What to Celebrate April 27 thru May 3, 2020
Celebration Ideas for April 27 – May 3, 2020
April is ending, but our stay-at-home orders may not be. At least not everywhere.
It’s taking a toll on many people’s mental health, even those who haven’t had mental health issues in the past. But May Mental Health Awareness Month, so take some time to learn about protecting your and your loved ones’ mental health.
Finding things to keep you occupied can help in many cases. And these unofficial holidays do just that, at least for a little while. No, they’re absolutely not a cure for true mental illness. But for people just looking to get out of their own heads for a bit, they’re a fun and sometimes educational distraction.
So do take a peek and plan your week. And as much as possible …
Enjoy!
Celebrate for the rest of April & beginning of May
We have a few more days left in April to play the guitar, work on our physical wellness, and make a difference by volunteering. Not that we have to stop any of those things just because the month ends. They’re all great things to keep up with throughout the year.
Just the same, as we enter May it’s also time to work on our mental health, which is taking a beating these days. And also to appreciate our armed forces, who are the ultimate volunteers.
National Guitar Month: Music is good for the soul! So end April on a high note with whatever kind of guitar music you enjoy. If you play, definitely do that! And if not, listen to your favorite songs featuring guitar. Especially guitar solos! (And there’s nothing that says you can’t keep celebrating the guitar right into May!).
Physical Wellness Month: Physical wellness is on everyone’s mind these days! And while avoiding infection with this new virus is one important aspect of physical wellness, there’s more to it. So remember to also do things like get enough exercise, eat right, & hydrate. Get some simple physical wellness tips here, along with social, spiritual, & other wellness ideas.
Global Volunteer Month: Volunteering is a win for everyone involved. You feel good about your contributions, and the people/animals/etc. you help benefit from that help. So close out April by either recommitting to your volunteer efforts or discovering new volunteer opportunities (especially if you’ve never volunteered before).
For May get started with these monthly celebrations.
National Mental Health Month: The state of the world these days makes maintaining mental health challenging. So use this awareness celebration to learn more about mental health, how to protect yours, and how you can help others get through this challenging time and beyond.
National Military Appreciation Month: During May we have multiple days honoring our armed forces members, both current and past. So it’s the perfect month to dedicate to those brave people who voluntarily serve to keep our country safe. Thank anyone you know who is serving or has served.
Weekly Celebrations for 04/27 to 05/03
For this week we preserve history, both public and personal.
And we focus on safety at the playgrounds. They might be empty now, but they’ll be filled with kids again, hopefully soon. And don’t those kids deserve safe playgrounds?
Preservation Week (April 26 – May 2, 2020): This week promotes libraries’ role in preserving history. But preservation goes beyond library collections. Archives, museums, and even individuals hold collections & items worth preserving. Get some tips on preserving your personal history here.
National Playground Safety Week (April 27 – May 1, 2020): Many playgrounds across the country are closed for now. But they won’t be forever! Use this week to discover & start to address safety issues at playgrounds in your community. So they’ll be safer the next time the kids go to play. Find more resources here.
And Be Kind to Animals Week starts on Sunday, May 3. You do know how to celebrate this one, right? 💖
Celebration Days coming up for April 27 thru May 3
Stories & safety & superheroes, oh my! Plus blueberry pie, bubble tea, & herbs. Plus much more, of course, to help you have another fun-tastic week.
April 27:
Matanzas Mule Day: On this day we honor the poor mule who was the only casualty of a bombing of Matanzas, Cuba in 1898. At least that’s how the story goes …
National Little Pampered Dog Day: On this day all the little dogs must be pampered! Heck, pamper the big ones too. 🥰 And help to raise awareness of all the dogs, big and little, who still need loving homes in which to be pampered.
World Tapir Day: How much do you know about tapirs? Learn about the 4 species of tapir & how World Tapir Day is trying to protect their habitat to protect their lives. And help spread the word.
National Tell a Story Day: What story will you tell? Something true that happened to you? A story you made up? A favorite story from a book? It doesn’t matter! Just find yourself an audience (the dog or cat will do in a pinch 😸) and tell that story.
National Prime Rib Day: Make a juicy, flavor-filled prime rib roast & enjoy. Yes, it’s expensive. But if you can afford it, splurge, because you deserve it!
April 28:
World Day for Safety and Health at Work: Every year hundreds of thousands of people around the world are injured or die from accidents at work. And while the world has a crisis on its hands right now, we can’t forget about safety & health at work. If anything it’s even more important these days for anyone still working.
National Superhero Day: Although this day was created at Marvel Comics, it has evolved to celebrate all the superheroes, fictional and real. And this year the real superheroes—healthcare workers & essential employees everywhere—deserve to have this day to themselves. So thank all the superheroes you know!
National BraveHearts Day: This day honors the brave kids fighting cancer and the people who love them. The BraveHearts for Kids organization created the day in 2015 to shine a light on the bravery of these special kids & their families.
National Blueberry Pie Day: Mmmmm … blueberries. These sweet little fruits are delicious (and nutritious!) just by the handful. But for this day we turn them into something even more delicious—blueberry pie! Here’s a blueberry pie recipe for you.
April 29:
National Zipper Day: Wherever you have the option, wear & use things with zippers! The very first zipper-like fastener may have been invented way back in 1851, but it wasn’t until WWI that a more modern zipper actually became popular.
Denim Day: On this day we wear denim to raise awareness of sexual violence. And if you can, donate or volunteer to help end sexual violence. Why denim for sexual violence? Because back in 1992 the Italian Supreme Court overturned a rape conviction because the victim had been wearing tight jeans. Apparently the court felt the man couldn’t have removed them without her help, so the sex must have been consensual.
International Noise Awareness Day: Too much noise can cause stress and hearing loss. So if there’s noise you find bothersome—whether at work or at home—the Center for Hearing and Communication wants you to do something about it.
International Guide Dog Day: On this day we honor the hard-working guide dogs and the equally hard-working people who train them. These dogs help visually impaired people live more independent lives & deserve all the love & appreciation they can get.
National Peace Rose Day: This day celebrates the beautiful Peace rose, with its pink-tinged yellow petals. This rose was created in France during World War II. Its creator sent cuttings out to the US on one of the last planes to leave the country before Germany invaded. The rose debuted to the public at the end of the war & its name celebrates the Allies’ victory and the impending peace.
National Shrimp Scampi Day: Make and enjoy this simple—and simply delicious—dish for lunch or dinner. You could even serve it over linguine or your choice of pasta.
April 30:
National Honesty Day: Close out April by being as honest as possible all day.
National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day: Be honest now, wouldn’t a shelter pet be the perfect addition to your family? If you can honestly say yes, this is the day to make that happen! (But really, any day is the perfect day to adopt a shelter pet). If your community is still under stay-at-home orders you may need to make special arrangements to meet your potential pet. But you can at least get the process started for this day.
Poem in Your Pocket Day: Carry a poem with you to share with others. Or, since we need to stay physically separated these days, share a poem on social media. You could even make a video of you reading/reciting your poem.
National Bubble Tea Day: If we’re being honest, we find bubble tea a bit weird. But also quite delicious. And kind of fun. If you also find it delicious, have a fun, delicious bubble tea to celebrate the day.
National Oatmeal Cookie Day: You know what to do, right? Here’s an oatmeal cookie recipe if you need one.
May 1:
No Pants Day: Now, from what we understand pants have been entirely optional for anyone working from home recently. And for many people every day has been No Pants Day. But the first Friday in May is No Pants Day for everyone! So go pantsless! (Unless it’ll get you in trouble, of course)
Space Day: Also on the 1st Friday in May we celebrate space (as in “outer”, not “personal”) and the many space-related careers available. Learn more about potential space careers and how the day’s founder, Lockheed Martin, promotes STEM careers.
Loyalty Day: On this day residents of the US reaffirm their loyalty to country and recognize American freedoms. The president makes an official proclamation every year in honor of the day.
National Chocolate Parfait Day: Enjoy your favorite chocolate parfait in honor of this day! Whether you’re a fan of layers of ice cream & syrups or yogurt & granola (with chocolate pieces, of course!), there’s a parfait to satisfy almost everyone! Discover some chocolate parfait recipes here.
May 2:
World Naked Gardening Day: For this day we take the concept of no pants to the next level … all the way to no clothes! As long as it won’t get you cited for indecent exposure, head out to your garden sans clothes & get some work done.
Herb Day: This day celebrates herbs in all their tasty glory. Most years there’s lots of educational events focused on herbs & how to use them. Of course most of those won’t be happening in light of the coronavirus pandemic. But that doesn’t mean you can’t learn about herbs on your own. And definitely use favorite herbs & some new ones too in all your cooking for the day.
National Start Seeing Monarchs Day: The Monarchs are coming! Monarch butterflies, that is. So make a welcoming garden for them with their favorite (and necessary) plant: Milkweed. Because these beautiful creatures literally can’t survive without milkweed. Learn more about monarchs & creating monarch waystations at MonarchWatch.org.
National Homebrew Day: Do you homebrew? Or have you been thinking about it? This is the day to get a batch started. And pour a glass of a finished batch (if you have one!) to toast this fun & tasty hobby.
May 3:
National Specially-abled Pets Day: Specially-abled pets deserve a loving home just as much as “normal” pets. And they have just as much love to give, too. If you have a specially-abled pet, give it some extra love to celebrate. Or adopt one if you can. At least help spread the word about this day.
National Garden Meditation Day: On the day after gardening naked we get meditative in the garden. What a perfect weekend! Whether you prefer to sit quietly & meditate or you prefer to do your meditating while planting/weeding/etc., you’re doing it right.
National Chocolate Custard Day: After a long (but inspiring & relaxing!) day loving specially abled pets & meditating in your garden you deserve a yummy chocolate custard. Here’s a simple, no-bake chocolate custard recipe that’ll have you relaxing in bliss in no time at all.
National Raspberry Popover Day: Breakfast, lunch, or dinner. They’re all perfect times for raspberry popovers! Or any popovers for that matter. Here’s a basic popover recipe for you. To make them raspberry popovers simply scatter raspberries over each cup of batter. Or serve with raspberry preserves.
