Welcome to Worldwide Weird Holidays, where you’ll find a new reason to celebrate every day of the year.
May 12 is National Nutty Fudge Day
Today is National Nutty Fudge Day. Where did this tasty treat originate and how did it get its name? The creation of American-style chocolate fudge is often credited to student Emelyn Hartridge and her Vassar Fudge recipe. She later revealed in a letter, preserved in the Vassar College Archives, that she had cheated: Fudge, as I first knew […]
May 8 is Have a Coke Day
Today is Have a Coke Day. The first glass was sold for five cents at Jacob’s Pharmacy in Atlanta, GA, on May 8, 1886. The story of one of the most popular beverages on Earth began at the end of the American Civil War. Confederate officer and Freemason John Stith Pemberton was slashed across the […]
May 7 is Mother Ocean Day
Today is the fourth annual Mother Ocean Day. It takes place on the day before Mother’s Day and spotlights the magnificent bodies of water that make life on Earth possible. Begun in 2013 in Miami, Florida, the holiday’s goal is to bring attention to the challenges we face as a consequence of our use and […]
May 5 is the Barbed Wire Festival
The 50th Annual Barbed Wire Festival kicks off this evening in La Crosse, Kansas. The first convention for collectors of barbed wire was hosted there in 1967. According to the festival’s website, 2,000 people attended, earning La Crosse, described by Wikipedia as a “city” of 1,342, the title of “Barbed Wire Capital of the World™.” […]
National Hairball Awareness Day
Today is National Hairball Awareness Day, observed annually on the last Friday of April. Hairballs are a nuisance and just plain gross, as anyone who’s stepped on one in bare feet can attest. They’re no fun for cats, either, causing discomfort and irritation. In some cases, they can be an indicator of serious illness. Talk […]
April 26 is Alien Day
Today is Alien Day. The date 4/26 pays homage to LV-426, the planet where Ripley and her expendable crew set down and take on a stowaway that no amount of Pepcid-AC can overcome. By the time the monster surprises Dallas with a gesture that looks suspiciously like jazz hands, it’s clear that the entire crew […]
April 26 is National Pretzel Day
Today is National Pretzel Day. In 2003, Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell dedicated April 26th to the snack food that continues to be a major contributor to the state’s economy. By the 18th century, when German immigrants introduced them to the people of Pennsylvania, pretzels already had a long history. One popular origin story states that […]
April 24 is New Kids on the Block Day
Today is New Kids on the Block Day and has been ever since Massachusetts governor and failed presidential candidate Michael Dukakis declared it so in 1989. Boston’s favorite boy band is still going strong. The NKOTB Cruise has been an annual tradition since 2009. This year, Donnie Wahlberg, Jordan Knight, Jonathan Knight, Joey McIntyre and Danny Wood […]
April 23 is Talk Like Shakespeare Day
Today is Talk Like Shakespeare Day, started in 2009 by the Chicago Shakespeare Theater to celebrate the Bard’s birthday. Church records confirm that William Shakespeare was baptized on April 26, 1564. Since this was typically performed three days after birth, it’s believed he was born on April 23, 1564. He died on April 23, 1616, according to the […]
April 14 is Pathologists’ Assistant Day
Today is Pathologists’ Assistant Day, founded in 2014 by the American Association of Pathologists’ Assistants (AAPA) to recognize the vital role every PA plays in protecting our health. Their meticulous attention to detail helps pathologists detect the abnormalities in tissue samples which lead to the diagnosis and treatment of disease. At first glance, the site […]