What to Celebrate April 26 thru May 2, 2021
Celebration Ideas for April 26 – May 2, 2021
Can you believe the end of April is upon us? It’s true what they say. Time really does fly when you’re having fun! (You have been having fun, yes?)
The weather’s getting to be consistently warmer (although we did have snow the other day! 😮), so it’s time to spend more time outside. And hopefully getting to see people we haven’t seen much of this past year.
Maybe even celebrate some of these unofficial holidays with them?
So do take a peek and plan your week. And as always remember to …
Enjoy! (by yourself or with others 😊)
Celebrate for the rest of April
End April and begin May with appreciation and creativity.
National Couple Appreciation Month: If you’re part of a couple, take some time to appreciate your couple-ness! Especially if you’ve been together for a while, because over time it’s easy to start taking each other for granted. Do something special together, or just do something special for your significant other. If you’re not a part of a couple but there’s a couple you admire, tell them!
International Guitar Month: April is the perfect time to learn or re-learn to play the guitar! And if you already know, make sure you pick up your guitar & make some music. Maybe even share video of you playing on social media? If you write music, compose something new. Or listen to your favorite guitar players. Whatever you do, make sure it involves at least one guitar!
And as May begins, consider starting it off creatively. With …
Creative Beginnings Month: Start a new creative endeavor to start the new month. That could be learning a new instrument (maybe you got a head start on that with guitar lessons?) or starting a new hobby. Or just starting a new project in an old hobby. So pick a creative activity that brings you joy and get started!
Weekly Celebrations for April 26 to May 2
For this week we keep our kids, neighborhoods, and memories safe. Each in different ways, but safe just the same.
National Scoop the Poop Week (April 25 – May 1, 2021): You might remember we celebrated Pooper Scooper Week the 1st week of the month. Well, apparently someone really wants to get the point across, because here we have another week celebrating poop & scoops! So make sure you’re always prepared to pick up your dog’s “business” on walks. And if you have a yard, clean that regularly, too. Because dog poop attracts rodents, and nobody wants that!
Preservation Week (April 25 – May 1, 2021): This week is all about preserving precious memories. Personal and family memories as well as community memories. It also highlights the role libraries can play in these efforts. This year’s theme is Preserving Community Archives. For help preserving your family’s precious items, start with these tips.
National Infant Immunization Week (April 24 – May 1, 2021): This week reminds parents of the importance of vaccines for kids 2 years & younger. It’s especially important this year, since the pandemic has disrupted all sorts of routines, including the vaccination schedule for some kids. If you’ve had to delay some of your kids’ vaccines, make sure you work with your pediatrician to get them up to date as soon as possible.
National Playground Safety Week (April 26 – 30, 2021): Children everywhere deserve safe places where they can play. Playgrounds can be those places, but only if we all work together to make them safe and keep them that way.
Celebration Days coming up for April 26 thru May 2
Close out April by helping horses, pampering dogs, & adopting shelter pets. In between you might like to learn about tapirs & how noise affects our health.
Ring in May with laughter and naked gardening (if you dare).
In between make sure to enjoy pretzels, blueberry pie, & shrimp scampi. And much more, of course.
Here’s looking forward to another fun-tastic week!
April 26:
National Kids & Pets Day: This day is all about the magical combination of kids & pets. Kids & animals often seem to have a natural bond. And caring for a pet nurtures a child’s compassion & teaches responsibility. But it’s also important for parents to make sure their children understand the right way to handle an animal, for everyone’s safety.
National Audubon Day: John James Audubon was born on this date in 1785. Celebrate this gifted ornithologist & naturalist’s birthday by heading out to see some of the birds he studied. Although you probably can’t use his Birds of America as your guide, you can see his illustrations on the Audubon website. And if you do need a guide, you can find general birding guides or ones specific to your area, including from the Audubon Society.
National Help a Horse Day: This day highlights the need for horse rescues and sanctuaries. Because as much as Americans love horses, too many horses are neglected and abused. And rescuing horses is much harder than rescuing dogs & cats & other small animals (which also isn’t easy!). But every year the ASPCA runs Help a Horse Home adoption challenge starting on this day. And the organization’s research suggests there are plenty of homes for at-risk horses. If only the people & horses could find each other. So it has partnered with The Right Horse Initiative to match up more adopters & horses in need.
World Intellectual Property Day: When you have an idea and create something from that idea your creation is protected under intellectual property rights laws. IP rights include trademarks, copyrights, patents, & more. It’s important to understand these rights both to protect your own creations and to avoid violating someone else’s IP rights. So take some time on this day to learn more.
National Pretzel Day: For this day we eat pretzels! Big, soft pretzels dipped in our favorite sauce. Or small, crunchy pretzels. Or big, crunchy pretzels for that matter! Coated in chocolate. Or not. It’s all up to you.
April 27:
Matanzas Mule Day: Take a moment to remember the poor mule killed in Matanzas, Cuba during the Spanish-American War. Or so the story goes …
Internal Medicine Research Day: Medical Departments in universities across the country use this day to showcase advances their departments have made. Many hold events with presentations highlighting the work of less-recognized researchers, like junior faculty and graduate student.
National Little Pampered Dog Day: On this day we pamper our beloved pooches. And we recognize that not all dogs are as lucky as ours—to be loved and treated as family. So in addition to pampering your own dog(s), help pamper some shelter dogs too if you can.
World Tapir Day: How much do you know about tapirs? If you’re like most people it’s probably not much. So spend some time on this day learning about them and efforts to conserve their habitat to ensure their survival.
National Tell a Story Day: This one’s simple to celebrate! Just tell a story. Maybe a story about one of April 27th’s other celebrations. Like that Matanzas mule. Or your pampered dog. Or share a memory. Of course you could create a story from your very vivid imagination, too. And yes, you could just read a story from a book. It’s all up to you. Just make sure you listen to some stories too.
National Prime Rib Day: If you can fit prime rib into your budget this month, this is the day to do it! And here’s a simple prime rib recipe to try.
April 28:
World Day for Safety and Health at Work: Is your workplace safe? Could it be safer? If you’re in the US the answer to both of those is probably “yes”. Because while laws try to ensure workplace safety, employers & employees don’t always follow them. Learn more about keeping yourself safe at work for this day.
Denim Day: On this day we shine a light on the darkness of sexual violence. That light has shone more brightly in recent years, as more people have become both willing to speak out and to listen, but victim blaming is still too common. And victim blaming was the reason this day came about. In 1999 an Italian Parliament decided a woman must have help her rapist remove her tight jeans, and therefore she consented. The next day women showed up wearing jeans in protest and in solidarity with the victim. And this simple act became a movement that has spread around the world.
International Guide Dog Day: On this day we honor the hard-working dogs who help their blind or visually impaired humans live their lives on their terms. And also the organizations and trainers who train guide dogs and match them up with their people. If you are able to help an organization continue its mission of training guide dogs for people who need them, consider doing so for this day.
International Noise Awareness Day: Noise can be harmful to more than our hearing. It can actually impact our overall health. So for this day learn more about how noise can do this and how to protect your hearing, your health, and your overall quality of life.
National Great Poetry Reading Day: This day celebrates great poetry and the great poets who wrote it. We celebrate by reading some of this great poetry, of course. So read your favorite great poets or read someone you’ve never read before. Read on your own or have a poetry reading.
National Superhero Day: Celebrate all your favorite superheros! Watch superhero movies. Read superhero books/comic books. And don’t forget the real superheros you know. Like the people who visit sick children wearing superhero costumes. Or our members of the military. Doctors, nurses, firefighters, & more. Or maybe just mom & dad, simply for always being there for you when you needed them. Whoever your superheros are, honor them for this day.
National Blueberry Pie Day: Do your superheros like blueberry pie? Make them one! If not, you can still make yourself one & enjoy a big ol’ slice.
April 29:
National Zipper Day: Use zippers to celebrate this convenient (if sometimes frustrating) invention.
International Dance Day: Celebrate the birthday of modern ballet’s creator, Jean-Georges Noverre. Celebrate by dancing! It doesn’t have to be ballet. Or watch a dance performance or competition. And spread the word so others can know to celebrate too.
National Walk @ Lunch Day: Walking is a simple, free way to get some important exercise into your day. For this day you’re encouraged to step away from your desk & take a 30 minute walk for lunch.
Poem in Your Pocket Day: For this day we stuff poems in our pockets! Ok, not really. Although you could … What we really do is read & share poems—which may or may not have been in your pocket before sharing. Any poems you like. Or don’t like, although we’re not sure why you’d share poems you don’t like. Unless you want to share the pain. There’s also a Poems in Your Pocket Drawings PDF linked on the day’s page where you can read a poem & then draw how you imagine it. Sounds like fun!
National Peace Rose Day: Celebrate the beautiful pale yellow rose with pink-tinged petals created in France during WWII. Its creator sent cuttings of his creation to several countries before the German invasion. One came to the US, where it was named Peace. This became its official name after the War. Delegates to the inaugural meeting of the UN in 1945 received Peace roses as a symbol of the desire for world peace.
National Shrimp Scampi Day: After all your dancing & walking, not to mention poetry sharing & rose appreciating, you deserve something simple but mouth-watering. Shrimp Scampi fits the bill! Make Shrimp Scampi with pasta for the perfect meal.
April 30:
National Honesty Day: We start April with lies (practical jokes for April Fool’s Day). So we end it with honesty. Spend the day by telling only the truth.
National Hairball Awareness Day: If you live with cats you’re perfectly well aware of these soggy little gifts they leave in the most inconvenient places. This day is a reminder to do what you can to help kitty have fewer hairballs. Like regular brushing (even when kitty protests). And to pay attention to the number of hairballs. More than usual could mean another health issue, so a vet visit is a good idea.
National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day: If you’ve been thinking about adding a new furry (or scaly or feathered) family member this is the day to do it! Head out to your favorite shelter and see who’s waiting there to meet you. If you are looking for feathered or scaly instead of furry you may need to visit a rescue specializing in the pet you’re looking for, although “regular” rescues & shelters do sometimes have these kinds of pets too. And if you can’t adopt right now? Consider donating money, supplies, or your time so the shelter can keep helping animals in need.
National Hairstylist Appreciation Day: This past year a lot of people no doubt realized just how much they appreciate their hairstylists! After weeks or even months of closures, finally settling into your stylist’s chair felt like bliss. Hopefully you expressed your appreciation at that first visit, but we’re pretty sure your stylist wouldn’t mind hearing it again. A gift card or positive review probably wouldn’t hurt either!
National Arbor Day: Save some appreciation for the trees, too. Because these big plants help us in many ways, from making oxygen to providing homes for all kinds of wildlife. Not to mention adding beauty to our surroundings. Celebrate by planting a tree in your yard or at a tree planting event if there’s one in your community. Or just take a hike in a forest preserve & admire the trees!
National PrepareAthon Day: This day encourages us to be prepared for natural disasters. Because they happen suddenly, so it’s hard to get prepared on short notice. So whatever disasters are most likely in your area, get yourself prepared with supplies and a plan! Of course we hope you’ll never have to use them, but if the worst happens you’ll be ready.
National Oatmeal Cookie Day: For your snacking pleasure we bring you oatmeal cookies. And you can indulge guilt-free because oatmeal is good for you! Just don’t overindulge, because they are still cookies. 😋 😉 Prefer chocolate chip cookies? Why not try making these oatmeal chocolate chip cookies to celebrate this day.
National Bubble Tea Day: Pair your oatmeal (or oatmeal chocolate chip) cookies with bubble tea! Buy your favorite bubble tea or try making bubble tea yourself!
May 1:
World Naked Gardening Day: If the weather’s warm enough, get out in your garden sans clothing & get busy! Pull weeds, turn over soil, even start planting if the danger of frost is past. And if you can’t safely go out in your garden naked? Tend to your indoor plants naked!
National Start Seeing Monarchs Day: While you’re out in your garden naked (or fully clothed 😉), keep an eye out for monarchs! And plant some native milkweed for them to lay their eggs on. It’s the only thing the little monarch caterpillars eat. With monarch population numbers dropping, these beautiful butterflies need all the help they can get.
National Scrapbooking Day: After you’ve had your fill of gardening, head inside to save some memories in a scrapbook. If you’ve never scrapped before, start small. If it’s already a passion of yours, treat yourself to some new goodies or learn a new technique. Either way, see if there are any events happening near you (or find one online) & plan to attend!
National Homebrew Day: Maybe you’re more of a beer person than a scrapbook person? Start a batch of homebrew! (FYI: there’s nothing wrong with celebrating both days!)
National Fitness Day: Gardening can be pretty good exercise. But you probably don’t do that every day. And it doesn’t work all muscles equally. So spend some time in between gardening, scrapbooking & brewing to add something new to your exercise routine.
Herb Day: Herbs add flavor to foods & can have positive health & beauty benefits too. So make liberal use of herbs all day. And learn more about your favorite herbs and new ones too. These versatile plants deserve a prominent place in your kitchen every day. You might even consider planting some of your favorite herbs as long as you’re out there gardening naked. 🙃
National Chocolate Parfait Day: With all that gardening & exercising & sprinkling herbs everywhere it’s a pretty healthy day. So you can afford to indulge a bit & enjoy a chocolate parfait. Besides, chocolate is good for you! If you need inspiration, try one of these recipes.
May 2:
World Laughter Day: On the first Sunday in May we laugh! Because laughter is good for us. And it really can make us feel better, even if temporarily. Which is sometimes all we really need. So join a laughter celebration near you or online and laugh!
World Tuna Day: Enjoy delicious, nutritious tuna for the day. Just make sure it’s fished sustainably, to ensure we can continue to enjoy this fish for generations to come.
National Truffle Day: Reward yourself with a truffle or two as you gear up for another week. Of course you’ll want chocolate truffles, but consider making one of these other truffle recipes, too!
