the worst verse you can find. 😉
Serendipity Day: On this day we live serendipitously!
National Mail Order Catalog Day: Celebrate the anniversary of the very first mail order catalog, created by Montgomery Ward in 1872. Although “catalog” is probably overstating things a bit. It was just a single sheet of paper! Some companies do still send paper catalogs, so if you still get some of those, consider ordering from one for the day. And if not, use the modern equivalent, online ordering! You’re probably doing more online ordering these days anyway.
National Fajita Day: Skip Taco Tuesday this week and do Tex-Mex Tuesday instead. Make fajitas with your favorite meat. Or, if you’re near a On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina, let them do the cooking for you. After all, they created the day.
National Ice Cream Pie Day: Make dessert an ice cream pie. Make it—with your favorite ice cream & crust—yourself if you plan ahead. Or pick one up on your way home from your fajita dinner.
August 19:
National Aviation Day: Celebrate the wonder of flight on Orville Wright’s birthday.
International Orangutan Day: Like so many animals these days, orangutan populations have dropped by half in just a few years. Help spread the word that these primates need help to survive. And if you can, consider donating to an organization dedicated to orangutan rescue/conservation, which might be your local zoo.
World Photography Day: These days we take pictures of pretty much anything and share them with wild abandon! But there was a time when taking photos was much more complicated. And don’t even get us started on getting them developed before we could even see them! And of course it wasn’t really that long ago that photos didn’t exist at all. For this day focus on taking a few really great photos that capture your world or your day. Then share the best ones.
International Bow Day: Wear bows! In your hair. On your shoes. On your clothes. And yes, bow ties count. If your pets are willing, give them some bows too. Just get creative with those bows. And no, you’re not too old for bows.
National Soft Ice Cream Day: It’s another simple dessert day! This time make it soft serve. Let everyone pick their favorite flavor, toppings, and cone (or have it in a dish), so everyone can celebrate with joy!
August 20:
National Lemonade Day: Make yourself a big pitcher of your favorite lemonade and enjoy. Whether you prefer a classic lemonade or a flavored lemonade you’ll be celebrating right.
World Mosquito Day: Celebrate mosquitoes and all their bite-iness! Yeah, no. Actually this day celebrates the discovery that female mosquitoes spread malaria. Because knowing how it spreads meant people could find ways to prevent it!
National Radio Day: The radio was a fantastic invention, allowing regular people to get news, music, and other entertainment beamed right into their homes. Listen to your favorite station(s), and maybe learn a bit about how the radio was invented.
National Chocolate Pecan Pie Day: You can never go wrong with pecan pie! Or chocolate. And this utterly delectable day combines them both into the perfect dessert. You know you need to make a chocolate pecan pie to celebrate. Right?
August 21:
National Poets Day: Read your favorite poet for this day. Or, if you’re a poet yourself, write some poetry. Or do both! As long as it involves poetry there’s really no wrong way to celebrate.
National Senior Citizens Day: On this day we celebrate the old people. Because they’ve put up with this world’s nonsense for so long they deserve a day of celebration! So thank any seniors you know for the good they’ve done in their lives. This is an actual National day, proclaimed by President Ronald Reagan in 1988.
Men’s Grooming Day: Men, it’s your annual reminder to get yourself cleaned up & presentable looking! Ok, we’re kidding. But it is a day dedicated to men’s grooming. And there are more products than ever—from skincare to hair and nail care—to help you look your best. Why not learn more about some of them?
National Spumoni Day: It’s the 3rd ice cream celebration this week! This time it’s a triple-layer delight, usually with cherry, pistachio, and chocolate layers. But you can find other combinations, too. And the “authentic spumoni” uses layers of almond, semisweet chocolate, and stracciatella (containing chocolate bits) semifreddo (a soft gelato). But it doesn’t really matter what kind of spumoni you have to celebrate this day. They’re all delicious!
August 22:
National Take Your Cat to the Vet Day: If your cat hasn’t had an annual checkup yet this year, this is your reminder to get that done. Yes, even if your cat is convinced a vet visit is a form of torture. Staying on top of your pet’s health is important, even if kitty doesn’t understand.
National Tooth Fairy Day: Celebrate that generous childhood favorite, the tooth fairy! Remind your kids to take care of their teeth. Because even though she only pays for lost baby teeth, she care about all kids’ healthy permanent teeth too.
National Be an Angel Day: Celebrating this day is simple: Be kind. That’s it! How is up to you. Whether you simply listen to someone having a bad day, help someone with a difficult situation, or do something else someone needs, do it with kindness.
National Pecan Torte Day: If it’s not ice cream it’s pecans this week! We hope you finished your chocolate pecan pie from the 20th, because we’re moving on the pecan torte. You know you need to make one. Mmmmm …
August 23:
Valentino Day: Observe the anniversary of Valentino’s death. Maybe with a red rose?
Go Topless Day: The day before Women’s Equality Day we all stand up for the right of women to go topless in public. No, you don’t have to actually go topless if you’d rather not. If there’s an event happening near you, consider attending.
National Ride the Wind Day: The first human-powered flight to win the Kremer prize happened on Aug. 23, 1977. Celebrate that achievement by going hang-gliding. Or if you’re not ready to take to the air, learn a bit more about how it works. Maybe you’ll be ready to pilot a glider for next year’s celebration.
National Sponge Cake Day: We close out the week with a light, airy dessert: sponge cake! It looks simple but can be tricky to get right. Although even a “fail” usually tastes quite good! So make a sponge cake and enjoy it however it turns out.
