Slap on those jingle bells, my friends, because December is here! In just a few short weeks 2008 will be history and 2009 will come knocking on your door. While it seems that the world is going to hell in a handbasket, take a moment to focus on the good things. The happy things. The reasons to get up every morning. Your ability to put one foot in front of the other and keep on walking when you really feel like pulling the covers over your head and sleeping in for a couple of years. No matter who you are or how much money you have (or haven’t) or where you live or where you shop (or don’t) – don’t forget to count your blessings (and yes, you have them). And while you’re counting your blessings, sing a round of Bingo, write a business plan, learn to tie a tie, be tolerant, wash your hands, read up on Posadas and Kwanzaa, hug a special kid (and they’re all special), have a party in your bathtub, admire a poinsettia, and spend a minute or two in quiet contemplation. Happy holidays, everyone.
Remember, the comments in italics are mine and mine alone and do not represent the thoughts, ideas, or opinions of anyone other than myself. There is no intention of harm or disparagement so if something I wrote makes you mad you might want to engage in some introspection…
Birthstone: Turquoise or Zircon
Flower: Holly or Narcissus
Moon: First quarter, 12/5; Full moon*, 12/12; Last quarter, 12/19; New moon, 12/27
*Called the “Cold Moon” by Native Americans of New England and the Great Lakes.
December celebrations…
Bingo’s Birthday Month there was a farmer had a dog and Bingo was his name-o
Colorectal Cancer Education and Awareness Month
Identity Theft Prevention and Awareness Month
National Drunk & Drugged Driving (3D) Prevention Month
Choose a Summer Camp Month but who knows if it’ll still be open in June?
National Stress Free Family Holidays Month Hah! Right!
National Write a Business Plan Month
National Tie Month thank G*d that women don’t usually wear them…
Safe Toys and Gifts Month check those labels, folks…
Spiritual Literacy Month is your spirit literate?
Take a New Year’s Resolution to Stop Smoking (TANYRSS – through February 11)
Universal Human Rights Month this is a 24/7/365 thing IMHO
Weekly December celebrations…
12/1-7 National Aplastic Anemia Awareness Week
Tolerance Week I have no tolerance for intolerant people…
Cookie Cutter Week
12/1-8 Recipe Greetings for the Holidays Week this should be when LM-NET does recipes!
12/1-22 Operation Santa Paws Week
12/7-13 National Handwashing Awareness Week especially after shaking Santa Paws…
12/7-15 Clerc-Gallaudet Week
12/10-17 Human Rights Week let’s all pray for a world where basic human rights is a given…
12/14-20 Gluten-free Baking Week
12/15-21 International Language Week Prego! Vundebar! Tres Bien! Nui nui! Nani desu ka?
12/15-29 Halcyon Days
12/16-24 Posadas
12/17-23 Saturnalia be the Lord of Misrule this year…
12/22-29 Hanukkah Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel….
12/25-31 It’s About Time Week
12/26-1/1 Kwanzaa 7 principals we should all live by…
December days to celebrate…
12/1 Bifocals at the Monitor Liberation Day if I take ‘em off I can’t read the monitor…
Day With(out) Art Day is like a day without air…
International Voluntary HIV Counseling & Testing Day
United Nations World AIDS Day
Portugal: Independence Day
12/2 International Day for the Abolition of Slavery yes, it still exists…
Rockerfeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting
Special Education Day read a book to your special ed classes today!
Laos: National Holiday
12/3 Special Kids Day wait! don’t they get that in a few weeks?
United Nations International Day of Disabled Persons
12/4 Chase’s Calendar of Events Birthday who’s Chase and why would I care?
Extraordinary Work Team Recognition Day
National Dice Day ever played Farkle?
Saint Barbara’s Day
Belgium: Lover’s Fair they should coordinate with the Nuts Fair people…
12/5 AFL-CIO Day
Bathtub Party Day splish, splash I was taking a bath…
International Volunteer Day for Economic & Social Development
Thailand: National Holiday for the King’s Birthday
12/6 Coats & Toys for Kids Day no kid should be without either…
Miners’ Day
National Pawnbrokers Day I bet they’ll be busy this year…
Skywarn Recognition Day (First Saturday in December)
12/7 National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day never forget.
International Civil Aviation Day
National Cotton Candy Day don’t you love the way it smells?
12/8 Eid-ul-Adha
Feast of the Immaculate Conception save some cotton candy for this one!
12/9 Weary Willie Day I’m with you, Willie…
Tanzania: Independence and Republic Day
12/10 United Nations Human Rights Day
Nobel Prize Awards Ceremony
Thailand: Constitution Day
12/11 International Mountain Day play some banjo music!
UNICEF Birthday
Burkina Faso: National Day
12/12 Poinsettia Day love to see these during the holidays!
Gingerbread House Day look up a new patter on the internet!
Kenya: Jamhuri Day
Mexico: Guadalupe Day
Puerto Rico: Las Mananitas
Russia: Constitution Day
Turkmenistan: Neutrality Day
12/13 International Shareware Day share and share alike
Day of the Horse I think I’ll go ride mine but I’ll give him some extra carrots…
12/14 National Childrens’ Memorial Day
12/15 Bill of Rights Day
Cat Herders Day now these folks really need a day of their own…
Belgium: Nuts Fair see Love Fair above…
Curacao: Kingdom Day
Puerto Rico: Navidades
12/16 Barbie and Barney Backlash Day let’s make a long-legged purple dinosaur chick!
National Chocolate-covered Anything Day doesn’t work on brussel sprouts…
Bahrain: Independence Day
Bangladesh: Victory Day
Kazakhstan: Independence Day
Mexico: Posadas begins (through 12/24)
Philippines: Simbang Gabi (through 12/25)
South Africa: Reconciliation Day
12/17 Clean Air Day we need more than 1/365th of this one…
Wright Brothers Day visit Kitty Hawk!
Saturnalia begins (through 12/23)
12/18 International Migrants Day
Belgium Nuts Fair oh, good grief! Belgians are just full of love and nuts this month…
Mexico: Feast of Our Lady of Solitude
Niger: Republic Day
12/19 Day for South-South Cooperation who’s cooperating with who?
Underdog Day never fear…Underdog is here!
12/20 International Human Solidarity Day
Sacagawea Day my personal hero
Mudd Day
12/21 Forefathers Day
Hanukkah begins at sundown (through 12/29) peace to all who observe it…
Humbug Day don’t be a scrooge…
Phileas Fogg Win A Wager Day
National Haiku Poetry Day write one with the word “humbug” in it!
World Peace Day
Winter Solstice (Winter begins at 7:04am EST) stand an egg on its short end!
12/22 Mexico: Feast of Radishes who ever feasted on radishes?
Japan: Birthday of Emperor
12/23 Festivus
12/24 Christmas Eve twas the night before Christmas and all through the house….
12/25 Christmas have a good one and remember it’s not what you give/get that counts…
A’Phabet Day (or No “L” Day)
Stock Exchange Holiday one way to keep it from dropping any more…
Taiwan: Constitution Day
12/26 Boxing Day box it up and re-gift it…
Kwanzaa begins (through 1/1)
National Candy Cane Day my horse LOVES these things!
National Whiner’s Day get over it
St. Stephen’s Day
Bahamas: Junkanoo sounds fun!
Ireland: Day of the Wren
Luxembourg: Blessing of the Wine
South Africa: Day of Goodwill
12/28 National Chocolate Day (AND 12/29) right on! 2 days of chocolate celebrating!
12/29 Islamic New Year
Tick Tock Day why do I have a sudden urge to read a Wizard of Oz book?
12/30 Falling Needles Family Fest Day
Madagascar: National Holiday
Philippines: Rizal Day
12/31 Leap Second Time Adjustment Day (not necessarily done every year but if it’s done then this
is when it happens…)
Make Up Your Mind Day why?
New Year’s Eve please don’t drink and drive, y’all…
No Interruptions Day yeah, I’m making coctails!
Saint Sylvester’s Day
Universal Hour of Peace Day which of the 24 should we set aside?
World Peace Meditation Day
Ghana: Revolution Day
Japan: Namahage
Samoa: Fire Dance
Scotland: Hogmanay
Selected Author Birthdays:
12/1 Polly Berends, 1939; 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 Cavanaugh, 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; Mary Lankford, 1932
12/8 James Thurber, 1894; Miriam Chaikin, 1928
12/9 Joel Chandler Harris, 1848; Jean DeBrunhoff, 1899; Eloise Jarvis McGraw, 1915
12/10 Emily Dickinson, 1830; Mary Norton, 1903; Mercer Mayer, 1943; Cornelia Funke, 1958
12/11 William Joyce, 1957
12/12 Barbara Emberley, 1932
12/13 Leonard Weisgard, 1916; Tamora Pierce, 1954
12/14 Rosemary Sutcliff, 1920; Lorna Balian, 1929
12/15 Henrik Drescher, 1955; Deborah Savage, 1955
12/16 Marie Hall Ets, 1895; Arthur C. Clarke, 1917; Peter Dickinson, 1927
12/17 David Kheridan
12/18 Marilyn Sachs, 1927; Catherine Gourley, 1950
12/19 Eve Bunting, 1928
12/20 Richard Atwater, 1892; Carol Farley, 1936; Dennis Brindell Fradin, 1945
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 Feodor Rojankovsky, 1891; Mary Higgins Clark, 1931; Gillian Cross, 1945
12/25 Eth Clifford, 1915; Pam Munoz 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; Tracy Campbell Pearson, 1956
12/30 Rudyard Kipling, 1865; Mary Rayner, 1933; Tres Seymour, 1966
12/31 Margery Cuyler, 1948
November 25, 2008 at 7:06 am |
What? No comment on Cookie Cutter Week?? And I was so sure that would tickle your comment-bone…
Perhaps you are a fellow collector? (Feeding your horse carrot- and candy cane-shaped cookies on Day of the Horse??) Anyway, thansk for your always entertaining and enlightening list – and Happy Holidays! 
December 16, 2008 at 8:29 pm |
I guess I was drawing a blank that day. Now that you mention it I’ve seen the T-shirts sporting a gingerbread man with a broken leg – the caption is “Oh, snap!” Oh well…that’s the way the cookie crumbles…