unofficial holidays in April

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April 24 is New Kids on the Block Day

new kids on the block dayToday 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 will meet and greet their fans on a trip from New Orleans, Louisiana to Cozumel, Mexico. The October sailing has already sold out, but interested parties (you know who you are) can join the waitlist.

Happy New Kids on the Block Day!

Copyright 2016 Worldwide Weird Holidays

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 might look a bit off-putting to those who don’t have a positive response to scalpels:

pathologists' assistant day

But we’re happy to report the AAPA goes all out for its promotional materials. The artwork for the inaugural Pathologists’ Assistant Day was outstanding.

pathologists' assistant day

This year’s logo is available on playing cards, mouse pads, refrigerator magnets and luggage tags.

pathologists' assistant day

We lost count at twenty-two lungs and nine intestines. Happy Pathologists’ Assistant Day, everybody!

Copyright 2016 Worldwide Weird Holidays

National Equal Pay Day 2016

Twenty years ago, Equal Pay Day was established to illustrate how far into the new year women have to work to earn the same wages that men make in the previous year.

national equal pay dayBecause Census data is released later in the year, Equal Pay Day has long been scheduled on the Tuesday in April that falls most closely to the estimated date. Tuesday was chosen to represent the extra time a woman must work to earn what men take home the previous week.

Well, congratulations, ladies! Your day has arrived. No, you aren’t going to be paid the same amount as men. The Equal Pay Act of 1963, making it illegal to pay a woman less than what a man would receive for the same job, signed into law by President John F. Kennedy remains nothing more than a well-intentioned piece of paper with a very valuable autograph.

We know the suspense must be killing you. Here goes: Yesterday President Obama proclaimed April 12 to be National Equal Pay Day. It’s official! No, you can’t have the day off. Honestly, you are a riot.

We know the president has worked hard for women’s equality because it says so in this White House press release. What’s more, he’s unveiled plans for a monument honoring the women’s equality movement to be erected in Washington, D.C.

We have a suggestion. Why not save the self-congratulatory groundbreaking until equal pay is achieved? Until then, reserve an empty spot to represent the net worth of legislators’ good intentions to the livelihood of their mothers, sisters, wives and daughters.

Set up a booth where Congresspeople can explain to children why their future efforts lose value the moment they are born girls. Raise money for the monument by garnishing 21% of their wages until they enforce the Equal Pay Act. (They don’t even need to write a law. It’s already on the books.)

Perhaps we would end up with a solution to this ridiculous situation, instead of a succession of declarations and photo ops. But we’re pretty sure that by the time that happened, we’d have the money for a really big statue.

Until then, have an angry National Equal Pay Day!

Copyright 2016 Worldwide Weird Holidays

International Pillow Fight Day

Today is the ninth annual International Pillow Fight Day, a holiday that encourages us to play like children on a grand scale. The event has gained momentum since its inception in 2008 and is now celebrated in more than 100 countries around the world. It always takes place on the first Saturday of April.

International Pillow Fight Day is part of what’s known as the urban playground movement. The founders explain:

One of our goals is to make these unique happenings in public space become a significant part of popular culture, partially replacing passive, non-social consumption experiences like watching television, and consciously celebrating public spaces in our cities as our ‘urban living rooms.’ The result, we hope, will be a global community of participants in a world where people are constantly organizing and attending these happenings in every major city in the world.

If you’re in the Western hemisphere, you’re in luck. Many pillow fights take place in the afternoon. (In New York City and Toronto, for example, the fights start at 3 pm. Check pillowfightday.com for a fight near you.)

We thought it might whet your appetite to see the festivities that have already taken place today.

international pillow fight day

Amsterdam 2016

international pillow fight day

Athens 2016

international pillow fight day

London 2016

international pillow fight day

Taipei 2016

Check out this theta360 spherical image taken in a London park:

international pillow fight day

international pillow fight day

 

Copyright 2016 Worldwide Weird Holidays