“The Holiday Season” is known to many as the time between Halloween and New Year’s. Then, after that, your best bet at some sort of holiday spirit is your birthday. Some of us do not even get that, because their birthday falls in the holiday season. Luckily, there are lesser-known holidays out there for everyone to celebrate when all the holiday cheer is dried up.
January
January 16- National Nothing Day
I do not really see the point of this holiday, because holidays are for celebrating certain things or events. Then again, it could be an excuse to have a party for no apparent reason. Rating: 6/10
February
February 5- National Weatherman’s Day
I know I am not the only one who has wanted to be on television (TV). Although today’s society mostly gets the weather from our phones, weathermen still provide important information about the day ahead. Rating: 7/10
February 18- National Battery Day
They power our TV remotes and our phones. Without such devices, people would go crazy. Thank you, batteries, for keeping us sane. Rating: 8/10
March
March 13- Ear Muffs Day
Arlington’s mercurial weather could see snowstorms one day and beach weather the next, but March does not really seem like the time of year to break out your favorite pair of pink, fuzzy ear muffs. Rating: 6.5/10
March 26- Make Up Your Own Holiday Day
This is probably the best holiday on the list. It can be anything you want it to. People whose birthday is actually on this day might have some explaining to do, though. Rating: 9/10
April
April 23- Talk Like Shakespeare Day
Unlike many of the other holidays on this list, this one actually has some history behind it. William Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564, and died exactly 52 years later on April 23, 1616. On this day, literature and drama aficionados everywhere honor one of the greatest writers of all time by talking in iambic pentameter and making up words. Rating: 8/10
April 26th- Hug An Australian Day
Australia’s National Day is January 26. April 26 does not have any immediate connection to Australia. This holiday seems like a Bart Simpson-esque excuse to get out of school for the day. Rating: 6/10
May
May 12- National Limerick Day
There once was a nice spring day.
This day fell on the twelfth of May.
Someone decided to write,
And stayed up all night,
That’s why it’s National Limerick Day. Rating: 8/10
May 17- Pack Rat Day
Pack rats everywhere must have an easy time decorating for this day, they probably have decorations from Christmas and Thanksgiving from two or three years ago in one of those piles of newspaper. Rating: 7/10
June
June 10- Iced Tea Day
The placement of this holiday could not be better. The hot, humid summers of Arlington dehydrate one dangerously fast, and there are few better beverages to cool you down than a nice, refreshing iced tea. Rating: 8.5/10
July
July 2- I Forgot Day
Wait, today is a holiday? Why am I at work then? What do you mean today is not a “real” holiday? Rating: 7/10
July 27- Take Your Plants For A Walk Day
Plants do not have feet. Take your dog for the best walk ever. Rating: 7/10
August
August 7- National Lighthouse Day
Spend today at the beach, preferably one with a lighthouse. If you are lucky you might be able to go inside, the operations of a lighthouse aren’t as boring as they sound. Rating: 7.5/10
August 26- National Dog Day
This day should really be every day. Take your dog on a long walk, play fetch with them, run around with them and cuddle them. Dogs do so much to make humans happy, it is best to return the favor. Rating: 9/10
September
September 22- Elephant Appreciation Day
Elephants are probably some of the most underrated animals that exist. They are smart and gentle but they can hurt you if provoked. Be thankful that you have not made an elephant mad today. Rating: 7.5/10
October
October 1- World Vegetarian Day
I am perfectly fine with vegetarians. However, what I am not fine with is their sorry excuse for bacon. Bacon is a beautiful thing that should not be modified or portrayed in any way that is not its natural state. Rating: 7/10
November
November 3- Sandwich Day
Sandwiches, according to Subway, are an art form. It is hard not to agree with them. Whether you consider them a snack or a meal, making the perfect sandwich takes time and experimentation. From peanut butter to po’boys, sandwiches can satisfy just about any craving at any time of day. Rating: 8.5/10
November 7- Bittersweet Chocolate With Almonds Day
November holidays really seem to focus on food, what with Thanksgiving and National Sandwich Day. Almonds and chocolate go together like decorative pillows on your grandmother’s couch– they just work. Bittersweet chocolate and almonds have almonds, which are nuts, which are basically vegetables, right? You are eating healthy! Eat as much chocolate and almonds as you please today. Rating: 8/10
December
December 5- Day Of The Ninja
You wake up from a nice, relaxing nap, but right away you notice that everything is quiet- too quiet. Slowly sitting up in bed, you get the feeling that somebody is watching you. You quickly scan the room, still half asleep, and you see that everything is in its place: Your desk, your dresser, that big cardboard cutout of a ninja, your bookshelves, all in their place. As you drift back off to sleep, you suddenly remember that you do not own any cardboard ninjas and spring out of bed. You examine the ninja only to find out that it is your little brother celebrating The Day Of The Ninja. You do not listen to him yammering on about how ninjas actually wore dark blue to blend in better with the night sky, you are wondering where he got that sword– and why it looks so real. If there ever was a day to constantly be alert and aware of your surroundings, do it today. Rating: 8/10
If you have ever gotten anything that counts for Christmas/Hanukkah and your birthday, you know how long a wait it is until the main festivities of the year begin. Luckily, there are more, lesser known holidays nearly every day of the year. So, if you are longing for the holiday cheer of late December but it is the middle of August, go out and find the nearest lighthouse and think of the contents of the ships they guide- they could be why there is an authentic ninja sword in your house.
