Oh joy! December is here. The last month of the year is upon us, my learned friends. For our ancestors, this was the season for fresh snow and storytelling around the fire after months of preparing for the long, cold winter. Now it is a time of frantic shopping, Martha Stewart wannabees trying desperately to have the most beautifully decorated home on the block, sappy (sometimes maudlin) Christmas specials, and endless toy commercials on television. Well, don’t let the stress of the holidays get to you. Put on your favorite tie, pull out your cookie cutters, wash your hands, light some candles, eat some cotton candy, buy a poinsettia, herd your cats, and write some thank-you notes… it’s December…
Disclaimer: the comments in italics are mine and mine alone and do not represent the ideas, thoughts, or opinions of any other person, group, or entity. You are more than welcome to read someone else’s blog if this one offends you…
Birthstone: Turquoise or Zircon
Flower: Holly or Narcissus
Full Moon: December 2, 2:30am EST
New Moon: December 16, 7:02am EST
Blue Moon: December 31 @ 2:13pm EST
December is…
Bingo’s Birthday Month
Choose a Summer Camp Month (link)
Colorectal Cancer Education and Awareness Month (link)
Identity Theft Awareness Month (link)
National Drunk & Drugged Driving (3D) Prevention Month
National Stress-Free Family Holidays Month (link)
National Write a Business Plan Month
National Tie Month
Read A New Book Month makes a great gift!
Rising Star Month (link)
Safe Toys and Gifts Month (link)
Spiritual Literacy Month (link)
Universal Human Rights Month
Special December Weeks…
Dec. 1-5 National Aplastic Anemia Awareness Week (link)
Dec. 1-7 Cookie Cutter Week
- Tolerance Week I can’t tolerate intolerant people…
Dec. 1-8 Recipe Greetings for the Holidays Week
Dec. 1-19 Operation Santa Paws (link)
Dec. 6-12 Clerc-Gallaudet Week
- National Handwashing Week make it more than a week, please…
Dec. 10-17 Human Rights Week
Dec. 12-19 Chanukah (Hanukkah) Baruch ata Adonai…
Dec. 14-20 Gluten-free Baking Week
Dec. 14-28 Halcyon Days
Dec. 16-24 Posadas
Dec. 17-23 Saturnalia
Dec. 25-31 It’s About Time Week
Dec. 26-Jan. 1 Kwanzaa
Special December Days
12/1 Bifocals at the Monitor Liberation Day how about contacts?
- World With(out) Art Day like a day without sunshine…
- World AIDS Day
- Portugal: Independence Day
- Iceland: Independence Day
- Romania: National Day
12/2 Cold Moon isn’t it always cold on the moon?
- Special Education Day
- Special Kids Day they’re all special…
- United Nations International Day for the Abolition of Slavery
- United Arab Emirates: National Day
- Laos: National Holiday
12/3 United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities
12/4 National Dice Day
- National Cookie Day chocolate chip for me, please…
- Saint Barbara’s Day
- Belgium: Lover’s Fair
12/5 AFL-CIO Day
- Bathtub Party Day perfect for Lover’s Fair…
- International Volunteer Day for Economic & Social Development
- International Ninja Day who knew?
- Skywarn Recognition Day (1st Saturday in December)
12/6 Coats & Toys for Kids Day
- Miners’ Day miners do it underground…
- National Pawnbrokers Day
- St. Nicholas Day
12/7 National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
- International Civil Aviation Day
- National Cotton Candy Day love the stuff…
- Guam: Lady of Camarin Day
- Cote D’Ivoire: Commemoration Day
12/8 Feast of the Immaculate Conception
- Uzbekistan: Constitution Day
12/9 Weary Willie Day or weary Susan day…
- Tanzania: Independence & Republic Day
12/10 Human Rights Day
- Nobel Prize Day
12/11 Chanukah (first night)
- International Mountain Day go climb one (or tell it on one)
- UNICEF Birthday
- Burkina Faso: National Day
12/12 Poinsettia Day
- International Shareware Day
- Day of the Horse go riding!
12/15 Bill of Rights Day
- Cat Herders Day ummm…is this even possible?
- Puerto Rico: Navidades
12/16 Barbie and Barney Backlash Day
- National Chocolate-covered Anything Day broccoli?
- Mexico: Posadas (first night)
- Philippines: Simbang Gabi (through Jan. 6)
- South Africa: Reconciliation Day
12/17 National Re-gifting Day (Thursday before Christmas)
- Wright Brothers Day I believe I can fly…
- Saturnalia (through 12/23)
12/18 International Migrants Day
- Islamic New year
- Underdog Day never fear…
- Mexico: Feast of Our Lady of Solitude
12/19 Day for South-South Cooperation
12/20 International Human Solidarity Day
- Mudd Day name or face mask?
12/21 Ann & Samantha Day who are Ann and Samantha?
- Forefathers Day
- Humbug Day bah!
- Phileas Fogg Win A Wager Day
- National Haiku Poetry Day write one…
- World Peace Day
- Winter Solstice shortest day of the year…
- Yalda
- Yule
12/23 Festivus groovimus…
12/24 Christmas Eve
12/25 Christmas Day
12/26 Boxing Day (Canada)
- National Candy Cane Day horses love them!
- National Thank-You Note Day
- National Whiner’s Day thou shalt not whine…
- Kwanzaa (through Jan. 1)
12/27 Asarah B’Tevet
- Ashura
12/28 National Chocolate Day (and Dec. 29)
- Holy Innocents Day (Childermas)
12/29 Tick Tock Day time is on my side, yes it is…
12/30 Falling Needles Family Fest Day this is supposed to be festive?
12/31 First Nights isn’t it “last night?”
- Leap Second Time Adjustment Day (if necessary)
- Make Up Your Mind Day hmmm, champagne or scotch?
- New Year’s Eve
- No Interruptions Day don’t interrupt! rude!
- Universal Hour of Peace Day
- World Peace Meditation Day here’s to peace…
Selected Author/Illustrator December birthdays…
12/1 Jan Brett (1949)
12/2 William Wegman (1943); David Macaulay (1946)
12/3 Joseph Conrad (1857); Barbara Brooks Wallace (1922)
12/4 Munro Wilbur Leaf (1905); Helen Cavanagh (1939)
12/5 Ann Nolan Clark (1896); James Arthur Kjelgaard (1910)
12/6 Cornelia Meigs (1884); John Reynolds Gardiner (1944)
12/7 Willa Cather (1873); John Tunis (1889); Anne Fine (1947)
12/8 James Thurber (1894); Miriam Chaikin (1928)
12/9 Joel Chandler Harris (1849); Mary Downing Hahn (1937)
12/10 Emily Dickinson (1830); Mary Norton (1903); Cornelia Funke (1958)
12/11 William Joyce (1957)
12/12 Barbara Emberley (1932)
12/13 Tamora Pierce (1954)
12/14 Rosemary Sutcliff (1920); Lorna Balian (1929)
12/15 Deborah Savage (1955)
12/16 Marie Hall Ets (1895); Arthur Clarke (1917); Peter Dickinson (1927)
12/17 David Kheridan (1931)
12/18 Marilyn Sachs (1927)
12/19 Eve Bunting (1928)
12/20 Richard Atwater (1892); Carol Farley (1936); Lulu Delacre (1957)
12/21 Michael Berenstain (1951)
12/22 William O. Steele (1917); Jerry Pinkney, 1939)
12/23 Richard Kennedy (1932); Avi (1937); Keiko Kasza (1951)
12/24 Margaret J. Anderson (1931); Mary Higgins Clark (1931); Gillian Cross (1945)
12/25 Eth Clifford (1915); Pam Muñoz Ryan (1951)
12/26 Jean Van Leeuwen (1937)
12/27 Ingri Parin d’Aulaire (1904); Ted Rand (1915); Diane Stanley, (1943)
12/28 Carol Ryrie Brink (1895); Cynthia DeFelice (1951)
12/29 E. W. Hildick (1925); Molly Garrett Bang (1943)
12/30 Rudyard Kipling (1865); Mercer Mayer (1943)
12/31 Margery Cuyler (1948)