What to Celebrate September 28 thru October 4, 2020
Celebration Ideas for September 28 – October 4, 2020
Fall has officially arrived & October is just a few days away. Which means the holiday season is just ahead.
Will you be doing Halloween this year? Lots of people are thinking about how to make it a safe but still fun one. Planning ahead is great, but before all that …
There’s dogs & bats & squirrels to celebrate. Banned books to read & banned websites to visit.
We try to be a good neighbor, too. And enjoy good food & drink. Fall foliage, too.
So do take a few moments to take a peek & plan your week. And of course, always …
Enjoy!
Celebrate All October Long
For a few more days you can celebrate mulled cider, honey & happy cats. Help save koalas & tigers, and raise awareness of diseases like prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, & Alzheimer’s.
Then it’s time to plunge into October’s celebrations. Like these.
Adopt a Shelter Dog Month: If you’re ready to add a dog to your family, head out to your local shelter. They’re full of lovable animals that just need a home in which to shine. Many aren’t “perfect”, but one of them may just be perfect for you!
National Pit Bull Awareness Month: Do you know what animal is one of the least likely to make it out of a shelter alive? The pit bull. And that’s unfair. Pit bulls are loyal and protective. Which makes them easy to train to attack, which sadly makes them “scary” and “dangerous”. But properly trained and socialized pit bulls are neither. So maybe consider a pit bull when you head out to the shelter to adopt a dog?
Bat Appreciation Month: The poor bat has a bad reputation, through no fault of its own. They have no desire to suck your blood … although lots of them would love to stuff their faces with your fruit! Others are happy to snack on your insects all night. And they’re not going around spreading diseases to unsuspecting humans. Let’s start appreciating bats for the fascinating & helpful little critters they are.
Squirrel Awareness Month: Yes, yes, we know. You’re all too aware of squirrels. They’re everywhere. And especially in your bird feeder. But they’re also pretty fascinating. So spend some time this month learning more about squirrels. Your awareness just might turn into appreciation!
Weekly Celebrations for 9/28 to 10/4
People have been trying to ban books for seemingly as long as the written word has existed. And even today books get challenged every year. The best way to stop the censorship? Read those books!
But look up long enough to enjoy some fall foliage, too.
Banned Books Week (September 27 – October 3, 2020): Celebrate your right to read whatever you darn well choose! And may we suggest you check out lists of books that have been banned or challenged at various times in our history and read at least one of them? Here’s some of the books that have been challenged in the 2000s. And some classics that have been banned or challenged often throughout the years.
National Fall Foliage Week (September 27 – October 3, 2020): Get out and enjoy the leaves changing color! Although depending on where you live the peak of the change may still be a week or 2 (or more) away. But go enjoy the outdoors anyway.
Celebration Days coming up for Sept. 28 thru Oct. 4
This week we remember that we all have a right to know. We love people and try to be good neighbors.
We might even ask stupid questions and get nostalgic for the days of the CD player.
We also drink beer and hot mulled cider (probably not at the same time). Munch on biscotti and kanelbullen. Enjoy some frugal fun and name our cars.
All this & more is sure to help you have another fun-tastic week!
September 28:
World Rabies Day: Rabies is still a problem in many parts of the world. The goal of this day is to raise awareness of this fact and work to end rabies everywhere. This year’s theme reflects that goal: “End Rabies: Collaborate, Vaccinate”.
International Right To Know Day: This day promotes …what else … our right to know! You’ll notice it’s an international day. It’s not about the US Freedom of Information Act or anything like that. It’s about the rights of all humans to access information that can impact them. Especially information that affects their ability to enjoy other basic human rights.
National Good Neighbor Day: Start this day by pledging to be a good neighbor. Then act on that pledge! If you don’t already know your neighbors, start by fixing that. Then keep the connection alive by helping & looking out for each other all year. That may all be a little harder this year, but it’s certainly not impossible!
National Drink Beer Day: This is an easy one to celebrate! Open your favorite beer and enjoy … maybe with that neighbor you’re getting to know? From a safe distance of course!
National Strawberry Cream Pie Day: Maybe even share a slice of homemade strawberry cream pie with your neighbor(s)? It’s certainly a delicious introduction.
September 29:
International Coffee Day: Coffee! We’re pretty sure many of you celebrate this every day. But this day isn’t just about drinking coffee. It’s also about promoting fair trade coffee. So enjoy your favorite (fair trade) coffee all day.
MAGS Day: Celebrate the founding of the Memphis Archaeological and Geological Society by getting excited about archaeology and/or geology at the library, a museum near you, or even an archaeological dig.
World Heart Day: Celebrate your heart! And learn ways to take care of your heart, so it can keep taking care of you. Get your family & friends involved, too. Because we can all do more to improve our heart health. Especially these days, when cardiovascular disease increases our risk for complications if we get COVID-19.
National VFW Day: Celebrate the birth of the VFW on September 29. 1899. And of course honor the men & women of the VFW who “honor the dead by helping the living” every day.
National Biscotti Day: Here’s the perfect cookie to go with that coffee you’re celebrating! In fact, the day’s creators choose Sept. 29 to celebrate biscotti specifically because it’s also coffee day. So don’t disappoint them. 😉 Enjoy some biscotti with your coffee.
September 30:
Banned Websites Awareness Day: Books aren’t the only thing people try to ban due to content they find offensive or inappropriate. Websites get censored, too. Especially in schools and libraries. And while some sites certainly have no value in schools, legitimate sites get caught up in the strict filters, too. Might there be a better way?
Ask a Stupid Question Day: Have a question you think might be too stupid to ask? Here’s your free pass to ask it!
National Love People Day: It’s been a rough year, and we could all use a little (or a lot!) more love in our lives. Use this day to show love to all those around you with random acts of kindness. Family and friends, of course. But also community members. And really anyone you come across.
National Hot Mulled Cider Day: Warm up (assuming it’s cold where you are!) with a steaming mug of hot mulled cider. Get some tips on making your mulled cider the best around. Then put them to use: Make a big batch of mulled cider, and share your creation in one of your random acts of kindness for the day!
National Chewing Gum Day: Grab a pack of your favorite gum & chew away! Did you know humans have been chewing gum for at least 5,000 years? 😲
October 1:
National Homemade Cookie Day: Holiday cookie season is right around the corner! Start practicing your new recipes now. And celebrate this delicious day at the same time.
National Black Dog Day: Black dogs are beautiful! If you’ve been considering adding a dog to the family, head to your local shelter & check out the ebony pooches. And if you already have one, shower all the extra love & treats you can on him or her.
CD Player Day: Do you still own a CD player? If you have one, and some CDs to go in it, use it to celebrate the anniversary of the very first commercially available CD player. It was from Sony, looked a lot like a VCR, and cost 168,000 yen (about $1750 in today’s dollars).
National BOOK It! Day: Pizza Hut created the BOOK IT! Program back in 1984. It’s a 6-month program that encourages children to read more. Each year the program begins on October 1. It’s available through schools, but parents can also enroll their children.
Vegan Baking Day: If you’re vegan, or interested in being vegan, use this day to bake your favorite vegan treats or learn to bake vegan.
October 2:
World Smile Day: Spread smiles far and wide for this day.
National Manufacturing Day: The manufacturing industry is critical to our way of life. Because without manufacturers most of the things we rely on every day just wouldn’t exist. And on this day many manufacturers invite students & community members to tour their facilities. Most won’t be doing in-person tours this year, but many may still offer virtual tours or even smaller events to help you learn how you can be part of this essential industry.
National Custodial Worker’s Recognition Day: Most of the time custodial workers toil unnoticed & under-appreciated. We only remember they exist when a waste basket hasn’t been emptied or a floor looks unmopped! But this year we realized just how important they are, as they worked to keep schools, workplaces, & more safe from an invisible enemy … until most of those places closed anyway. And as schools & businesses reopen, custodians are back at it. They deserve thanks every day, but for this day at least give them the recognition they deserve.
National Name Your Car Day: Have you named your car? If so, what did you name it? If not, why not? And if not, then this is the day to fix that. After all, your car takes care of you! It gets you where you need & want to go, usually with minimal fuss. That makes it better than most of your friends. 😉 It deserves a name.
National Fried Scallops Day: Serve up a simple but scrumptious dish of fried scallops. Dinner is served!
October 3:
Virus Appreciation Day: This may not be a day we really want to celebrate this year. Given that we have little or no reason to celebrate the virus that’s on everybody’s mind right now. But viruses really are pretty fascinating little bits of genetic (or digital) code. And they can be useful, too! So maybe appreciate that about them.
International Frugal Fun Day: Have fun for $5 or less!
Techies Day: This day celebrates the techies, those people who keep our high-tech world humming. And it especially encourages students to consider careers in technology. It’s a field that’ll just keep growing!
National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend: Official events for this celebration have been cancelled for this year. But there will be a virtual tribute on Oct. 4. And there’s nothing stopping you from honoring fallen firefighters in your community unofficially.
World Card Making Day: These days just getting a physical card is pretty special. Even a store-bought one! But getting a hand-made card is extraordinary! So use this day to make a special card for a special person. Who knows, you may just discover a whole new creative outlet!
October 4:
World Animal Day: Be a voice for the animals. Help promote the idea that all the animals we share this earth with are valuable and deserving of humane treatment.
Change a Light Day: This day encourages us all to think about how we can save energy. And then take at least one small step in the right direction, in the form of switching out an energy-sucking light bulb or fixture for an eco-friendly one.
Ten-Four Day: On 10/4 we celebrate 10-4/”ten-four”, radio-speak for “message received” or “understood”. But it’s not so much the phrase itself we celebrate, it’s the people who use it. The radio operators and police dispatchers & officers. CB radio, its operators, and the “ten-codes” may seem outdated and out of touch these days. But they were important once, they still exist, and they deserve recognition!
National Vodka Day: Enjoy vodka your favorite way! While some people like to sip it neat or on the rocks, vodka cocktails offer a nearly endless variety of ways to enjoy this versatile spirit. Get some inspiration from this list of 11 vodka cocktails.
National Taco Day: Well it’s not a Tuesday, but it is a Taco Day! And we’ll take any excuse for tacos. So make or order your favorite tacos and have a delicious Sunday.
Kanelbullens Dag (Cinnamon Bun Day): This day started in Sweden in 1999. But since everybody loves cinnamon buns the idea quickly spread & now we all celebrate this sweet, sticky confection. Have a cinnamon bun for breakfast, lunch, dinner (we hear it’s great with chili!), dessert, or a snack. Or all of the above! However & whenever you have one (or more), savor all its sweet, cinnamony goodness.
