Holidays by Month Archives - Page 84 of 93

September 22 is Hobbit Day

September 22, 2016/0 Comments/in September

Today is Hobbit Day, the longest-running holiday celebrated by fans of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth Cycle books, The Hobbit and Lord Of The Rings. It originated in 1973 after Tolkien’s death on September 2 of that year.

It honors the birthdays of characters Bilbo and Frodo Baggins, which occurred on the same date in 2890 and 2968, respectively. There is some disagreement among readers about the specific date.

The Gregorian calendar would place it on September 14, but Tolkien once stated that the Shire calendar is ahead by about ten days, depending on the month.

In 1978, the official date of the Long Awaited Party was fixed as September 22 by the Tolkien Society, which also happens to fall one day after was published on September 21, 1937.

It is part of Tolkien Week, observed on the calendar week containing Hobbit Day. Festivities around the globe include feasts, costume parties, reenactments, exchange of gifts and cards and fireworks.

Happy Hobbit Day!

September 21 is Miniature Golf Day

September 21, 2016/0 Comments/in September

Schooner Miniature Golf – Saco, ME

Today is Miniature Golf Day.

The first miniature course was created in 1867 on the grounds of St. Andrews Links in Scotland. Legendary golfer Thomas “Old Tom” Norris laid out the nine-hole course over land that frequently flooded and was riddled with rabbit holes.

The course was designed for the newly-formed St. Andrews Ladies’ Putting Club, made up of wives wishing to play while waiting for their husbands. At the time, women were not allowed on the links.

The remote location kept them out of sight while the miniaturized setup ensured they would have no need to swing a golf club above their shoulders, which was considered unladylike.

In 1919, James W. Barber and Edward H. Wiswell constructed the first course in Pinehurst, NC, with the artificial obstacles and features like fountains, walkways and shrubbery that we recognize as a modern miniature golf course.

Happy Miniature Golf Day!

International Eat an Apple Day

September 17, 2016/2 Comments/in September

Today is International Eat an Apple Day,
celebrated on the third Saturday of September.
So, eat an apple.

That is all.

August 25 is Thoughtful Thursday

August 25, 2016/1 Comment/in August

Today is Thoughtful Thursday, originated by Lorraine Jara in 1988 as part of Be Kind to Humankind Week.

She created bk2hk.org after hearing about a boating accident near her hometown of Toms River, NJ. Two young men, drowning after their rowboat capsized, were pulled from the water by two young women in another small boat. They had no radio and called out to a passing vessel for help.

According to the story, the pilot said he couldn’t be bothered and continued on his way. One of the men later died. Ms. Jara was moved to act, offering to erect a memorial in the young man’s name. His family demurred, preferring to keep their mourning private.

She decided to establish a site that would encourage everyone to care for each other. Other days are Motorist Consideration Monday, Touch a Heart Tuesday, Willing to Lend a Hand Wednesday, Forgive Your Foe Friday, Speak Kind Words Saturday and Sacrifice Our Wants for Others’ Needs Sunday. Each day is accompanied by an affirmation devised by Ms. Jara.

Happy Thoughtful Thursday. Let’s try to be kind to humankind every day of the year.

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