Special days of the year to celebrate: Days to do something, and nothing, days for every cause, and no cause at all

Admit it: You missed National Gumdrop Day, National Toothpick Day and Polar Bear Day last February because you failed to mark them in the calendar you got for Christmas last year.

Well, here’s another chance. And remember: It’s never too early to start planning for National Goof-off Day, which oddly enough follows National Teenager Day.

There will be solemn and holy days, of course — Easter, Yom Kippur, Ramadan and Christmas, for example — and such time-honored national observances as Labor Day, Independence Day, Syttende mai and Veterans Day. We will pause on Pearl Harbor Day, Memorial Day and Holocaust Remembrance Day. Each of the four seasons has its start-day, as always.

But there are times for silliness, too, days to sing Happy Birthday to Boo Boo, Yogi the Bear’s little buddy on Jan. 2, and Barbie (Ken’s friend) on March 9.

We have done this before, noting that every day, week and month of the coming year has been claimed by one or more trade associations, advocacy groups, government agencies or people of whimsy.

The people who deal with crafts at About.com assemble calendars of special days every year, days of celebration or acknowledgment. No authenticating evidence is provided, but who would lie about Jan. 7 being Cuddle Up Day, or that it is followed on Jan. 8 by Bubble Bath Day?

And there is karma. April 7 is No Housework Day, but little more than a month later (May 10) comes Clean Up Your Room Day.

January

1 — Start the New Year right by riding a horse and flying a flag: Betsy Ross was born on this day in 1752 and Paul Revere in 1735. Trace your folks to immigrants? Ellis Island opened on Jan. 1, 1852.

2 — The drinking straw was patented on this date in 1888.

7 — Cuddle Up Day.

8 — Bubble Bath Day.

16 — National Nothing Day, so declared by a Nebraska newspaper editor who grew weary of all the causes, products and personalities championed by the declaration of a “day.”

20 — Cheese Day, Inauguration Day and Penguin Awareness Day. We are unaware of any linkage.

23 — It’s a day for appendages: Measure Your Feet Day and National Handwriting Day. Write a letter to your mother and sign it with a footprint.

24 — National Compliment Day.

30 — The 130th anniversary of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s birth.

31 — National Kazoo Day. Form a band!

February

The shortest month is big on health and history, being Children’s Dental Health Month and Black History Month — which you can start by marking the birth of Langston Hughes on the 1st and the centennial of Rosa Park’s birth on Feb. 4. It’s also international friendship month. Hug a Swede.

2 — Groundhog Day — again!

6 — Monopoly board games went on sale in stores in 1935. I get the racecar!

11 — Clean Out Your Computer Day.

14 — Valentine’s Day falls on a Thursday.

20 — 51st anniversary of John Glenn becoming the first American to orbit the Earth.

22 — Be Humble Day. Glenn was good at that, too.

25 — President Lincoln introduces first U.S. paper currency, 1862.

27 — Polar Bear Day. Some would suggest it should be Global Warming Awareness Day, too.

March

It’s a little confusing, food-wise, as this is National Nutrition Month but also Frozen Food Month and Noodle Month. And food for the mind: The first week is Newspapers in Our School Week.

1 — National Pig Day and Peanut Butter Lovers Day. Overlap?

2 — Read Across America Day.

5 — Multiple Personalities Day. Yay! Darn!

9 — Barbie’s birthday. The original doll was introduced in 1959. Also, it’s No Smoking Day and Panic Day. Again, we presume a connection.

14 — As it can be written 3/14, it’s the day we celebrate pi, the number that starts with 3.14 but apparently never ends. You can see the first million digits at www.piday.org/ million.php.

20 — First day of spring, a Wednesday.

21 — National Teenagers Day.

22 —National Goof Off Day.

25 — Greek independence day. Break out the ouzo.

26 — National Make Up Your Own Holiday Day.

29 — Coca-Cola, the real real one, is invented in 1886.

April

It’s Stress Awareness Month. Good luck with that, as Tax Day once again is April 15.

4 — NATO established, 1949. It’s also Walk Around Things Day, which prepares you for …

6 — Jump Over Things Day.

10 — Encourage a Young Writer Day.

12 — Big Wind Day. Interpret that as you will.

14 — Titanic struck the iceberg late on this date in 1912 and sank early the next morning.

15 — Ray Kroc opens the first McDonald’s, in Des Plains, Ill, in 1955.

17 — Daffy Duck made his debut in 1937.

25 — Take Our Daughters to Work Day.

29 — The modern zipper was invented on this day in 1917. (Made you look!)

30 — National Honesty Day. File that amended tax return.

May

The asparagus people must have a good lobby because they have the whole month marked as National Asparagus Month. But don’t fret; it’s also National Barbecue Month and National Strawberry Month.

The month starts out with National Teacher Appreciation Week, followed by Police Appreciation Week. You could invite a teacher and a cop over to play the last week of the month, National Backyard Games Week.

5 — Cinco de Mayo.

8 — No Socks Day, followed by…

9 — Lost Sock Memorial Day.

10 — Clean Up Your Room Day. (Hey, I found my sock!)

12 — International Nurses Day, Kite Day, Limerick Day and Mother’s Day. If you forget Mother’s Day, make amends with a nice bouquet on …

13 — National Tulip Day.

14 — Lewis and Clark started their expedition on this date in 1804. It’s a great day to start reading the expedition journals.

17 — The first Kentucky Derby was run on this day in 1875, but, to many in our region, the day is known as Syttende mai, Norway’s national day. Put down the ouzo and grab the akevitt.

24 — The first Morse Code message was sent, from Washington, D.C., to Baltimore, in 1844. It was, “What hath God wrought?” which maybe should have been the first Facebook message.

26 — Blueberry Cheesecake Day, and all is right with the world.

27 — Golden Gate Bridge opened in 1937.

June

It’s Adopt-a-Cat Month and — connection? — National Dairy Month. The fourth week is National Camping Week. Leave kitty at home.

And bon appétit:

1 — Donut Day.

4 — Cheese Day.

5 — Gingerbread Day.

7 — Chocolate Ice Cream Day.

But it’s not all about food. Celebrate Frank Lloyd Wright’s birthday (1867) on the 8th, Donald Duck’s birthday (1934) on the 9th, and Judy Garland’s birthday (1922) on the 10th.

11 — The movie E.T. debuted in 1982.

14 — Flag Day. If your Norwegian flag is still out for May 17, best to run up the Stars and Stripes today.

15 — Fly a Kite Day, marking the anniversary of Ben Franklin’s noted experiment in 1752.

16 — Father’s Day.

17 — Eat Your Vegetables Day, followed mercifully by…

18 — International Picnic Day.

19 — Garfield the cat debuted in 1978. Yes, he’ll be 35 this day.

21 — World Handshake Day (the year’s flu bug should have subsided).

23 — The typewriter — the what? — was patented on this day in 1868.

July

We celebrated International Picnic Day in June, but all of July is National Picnic Month, as well as Hot Dog and Ice Cream Month. To deal with the carbs, it’s also National Recreation Month. Play ball!

1 — Canada Day. It’s a Monday this year, so expect to share Kmart and Target with many visitors from Up North over the long weekend.

4 — U.S. Independence Day. It’s a Thursday; can we make it a four-day weekend?

7 — Macaroni Day. But really, what day isn’t?

11 — Cheer Up the Lonely Day. (Take them a steaming pot of cheesy macaroni.)

17 — Disneyland opened in 1955.

18 — Cow Appreciation Day. (No connection to cow tipping.)

23 — The ice cream cone was introduced on this day in 1904.

27 — Bugs Bunny debuted in 1940.

29 — National Lasagna Day. (Make extra and go visit the lonely again.)

August

Celebrate foot health, golf and kissing this month, and grin through the second week: It’s National Smile Week.

3 — Watermelon Day.

4 — Friendship Day.

5 — Waffle Day.

9 — Book Lovers Day.

11 — Play in the Sand Day.

15 — National Relaxation Day.

18 — Bad Poetry Day.

25 — Kiss and Make Up Day. (Her poem wasn’t that bad.)

September

Start planning now to send the kids off right during Better Breakfast Month, then sit back and observe National Sewing Month.

2 — Labor Day.

4 — Newspaper Carrier Day. And get ready to celebrate some of them again on …

8 — Grandparents Day.

13 — Positive Thinking Day.

18 — Talk Like a Pirate Day. Argghh!

21 — Autumn begins.

28 — Good Neighbor Day.

October

It’s Family History Month, and it starts with Homemade Cookies Day, so gather the generations and get those lard-stained recipe cards out.

3 — Look at the Leaves Day.

12 — Farmers Day.

15 — National Grouch Day.

22 — National Nut Day (in honor of walnuts and pecans and such, not your crazy uncle or neighbor).

25 — Denim Day.

31 — Halloween, a Thursday this year.

November

It’s Good Nutrition Month, but didn’t we deal with that back in the early part of the year? And isn’t this the month of stuffing, gravy and pie?

2 — Daniel Boone Day.

11 — Veterans Day. Find a Vietnam vet and welcome him home.

14 — National Clean Out Your Fridge Day (maybe to make room for the frozen turkey to come, and the pies).

17 — National Young Readers Day.

19 — Play Monopoly Day. I get the racecar!

23 — Cashew Day.

28 — Thanksgiving.

December

Watch those moving parts: It’s Safe Toy and Gift Month.

4 — Wear Brown Shoes Day.

9 — Roller Skate Day (indoors, probably).

16 — Chocolate Covered Anything Day.

21 — Winter begins, on a weekend (Saturday this year), of course.

22 — Thermometer Day. (But remember wind chill.)

25 — Christmas. It’s a Wednesday this year.

31 — New Year’s Eve. No date again this year? Stay home and work on that 2014 calendar.

Tags: news, holidays