What to Celebrate July 29 to August 4, 2019
Celebration Ideas for July 29 – August 4, 2019
Summer is just cruisin’ along, like summers tend to do.
Hopefully you’re making the most of these long, warm days. Or sweltering days, depending on where you are.
But if you’re looking for some offbeat celebrations, ways to do good, or just more things to do as a family, you’ve come to the right place!
Especially since August is all about family fun & happiness. And pirates!
And of course there’s food & good causes & history to celebrate too.
So yes, it’s time once again to take a peek and plan your week. And as always,
Enjoy!
Celebrate All August Long
You still have a few days to celebrate blueberries, baked beans, and watermelons. Along with watercolor, parks & recreation, and all the other July month-long celebrations.
But today we want to get a jump start on August … Because we’re creating happiness with family fun, pirate-y activities, and more.
Arrr-gust: International Pirate Month: You don’t have to wait until September to be a pirate! Now you can talk & act like a pirate for the whole month of August! The founders encourage us to use at least one of our piratey days/events to raise money for our favorite charity.
National Immunization Awareness Month: It seems unlikely anyone is actually unaware of immunizations these days, especially with all the news coverage of the measles outbreaks & changing vaccination laws. But let’s use August to keep the conversation going. Obviously with school starting soon many kids are due for their shots. But adults may need immunizations too, either boosters or vaccines specific to adults.
Happiness Happens Month: Yes, yes it does! Sometimes it just happens without much work. But other times (more often!) it takes some effort, or somebody to get the happiness started. The Society of Happy People calls them “Smile Starters.” And to celebrate the 20th year of Happiness Happens Month, it’s hoping to recognize 1 million smile starters before the end of August. Why not become one of them?
Family Fun Month: Well, happiness and family fun go together! So this seems like a good combination for August. Especially since you’ll want to pack in all the fun & happiness you can before the kids go back to school. Just don’t let it stress you out … that’s not fun! Here are some ideas for how to celebrate this fun month.
Weekly Celebrations for 7/29 – 8/04
As we begin August we make sure our faces are cleansed for all the simplifying, clowning, and celebrating we’ll be doing.
National Simplify Your Life Week: For this week we simplify! And not just physical stuff. Work on simplifying our obligations, mental clutter, social media presence, and whatever else may be causing us stress.
National Cleanse Your Skin Week (August 1 – 7. 2019): This week is actually about cleaning your face the right way. As in not with body or hand soap! And apparently most Americans don’t get it quite right, so the creators of CeraVe® Skincare created this week to help encourage us to do better. Especially during the summer, but also all year ‘round.
Satchmo Summerfest (August 2 – 4, 2019): Every summer New Orleans celebrates the life & music of Louis Armstrong. There is, of course, music. But also food, entertainment, parade, and more. If you can make it to the festival it should be a fantastic time. But even if you can’t, true Satchmo fans can celebrate in spirit.
International Clown Week (August 1 – 7, 2019): First proclaimed by President Nixon in 1971, this week celebrates the laughter and joy clowns bring. Well, most of them, anyway. And to those who don’t suffer from coulrophobia. You may find clowns putting on special shows for this week, possibly as fundraisers for favorite causes.
Celebration Days coming up for July 29 thru Aug. 4
As July ends we help save the tigers, celebrate mixed breed dogs, and find out if Waynesburg got rain. And we munch on lasagna & cheesecake while we do it.
And then August starts, full of its own deliciousness, fun, & seriousness. Like raspberry cream pie, mustard, and chocolate chip cookies. While we enjoy those delicacies we respect parents, learn about lung cancer, and relax with our coloring books.
So let’s make it another fun-tastic week!
July 29:
National Lasagna Day: Eat lasagna! Lots & lots of lasagna. You can even make breakfast & dessert “lasagnas”! Mmmmm …
National Chicken Wing Day: Celebrate the culinary sensation created in Buffalo, New York in 1964. And in 1977 then-mayor Stan Makowski proclaimed a day to honor his city’s contribution to tingling taste buds everywhere. But you don’t have to stick with the traditional Buffalo-style wings for this day. Whatever sauce & seasonings you prefer are okay!
Global Tiger Day: Also called International Tiger Day, this day is all about supporting tiger conservation. Attendees at the Saint Petersburg Tiger Summit in 2010 created the day to raise awareness of the dangers tigers face and the need to protect them.
Rain Day: This is a day to find out if it is raining in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania. Yes, really! At least, that’s how it started. These days there’s a whole festival for the day. And a bet about whether or not it will rain … which apparently it has done in 115 out of the 145 years it’s been recorded!
July 30:
Paperback Book Day: Most days any kind of reading material is completely acceptable. But on July 30 only paperback books are allowed! Ok no, not really. But paperbacks revolutionized reading, so why not pick one up for this day?
International Day of Friendship: This day is about creating a peaceful world, and friendships, between individuals and countries, can help do just that.
National Cheesecake Day: Cheesecake goes equally well with friendships and reading. So make sure you enjoy a slice or 2 for this day. Maybe even invite some friends over for a paperback book-reading and cheesecake-eating party? Get 1/2-price slices at The Cheesecake Factory (dine-in only).
National Whistleblower Day: Whistleblowing may seem like a recent “invention.” But even our country’s founders recognized the value in bringing light to wrongdoing. The Continental Congress passed the country’s first whistleblower law on July 30, 1778. And now, on the anniversary of that law’s passing, we honor those who have bravely spoken out against corruption and wrongdoing in government and business.
July 31:
World Ranger Day: Honor the park rangers who work hard—and sometimes even risk their lives—to keep their parks’ wildlife safe.
National Mutt Day: Celebrate the mixed-breed dogs who just want to love their humans. They’re no less worthy or capable of love than pure breeds, but they usually spend longer in animal shelters than the pure breeds. If you have a mutt, make sure he or she feels extra-loved for this day. And if you’ve been thinking about adding another dog to your family, head to a shelter & check out all the mutts! Can’t adopt? Donate to your local shelter so they can keep helping all the mutts.
National Avocado Day: All hail the chock-full-of-goodness avocado! Add avocado to every meal to celebrate. Stuff some into your breakfast omelet. Add some to your sandwich or salad for lunch. Top your dinner burger or stir-fry with slices of avocado. And finally, make some cupcakes or brownies with avocado for dessert! Of course, you can also make guacamole with your alligator pears, but there’s a whole day in September devoted to that. So be more creative with this day!
August 1:
Raspberry Cream Pie Day: Just a couple of weeks after indulging in raspberry cake we get to savor raspberry cream pie. Raspberries are in season now, so it pays to take advantage & celebrate every raspberry day you can find. So make yourself a raspberry cream pie for the day. Try this recipe with an oreo cookie crust. Or, if you prefer a graham cracker crust, this recipe has that along with a cheesecake layer.
National Girlfriends Day: On this day girlfriends get together & celebrate their friendships. Gather all your girlfriends to head out for your favorite activity, whether that’s lunch, shopping, an evening at the bar, or something else. And the men don’t have to be left out either. Any man with close female friends can treat them too. And yes, men should also do something special for that one special girlfriend who’s more than just a friend … including letting her spend the whole day with her girlfriends (without complaining!) if that’s what she’d like.
Respect for Parents Day: Hopefully you respect your parents (or their memory). Because any parents doing their best for their children deserve respect. But not just from their children. From employers & the rest of the world, too. And that’s why Marilyn Dalrymple created this day.
World Lung Cancer Day: Learn what things increase your risk of getting lung cancer & when you should consider getting screened. And spread the word. Because anyone, not just smokers, can get lung cancer. And even non-smokers can be at high risk of the disease.
August 2:
National Coloring Book Day: The coloring book “trend” seems to have peaked a few years ago. But true coloring fans don’t care if they’re part of a fad … they just want to color! And this is the day for everyone who loves coloring to get out their crayons, markers, or colored pencils & start filling in those pictures.
International Beer Day: On the first Friday in August we celebrate beer. So raise a mug of your favorite beer & make a toast. To beer, of course! Get more ideas for celebrating here.
National Ice Cream Sandwich Day: Is there anything better than cold, silky ice cream on a hot August day? Yes! Luscious ice cream nestled between 2 cookies! The classic vanilla ice cream & chocolate cookies is always divine. But any flavor of ice cream & cookie combination is perfectly acceptable. So have at least one of your favorite ice cream sandwiches for this day.
Braham Pie Day: Now don’t confuse this Pie Day with the Pi Day in March or the Pie Day in January. This Pie Day is all about the homemade pies in Braham, Minnesota. It’s a whole day of pie-related activities, including a pie eating contest (of course!), pie tin art, and more. Non-pie-related activities include an antique bicycle & car show, and a quilt show.
August 3:
Mead Day: If you haven’t already, discover the ancient fermented drink called mead. Or honey wine, if you prefer. Whatever you call it, enjoy a glass or two for this day.
National Mustard Day: On this day we use mustard on our sandwiches & use it in our cooking for an extra punch of flavor. But if you happen to be in or near Middleton, Wisconsin, you’ll want to head to the official National Mustard Day festival at the National mustard Museum. Yes, you read that right … there is a Mustard Museum and it sponsors a Mustard Day festival every year.
National Watermelon Day: Of course you’re going to want to eat watermelon for this day. And nothing beats a cold, juicy slice of this sweet treat. But don’t stop there! Cook with it too! Make watermelon sangria, watermelon ice cream, watermelon feta skewers, and many more scrumptious, watermelony dishes.
National Grab Some Nuts Day: If you’re feeling hungry between meals, grab yourself some nuts for a filling & nutritious snack! And unlike many other nut celebrations, this one doesn’t discriminate. Any kind of nut will do. Happy snacking!
August 4:
National Coast Guard Day: Celebrate the Coast Guard’s founding on August 4, 1790. Well, technically Congress formed the Revenue Cutter Service, which became the Coast Guard when it merge with the Lifesaving Service in 1915.
National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day: You know how you must spend your Sunday, right? Eating chocolate chip cookies, of course. Make them if you can, because homemade chocolate chip cookies, fresh out of the oven, just can’t be beat! But if you can’t, then buy a package of your favorite brand to savor for this day.
American Family Day: This is a day for spending with your family. So gather everyone together & bake chocolate chip cookies! Then pack up those cookies along with some picnic foods & head out for a day of family fun. Or choose whatever activities your family enjoys doing together. Because just enjoying yourselves together is the point of the day.
