Welcome to Worldwide Weird Holidays, where you’ll find a new reason to celebrate every day of the year.
National Oatmeal Muffin Day
Today is National Oatmeal Muffin Day. We don’t know who created it, but we do know how to celebrate it. The following recipe comes from Anna Newell Jones. Her site, And Then We Saved, is an incredible resource of practical advice about how to reduce debt and enjoy daily life. She says it’s the only oatmeal muffin recipe […]
Bake Cookies Day
Today is Bake Cookies Day. So, you know, preheat the oven. Here’s a tried-and-true formula from Allrecipes.com: Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe by Dora “Crisp edges, chewy middles.” Ingredients 1 cup butter, softened 1 cup white sugar 1 cup packed brown sugar 2 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda […]
Wright Brothers Day
Today is Wright Brothers Day. On December 17, 1903, Orville Wright made the first successful flight of a heavier-than-air, mechanically propelled airplane. Orville’s brother Wilbur, who’d won a coin toss to determine who flew first, had made the first attempt on December 14, 1903. He was unable to get off the ground and caused minor damage […]
December 16, 1773: Boston Tea Party
Today is the anniversary of the Boston Tea Party. On December 16, 1773, the Sons of Liberty, disguised as Mohawks, stole aboard three British ships and emptied 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor. This act of defiance, part of a wave of resistance throughout the colonies, was a protest against British rule. Earlier that year, […]
National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day
Today is National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day, celebrated on the third Friday in December. Today we pay tribute to all the sweater-blind relatives who ever wielded knitting needles or visited a store, picked something up and said, “Oh my goodness, this is so cute! [Insert name here] will love this [flammable fabric] sweater with the […]
December 15 is Cat Herders’ Day
Today is Cat Herders’ Day. Solving problems at work or home can feel as impossible as herding cats. (Anyone foolish enough to do that for a living has our permission to hide under the covers. The rest of us must soldier on.) Let’s step back for a moment and find the humor in the challenges we […]
National Regifting Day
Today is National Regifting Day, a holiday invented in 2006 by a credit counseling service and made official in 2008 with a proclamation by Colorado governor Bill Ritter, Jr. It’s always celebrated on the third Thursday of December, which just happens to be the most popular day for company Christmas parties and their Secret Santa gift exchanges. […]
National Day of the Horse
Today is the National Day of the Horse. On November 18, 2004, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed S.R. 452, described as: A resolution designating December 13, 2004, as “National Day of the Horse” and encouraging the people of the United States to be mindful of the contribution of horses to the economy, history, and character of […]
December 12 is Poinsettia Day
Today is Poinsettia Day, which marks the death of Joel Roberts Poinsett on December 12, 1851. Poinsett was appointed in 1825 by President John Quincy Adams as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Mexico. (The title “Ambassador” wasn’t created until 1896.) While there, Poinsett, an amateur botanist, introduced the American elm to Mexico. In 1829, […]
Worldwide Candle Lighting
The Worldwide Candle Lighting ceremony is held each year on the second Sunday of December. It was created by The Compassionate Friends (TCF), a non-profit organization that assists grieving families. Stephen Simmons, a chaplain at England’s Warwickshire Hospital, founded TCF in 1969. After bringing together two sets of grieving parents, he realized the support they gave one […]