What to Celebrate January 15 thru 21, 2018
Celebration ideas for January 15 – 21
January just keeps rolling along.
Some of us have gotten a few days of relief from the bitter cold of last week. And we look forward with anticipation or dread (your choice!) as more cold—and snow!—arrives this weekend.
But cold, dreary weather is no reason not to celebrate. In fact, it’s a reason to find things to celebrate! Just because the days are gray doesn’t mean your mood has to be.
So take a look below to see what daily, weekly, or monthly observances strike your fancy.
Celebrate All January Long
We’re half-way through the month, but there’s still plenty of time to be a part of these month-long celebrations!
Menudo Month: No, not the boy band from the 1980s and ‘90s. In January we celebrate the Mexican soup! And Juanita’s (the Mexican food company) is celebrating by trying to set a new Guinness World Record for the Largest Menudo Soup. If you’re in Southern California, the Jan. 28th event is open to the public (and you get some of the soup!). If not, follow Juanita’s on social media. Either way, eat menudo this month!
National Polka Month: Yes, there’s a whole month dedicated to celebrating this lively music. Apparently Chicago hosted the first polka convention in 1963! There’s even an International Polka Association, with events this month and all year.
National Walk Your Pet Month: Walking your pet has lots of great benefits for both you and your pet! The last two weeks we shared that January is also Train Your Dog Month and Unchain a Dog Month, both of which fit well with this idea. A well-trained dog is easier to walk. And walking your dog instead of chaining it in the yard is better for you both! Of course, you can walk other pets, too. But walking dogs is most common.
International Creativity Month: Get creative this month! Creativity is great for both personal and business success. Check out the Creativity Month website (www.creativitymonth.com) for some inspiring articles by the month’s founder, Randall Munson.
Weekly Celebrations For January’s 3rd Week
This week we continue to say thank you … officially for just a few more days, but unofficially why not keep the thankfulness going?
We also embrace kindness over name-calling and healthy eating for a healthy weight.
International Thank You Days: This celebration began on January 11. It continues next week until Jan. 18. If you’ve been celebrating, keep it up! And if not, there’s still time to say “Thank You.”!
Healthy Weight Week (Jan. 14 – 20): This week encourages you to embrace healthy living, not fad diets & stress that can lead to eating disorders. Learn more about what a healthy weight really is.
No Name-Calling Week (Jan. 15 – 19): This week began in 2004 and embraces the idea of #KindnessInAction. Educators and students work together to end name-calling a bullying in schools.
Celebration Days Coming Up For Jan. 15 thru Jan. 21
This week starts with a federal holiday (MLK Day) that includes a call to service.
It moves on to appreciating dragons & squirrels (not at the same time!). Also religious freedom, popcorn, cheese, penguins, and so much more.
Enjoy!
January 15:
National Hat Day: Celebrate by wearing a hat, of course! Don’t have a hat? Better get one!
Martin Luther King Jr. Day: (MLK Day) This is a federal holiday in the U.S., marking the birth and celebrating the life of this American civil rights leader.
MLK Day of Service: This is part of MLK Day, encouraging everyone to use their holiday to serve others. It is actually a federally recognized day of service, created in 1994 by the King Holiday and Service Act.
January 16:
Religious Freedom Day: A day to remember we all have the right to practice the religion we choose, including no religion at all, without the fear of repercussion.
Appreciate a Dragon Day: Well, who wouldn’t appreciate a dragon?! The original Appreciate a Dragon Day celebrated the release of DragonSpell, a book by Donita K. Paul, in 2004. But the day has grown beyond that now, as people find their own ways to appreciate dragons. Join them!
Without a Scalpel Day: The day celebrates minimally invasive, image-guided medical procedures. Dr. Charles Dotter pioneered the medical specialty when he performed the very first angioplasty on Jan. 16, 1964.
January 17:
Cable Car Day: Today we celebrate the ingenuity that saved horses’ lives and helped San Francisco grow. Cable cars quickly spread around the country, but today San Francisco is once again alone in having operating cable cars.
National Bootleggers Day: This day celebrates the birth of Templeton Rye Whiskey on Jan 17, 1920. Unlike many other whiskeys during Prohibition, it was aged and had great flavor. Al Capone called it “The Good stuff” from Iowa.
Judgment Day: No, not that judgment day. This Judgment Day is from Tom and Ruth Roy of WellCats. They suggest instead of waiting until you die to find out how your deity judges you, look in the mirror and wait for an answer. Then go out and try again.
January 18:
Winnie the Pooh Day: On A.A. Milne’s birthday we celebrate his most lovable creation, Winnie the Pooh. So fill the rumbly in your tummy with some hunny & enjoy!
Thesaurus Day: Today we celebrate, commemorate, jubilate, and drink to Mark Roget, author of Roget’s Thesaurus. His birth (delivery, emergence, …) occurred on January 18, 1779. So today, make it a point to find just the right word for exactly what you want to say.
January 19:
National Popcorn Day: Eat popcorn! Try new flavors of popcorn. Or if your company sells popcorn, run a one-day special.
Tin Can Day: Yes, really. We’re celebrating the tin can … which is usually not actually tin. It’s steel coated with tin. Some “tin cans” may also be aluminum. But whatever they’re made from, they made long-term food storage much easier & safer.
January 20:
Penguin Awareness Day: How much do you know about penguins? Take a little time today to learn a bit more.
National Cheese Lovers Day: One of the most delicious days of the year! Enjoy all your favorite cheeses on this day.
Camcorder Day: Go out & take some video today. Of what? Whatever you can find! Have fun with it.
January 21:
Squirrel Appreciation Day: Yes, yes, they can be irritating little critters. But they’re also smart & funny. So try to appreciate them for at least one day.
National Hugging Day: Hugging can improve your mood & emotional health … although we have to guess it depends on who you’re hugging. So go out & hug those you care about. Pets included!
World Snow Day: No, we’re not celebrating snow. Well sort of … we’re actually celebrating snow sports! The goal is to get kids excited about skiing & snowboarding. There are hundreds of World Snow Day events planned around the world!
