Tag Archives: may holidays

National Brown Bag It Day

by on 25. May, 2013 in Food Holidays

May 25 is National Brown Bag It Day!

Packing your own lunch for work or school has a variety of benefits. Not only is it cost-effective, but you’re in control of what you are putting into your body. You can plan out healthy (but delicious) meals ahead of time, so as to avoid the high-fat, high-carb offerings found at your local fast food joint.

Brown-bagging your lunch doesn’t have to be boring. Sick of plain old PB&J? Check out some of these creative sandwich ideas that will make brown-bagging it a whole lot better.

Sources: Eatocracy, CD Kitchen

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Bob Dylan’s Birthday

by on 24. May, 2013 in Birthdays

May 24 is celebrated singer-songwriter Bob Dylan’s birthday!

Born in Duluth, Minnesota in 1941 as Robert Allen Zimmerman, Bob Dylan went on to become an American music legend. He has been an extremely influential figure in the industry for the past 50 years, and Dylan has worked as a singer-songwriter, producer, artist, and writer during his lengthy career in music.

Some of Bob Dylan’s most notable hits include: “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”, “Like a Rolling Stone”, “Blowin’ in the Wind”, and perhaps, most popular “The Times They Are A-Changin’”. Bob Dylan continues to produce music and tour the world to this day.

Happy Birthday Bob Dylan!

Sources: Wikipedia, Biography

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Lucky Penny Day

by on 23. May, 2013 in Weird Holidays

Find a penny, pick it up, and all day long you’ll have good luck!

May 23 is Lucky Penny Day!  If you happen to come across a penny today, pick it up, but only if it is heads up. Spotting a penny with Abe Lincoln’s face staring back at you is considered to be very good luck, while adversely it is considered bad luck to pick up a penny facing down.

Use today to appreciate the good luck of a penny, and see if you can find one on your own!

Sources: Gone-ta-pott, Examiner

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Buy a Musical Instrument Day

by on 22. May, 2013 in Weird Holidays

May 22 is Buy a Musical Instrument Day!

If you are currently a musician, today is the day to treat yourself to a brand new instrument. If you don’t know how to play an instrument, it’s never too late to learn! Figure out what type of instrument you’d want to play, and start taking lessons; no one is too young or too old to begin playing music.

If you don’t want to spend the money on a fancy new instrument, consider purchasing a recorder, maracas, or a harmonica to get in the spirit.

Sources: Holiday Insights, Yahoo

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Jane Addams Dies at 74

by on 21. May, 2013 in Deaths

Born Laura Jane Addams on September 6, 1860 in Illinois, Jane Addams became one of the most important of the social reformers, Pacifists, and Feminists, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Jane Addams was a co-founder of one of the first settlements in America, the Hull House in Chicago, Illinois. The Hull House provided aid to immigrants and the poor who were residing in Chicago, and offered services like childcare, education, arts and culture, and food.

In 1931, Jane Addams was the co-winner of the Nobel Peace Prize with Nicholas Murray Butler, and was the first American woman to have won. Addams was also the first female president of the National Conference of Social Work, the president of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, and the founder of the National Federation of Settlements. Jane Addams, peace activist and social reformer, died on May 21, 1935 at the age of 74.

Sources: Wikipedia, Biography

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Blue Jeans Patented

by on 20. May, 2013 in Birthdays, Weird Holidays

One of the most popular articles of clothing in America, blue jeans, were patented on May 20, 1873 by Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis.

Levi Strauss, a 24-year-old German immigrant in San Francisco, began making overalls out of a type of cotton fabric from France called “serge de Nimes” and selling them to miners.  This cloth would later come to be known as denim and nicknamed “blue jeans”.

Levi Strauss & Company began using a pocket-stitch design to make the pants and employed the help of Nevada tailor Jacob Davis to help invent the method of sewing rivets into the pants for added durability.  The two received U.S. Patent 139,121 on May 20, 1973 which is considered the birthday of blue jeans.

Sources: About.com, Wikipedia

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World Baking Day

by on 19. May, 2013 in Food Holidays

World Baking Day occurs on the third Sunday of May each year.  In 2013, World Baking Day is celebrated on Sunday, May 19.

This food holiday began in 2012 as a way for bakers all over the world to share their love for baking and favorite recipes with like-minded people. World Baking Day encourages professional and amateur bakers alike to step outside of their baking comfort zone and try something new. In other words, World Baking Day urges you to push your baking skills to the limit!

16 countries across the globe are actively participating in World Baking Day, including: USA, UK, Australia, Spain, Portugal, Slovakia, Greece, Czech Republic, Hungary, Finland, Sweden, Turkey, Poland, South Africa, Germany, and Belgium.

Join the international conversation on Twitter by following @WorldBakingDay and using hashtag #bakebrave.

Sources: World Baking Day, Food Network UK

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Armed Forces Day

by on 18. May, 2013 in History, Official Holidays

Armed Forces Day is always celebrated on the third Saturday in May. In 2013, Armed Forces Day falls on May 18.

Armed Forces Day was established in 1949 as a way to unify all sectors of the United States Armed Forces. It is a holiday for American citizens to come together and show appreciation for all members of our military and pay tribute to soldiers in the Army, Air Force, Marines, and Navy.

If you know or happen to come across a member of our military – remember to thank them for their service and support today.

Sources: Defense.gov, Wikipedia

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When is Memorial Day in 2013

by on 18. May, 2013 in Official Holidays

May 27, 2013

Learn more about Memorial Day.

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First Kentucky Derby

by on 17. May, 2013 in Culture

The Kentucky Derby is a high stakes horse racing event that takes place every year on the first Saturday in May at the Churchill Downs track in Louisville, Kentucky. The racing field is made up of a number of 3-year-old Thoroughbred horses that compete over a distance of 1.25 miles (or 2 km).

The first ever Kentucky Derby was held on May 17, 1875 with a field of 15 Thoroughbreds and an audience of 10,000 people. In its inaugural year, the Kentucky Derby track was 1.5 miles long, but was reduced to the current length in 1876. Aristides was the winning horse that first year, ridden by jockey Oliver Lewis.

The Kentucky Derby has been run every single year since its introduction in 1875, and has come to be known as “The Most Exciting 2 Minutes in Sports” or “The Run for the Roses”, as the winning horse is adorned with a blanket of roses.  Today, the Kentucky Derby draws a crowd of around 150,000 spectators each year.

Sources: Wikipedia, About.com

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