Holidays by Month Archives - Page 90 of 93

International Festival of Owls

March 4, 2016/1 Comment/in March

Alice

The International Festival of Owls takes place during the first full weekend of March at the International Owl Center in Houston, Minnesota. It celebrates the approximate “hatch-day” in 1997 of Alice, a Great Horned Owl rescued as a fledgling after falling from her nest. She now helps teach visitors to the Houston Nature Center about owls and their behaviors.

Today’s events include live shows featuring Ruby the Great Horned Owl and Uhu the Eurasian Eagle Owl. A discussion of the complexities of renesting young owls will include appearances by Barred Owls, red and gray Eastern Screech-Owls and a Barn Owl. There is also a special live owl program just for children.

Tonight three buses, each with an expert owl caller onboard, will embark on an Owl Prowl. Calling stresses the owls: they respond out of alarm that there is an intruder nearby. To minimize ill effects, each group must travel to a different remote location where the birds are unlikely to be bothered again during the year. Of course, there is no guarantee that passengers will hear wild owls, in which case they’ve just endured a bus ride to listen to a grown person make strange noises.

Two of the buses are family-friendly; the other is reserved for adults. (Perhaps there will be potty talk about mating rituals that the kids shouldn’t hear?) Those who don’t want to make the trip can stay behind and look at the live owls on display, peruse the gift shop, cast votes in the photography contest, visit owl merchandise vendors and eat owl-themed foods.

Saturday’s Kid’s Hooting Contest is no joke. The International Owl Center lists the best species to mimic and links to audio files via Owlpages.com to help competitors perfect their hoots. Also recommended is Owling.com, which accompanies accompanying audio with streaming video, photo galleries and field notes.

Did you know that owls vomit up the parts of their prey—bones, feathers, fur—that they can’t digest?This daily activity causes the resulting “pellets” to accumulate on the ground below their nests, where they are retrieved by festival staff for the Owl Pellet Dissection sessions, scheduled on Saturday and Sunday.

Pellets cost $5.00 each; parents can economize by assigning more than one child per pellet. Under no circumstance is anyone allowed to BYOP (Bring Your Own Pellet). Management is not responsible for emotional scarring that may occur to children who connect the dots between beloved characters Ratatouille and Mickey Mouse and the rodent bones they have just fished out of a nugget of owl barf.

Have a happy International Festival of Owls!

World Sword Swallower’s Day

February 27, 2016/0 Comments/in February

February 27, 2016, marks the ninth annual World Sword Swallower’s Day, observed on the last Saturday of the month with performances at Ripley’s Believe it or Not locations across the U.S., Australia, Denmark, England and Malaysia.

Sword Swallowers Association International (SSAI) president Dan Meyer explains the genesis of World Sword Swallowers Day:

“I established World Sword Swallower’s Day in 2007 to promote this ancient art, still carried on by a few dozen surviving performers, to celebrate the courageous and daring performers who risk their lives to entertain audiences, to honor veteran performers, to raise awareness of the medical contributions sword swallowers have made in the fields of medicine and science, and to raise funds for esophageal cancer research and the Injured Sword Swallowers’ Relief Fund. “

Meyer is a 39-time world record holding sword swallower and motivational speaker who has given TEDx Talks around the globe, performed and lectured at events in 35 countries. He is available for corporate team building retreats, medical conferences and high school assemblies through his company, Cutting Edge Innertainment. While you’re there, check out this disturbing gallery of X-ray fluoroscopes tracking the sword or swords as they enter and leave his esophagus.

SSAI is a non-profit organization accepting donations to enable website maintenance, historical research and bookings. It also supports charities that study esophageal cancer, dysphagia, and other swallowing disorders. SSAI explains the need for its Injured Sword Swallowers’ Relief Fund:

There are on average from 4 to 6 serious sword swallowing injuries per year that require hospitalization, with costs of treatment running from $50,000 to $75,000 USD per injury. Any donations submitted will be sent directly to SSAI members who are struggling to pay off staggering medical bills that are the result of sword swallowing injuries.

If you’re near any of these Ripley’s Believe It or Not Odditoriums at 1:45 pm (local time), prepare to be amazed as sword swallowers demonstrate their craft. The free show will culminate in the simultaneous “Big Swallow” at 2:27:16 pm on 2/27/16. We guarantee that the next time you get a tickle in your throat, it won’t seem so bad. Funny thing, perspective.

Happy World Sword Swallower’s Day!

International Hair Freezing Day

February 25, 2016/0 Comments/in February

February 25, 2016, marks the sixth annual International Hair Freezing Day, a relatively new highlight of Canada’s Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous. The festival, in its 52nd year, runs from Friday, February 19th through Sunday, February 28th in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. At least 20,000 people are expected to attend.

Today’s festivities include the International Ice Carving Competition, Texas Hold ‘Em Poker Tournament, a pop-up casino at the Yukon Inn, sponsored by the Lion’s Club of Whitehorse, a fiddle show, a professional burlesque show with proceeds to raise funds for Rendezvous’ Kidsfest. (It’s all about the kids, of course.)

The Queen’s Luncheon takes place today at the Yukon College cafeteria. Those competing for the title of 2016 Rendezvous Queen will mingle with guests and be questioned as part of the judging process. The festival’s website is vague about pageant requirements, other than the ability to keep a straight face while having their photos taken in costumes straight from the rack of a vintage novelty photography studio.

Whatever talent portions lie in store for the ladies cannot possibly compare to what the gentlemen vying for 2016 Sourdough Sam must endure. (Seriously, there would be lawsuits.) Competitions include lip-synching, performing a dance floor striptease and—our favorite—a kielbasa-eating contest done while in drag.

This year’s entrants made a promotional video!

Getting back to the International Hair Freezing Contest: the event has been sponsored since 2011 by Takhani Hot Pools. Fed by hot springs flowing continuously at a rate of 385 liters (86 gallons) per minute, the pool area nearest the source is about 42° C (107.6° F). The far side of the pool drops to about 36° C (96.8° F). It doesn’t smell like rotten eggs as sulfurous springs do.Takhini Hot Springs is fortunate to contain no sulphurous odour as is common to most hot springs.

The contest rewards the participant who engineers the most creative frozen hairstyle while soaking in the pool. As the steam accumulates on your hair, the cold air freezes it, allowing you to shape it. When it’s finished, document it with a photo and submit it to Takhini’s Facebook page or email it to its website. Winners will be announced in March.

After the above photo of the winners of the 2015 International Freeze Your Hair Day became popular worldwide, Takhini owner Andrew Umbrich has raised first prize from $150 to $750 CAD for 2016. Before you book the next flight, check out Umbrich’s competition guidelines. They may give you a headache.

Step 1: Come to the hot springs when it is cold. Preferably -20 or colder. If it is warmer than that it may take longer for desired frozen results.
Step 2: Dip your head in the hot springs and wet your hair.
Step 3: Take your head out of the water and allow the cold air to slowly freeze your hair. All wet hair will eventually freeze, this includes eyebrows and even eyelashes.
If you have very long hair, a good method to freeze it is to lay it down on the sides of the pool so it may freeze in single, long strands. Later, it can be propped up and it will stick straight up.
Step 4: Keep your ears warm. Periodically dip each ear into the hot springs water and be careful not to let your hair touch the water. If that cannot be done, then be tough.
Step 5: Wait.
Step 6: Wait some more.
Step 7: When the hair begins to freeze, slowly mold the hair into the desired shape. For example, one could gather all their hair into a point.
Step 8: Let the hair completely freeze. It will become pure white with frost and ice. Don’t worry, your hair won’t break or snap off.
Step 9: Take a picture and send it to the front desk, our Facebook page, or our email.
Step 10: Dunk your head in the water. Your hair will instantly unfreeze and your head will be nice and warm again.

Still thinking about it? Frozen eyelashes sound good to you? Have you always associated your sense of personal toughness with your ears’ endurance to bitter cold? (Umbrich told an interviewer that -20° C works for hair sculpting, but -30° C is ideal. Ideal. To literally spell it out, that is twenty-two degrees below zero Fahrenheit. We’ve seen documentaries of penguins suffering in warmer temperatures!)

If the image above doesn’t send you running for a cup of hot cocoa and an electric blanket or three, this may be the perfect holiday for you!

Brrr! Have a happy International Hair Freezing Day!

Inconvenience Yourself Day

February 24, 2016/1 Comment/in February

Inconvenience Yourself Day has been celebrated on the fourth Wednesday in February since 2006. Julie Thompson, president of Environmental Resources Network in Fort Lauderdale, FL, created the holiday to encourage us all to recognize how our actions impact the lives of those around us.

It’s easy to become so focused on our own crazy to-do lists that we forget to hold open a door, let a customer with only a few items get ahead of us in line, thank someone who has helped us or just be kind to others when there is no tangible benefit to us.

We’d like to add a few suggestions to slow the pace of our hectic lives, if only for today. Call a friend instead of texting. Write a letter instead of a Facebook message. Cook a favorite meal instead of throwing something together. (Get the “good” china out of storage, if you have it; what are you saving it for?) Take a walk without any mobile devices and look around at your neighborhood, not just the view of the sidewalk you see past your cell phone.

The secret payoff of inconveniencing ourselves: it makes us feel good. Who knows? It could become a habit. Slow down, say thanks and have a happy Inconvenience Yourself Day!

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