Archive | June, 2012

National Camera Day

by on 29. Jun, 2012 in Weird Holidays

The camera has come a long way from the optical device it was developed from – the camera obscura, or pinhole camera, which could be a portable box or an entire room! Nowadays, not only can you take a decent picture with your phone, but you can instantly share your captured memories via social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and the increasingly popular Instagram.

Celebrate National Camera Day by taking pictures, of course! Use your digital camera or camera phone or travel back in time and make your own pinhole camera. Capture your family, a beautiful landscape or seascape, portraits of friends or complete strangers (with their permission, of course), close ups of nature, anything you want! Don’t forget to edit your pictures! If you have access to a dark room, take pictures with a 35mm camera and develop your own film.

National Camera Day is also the perfect opportunity to focus on your photography skills:

Sources: Holiday Insights, Squidoo, Wikipedia

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Paul Bunyan Day

by on 28. Jun, 2012 in Weird Holidays

June 28 is Paul Bunyan Day!Akeley-Minnesota-Paul-Bunyan

Paul Bunyan is a mythological lumberjack of American folklore whose feats and tales have been passed down from generation to generation by word of mouth.

A variety of legends seem to credit Paul Bunyan and his companion, Babe the blue ox, with shaping the geography of parts of the U.S. For example, according to legend, Paul Bunyan formed the Great Lakes when he scooped out watering holes large enough for Babe to drink from while Babe created Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes with his footprints.

Find out more tales about Paul Bunyan at Bemidji, Minnesota’s, self-proclaimed birth site of Paul Bunyan, tourism website visitbemidji.com.

Celebrate Paul Bunyan Day by sharing his tales with friends around a campfire or introducing your children to this giant lumberjack of American folklore. If you live in Minnesota or happen to be in the area on or around Paul Bunyan Day, visit Paul Bunyan Land.

 

Sources: holidayinsights.com, wikipedia.com, punchbowl.com
Photo Source: S Carpenter at en.wikipedia from Wikimedia Commons
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Helen Keller’s Birthday

by on 27. Jun, 2012 in Birthdays

Helen Keller was born in Tuscumbia, Alabama on June 27, 1880 to Arthur K. Heller and Katherine Adams Keller. In 1882, she contracted an illness which left her deaf and blind. She managed to create a limited language with the daughter of the family cook, Martha Washington, but acted out wildly when angry or upset. Her family consulted Alexander Graham Bell who sent them to the Perkins Institute for the Blind in Boston, Massachusetts. It was there in 1887 the family found Helen’s long-time tutor Anne Sullivan. Sullivan created an alphabet to spell out words on Helen’s hand, and eventually she was able to connect the spelled words with the objects around her.

In 1890, Helen began speech classes at the Horace Mann School for the Deaf in Boston where she worked diligently for 25 years to learn to speak. During those 25 years she also attended a preparatory school for woman, and with the help of Mark Twain and Henry H. Rogers, Radcliff College. She graduated cum laude in 1904 from Radcliff at the age of 25.

Helen could touch lip-read, finger spell, type, read braille, and speak. She was politically active, fought for women’s rights, and became a member of the Socialist party. She wrote articles for newspapers, an autobiography entitled The Story Of My Life,, and devoted herself to raising funds for the American Foundation of the Blind. She received the Theodore Roosevelt Distinguished Service Medal in 1936, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1964, and was elected into the Women’s Hall of Fame in 1965. On June 1, 1968, Helen died in her sleep in Westport, Connecticut.

 
Sources: Biography.com, Spartacus Educational

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Beautician’s Day

by on 26. Jun, 2012 in Unofficial Holidays

Beauticians do a lot for us…wax our brows, pamper our toes, massage sore muscles, perfectly polish our nails, make our skin glow, and save us from destroying our hair by trying to cut it ourselves. No doubt about it, hair stylists and colorists, barbers, makeup artists, nail technicians, estheticians, and any other form of beautician deserve their own day.

Celebrate Beautician’s Day by pampering your beautician for a change. If you’re not a beautician yourself, we highly suggest you send your beautician to a professional via a gift card. Make their day of pampering extra special by sending them to a spa for a day of relaxation.

And if you have an appointment scheduled for today, don’t forget to leave your beautician a generous tip (every day, not just on Beautician’s Day)!

 

Sources: Holiday Insights, The  Ultimate Holiday Site, Wikipedia

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National Catfish Day

by on 25. Jun, 2012 in Food Holidays

More and more Americans are discovering a uniquely American food delicacy – farm-raised catfish.

- Ronald Reagan, June 25, 1987

25 years ago today, President Reagan proclaimed June 25 as National Catfish Day to recognize the importance of the catfish farming industry and the versatility and nutritious quality of this whiskered fish. Read the rest of Reagan’s 1987 National Catfish Day proclamation for more about why we celebrate catfish.

Celebrate National Catfish Day by picking up a farm-raised catfish from your local market – though you’re always welcome to fish for your own catfish – and making a traditional, Cajun-style baked catfish for dinner. For catfish that’s more appealing to the kids, try these mouth-watering Healthy Herb-Baked Catfish Nuggets. Find more flavorful, low-calorie catfish recipes at eatingwell.com.

Sources: Reagan.utexas.edu, Punchbowl.com

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National Onion Rings Day

by on 22. Jun, 2012 in Food Holidays

June 22, National Onion Rings Day, celebrates the fried favorite in all of its side dish glory. Second in popularity only to french fries, onion rings are a staple in bars, diners, and fast food stops around the country.

Start with a large onion and remove all of the skin. Remember, you can use a sweet onion if that is more your taste. Then, cut the onion into rings and separate them. After this, the sky is the limit. You can dip them into beer then batter them, use an egg wash first, or soak them in milk before coating them in flour. Check out some more great recipes here.

Though it is not really clear where National Onion Rings Day started, it is celebrated by those in the know. Celebrate today by making or enjoying this crispy snack.

Sources: The Ultimate Holiday Site, Eatocracy

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Cuckoo Warning Day

by on 21. Jun, 2012 in Weird Holidays

Have you heard the call of the cuckoo yet?

According to The Ultimate Holiday Site, if you hear the call of a cuckoo bird on June 21, there’s a wet summer ahead. We’re not sure where this superstition came from or whether or not it’s true, but we do know that, in Europe (where cuckoos spend their spring and summer after wintering in Africa), the call of the cuckoo is a welcoming indicator that spring is here and the green grass and warmth of summer are just around the corner.

If you’re in Europe and hear the call of the cuckoo bird today (or any time between early April and late June), consider yourself lucky, as Europe has recently seen a decline in cuckoo birds. But a lucky few have reported cuckoo soundings and sightings since April.

If you don’t live in a region inhabited by the cuckoo bird, find a cuckoo clock or practice making your own cuckoo call.

Whether or not you hear the cuckoo’s song, celebrate the good news the cuckoo bird brings with William Wordsworth’s poem “To the Cuckoo.”

Sources: The Ultimate Holiday Site, Wikipedia, This Is Surrey Today

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Summer Solstice

by on 20. Jun, 2012 in Nature Holidays

Today is the Summer Solstice, which means June 20 is the longest day of 2012!

To learn more about the June Solstice, check out last years blog post.

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National Martini Day

by on 19. Jun, 2012 in Food Holidays

June 19 is National Martini Day!

The martini is a sophisticated cocktail made with gin and vermouth garnished with an olive or lemon twist. Sometimes, the vodka is substituted for gin, but purists would scoff at this practice. Though the origin of the drink is unclear, it has been present in bartending guides since the late 19th century.

Celebrate today with a traditional martini made of 5 parts gin and 1 part vermouth, or take a page from Ian Fleming’s book and have a Vesper Martini:

“Three measures of Gordon’s, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it’s ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon peel. Got it?”
-Casino Royale, Chapter 7

No matter how you enjoy your martini today, don’t enjoy too many!

Sources: Historia de Victuals, About.com

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Paul McCartney’s Birthday

by on 18. Jun, 2012 in Birthdays

Today Sir Paul McCartney turns 70 years old!

One of (if not THE) most successful musicians, singer-songwriters, composers, and recording artists of all time, McCartney is one of the founding members of the legendary group, The Beatles, and half of arguably the best writing duo of all time. Even after The Beatles broke up, he found solo success and formed the group Wings. On top of his success as a musician, singer-songwriter, composer, music and film producer, and businessman, McCartney has been involved in a variety of international charities, published a volume of poems and lyrics, campaigned against landmines and seal hunting, taken part in art exhibitions showcasing his paintings, and advocated for animal rights, vegetarianism, and music education.

Even at 70, he’s not finished yet…In the next year alone, McCartney will perform at the opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, release a new solo album in 2013, and continue rocking the stage while on tour.

Celebrate today by listening to your favorite Beatles songs!

McCartney by the numbers…
15: Age McCartney met John Lennon.
1960: Year The Beatles was officially formed.
2,200+: Number of artists who have covered McCartney’s Beatles song “Yesterday.”
1970: Year McCartney announced his departure from The Beatles. The band was officially dissolved five years later.
60: Number of gold discs McCartney has under his belt.
5: Number of instruments McCartney plays (piano, drums, and bass, acoustic, and electric guitars).
32: Number of McCartney’s songs, written or co-written, that have hit the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.
6: Number of postage stamps McCartney designed for the Isle of Man Post.
£475 million: McCartney’s estimated fortune in 2010 (that’s roughly $715 million).

 

Sources: Wikipedia, ABC News

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