Welcome to Worldwide Weird Holidays, where you’ll find a new reason to celebrate every day of the year.
May 23 is World Turtle Day
Today is World Turtle Day, a holiday created in 2000 by the non-profit organization American Tortoise Rescue (ATR) to celebrate turtles and tortoises and to protect their habitats. Susan Tellem and her husband Marshall have rescued and re-homed thousands of turtles since cofounding ATR in 1990. Ten years later, they started World Turtle Day because, as […]
May 22 is World Goth Day
Today is World Goth Day, a holiday that celebrates the global influence of the Goth subculture on music, art, literature, and fashion. Many consider the 1979 release of Bauhaus’ first single, Bela Lugosi’s Dead, to be the genesis of the gothic rock genre, although the word “goth” had been used in a musical context for […]
May 21 is Sister Maria Hummel Day
Today is Sister Maria Hummel Day, which celebrates the birth in 1909 of Berta Hummel, a German girl whose family recognized and encouraged her developing artistic talent from early childhood. She entered Munich’s Academy of Applied Arts in 1927, when few German women could pursue higher education. After graduating in 1931 with top honors, she chose […]
May Ray Day
Today is May Ray Day. Its goal is simple. If you look out the window and it’s sunny, go outside and enjoy it. (Common sense tip: If you’re in the middle of a business meeting, driving a car, or standing anywhere above the first floor, wait for a more appropriate time and place to step […]
May 17 is National Walnut Day
Today is National Walnut Day, created in 1949 by the Walnut Marketing Board, now known as the California Walnut Board. Supposedly, in March of 1958, Senator William Knowland proposed the holiday, which President Dwight D. Eisenhower later affirmed. I spent an hour trying to confirm that. I found no such proclamation or proposal beyond publication […]
National Sea Monkey Day
Today is National Sea Monkey Day, also known as Sea-Monkey Day. In 1957, entrepreneur Harold von Braunhut noticed that desiccated brine shrimp were able to survive for extended periods of time in a suspended state known as cryptobiosis. The result was a novelty item called Instant Life that could be reconstituted and grown in water. It […]
May 15 is National Slider Day
Today is National Slider Day, created in 2015 by the marketing geniuses at White Castle. Sadly, NYC Burger Week (May 1 -7) is now defunct, but you can still celebrate your belly bombs anytime during National Hamburger Month. There’s debate about the origin of the slider. According to White Castle, In 1921, Billy Ingram launched […]
May 14 is Underground America Day
Today is Underground America Day, created in 1974 by architect Malcolm Wells. After designing the RCA Pavilion for the 1964 World’s Fair, which would be torn down only two years later, he came to the conclusion that every structure he built needlessly destroyed that which had previously lived in its footprint. He described his epiphany this […]
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 11 is National Root Canal Appreciation Day
Today is National Root Canal Appreciation Day, created in 2005 by Wisconsin dentist Chris Kammer. Dr. Kammer became known as “America’s Favorite Rock’n’Roll Dentist” in July 2004 when he performed his original rap song “Get Out the Brush” at Madison Mallards collegiate league ballpark, inspiring 5,991 baseball fans to brush their teeth simultaneously. Sadly, that […]