What to Celebrate August 16 thru 22, 2021
Celebration Ideas for August 16 – 22, 2021
Yep, we’re starting the 2nd half of the month again. That seems to happen with alarming regularity! 😁
Luckily it’s easier to handle that onward march of time when you’re enjoying yourself and/or doing something meaningful. And holidays—big or small and official or unofficial—help with that.
So without further ado we invite you to take a peek and plan your week. And as always …
Enjoy!
Celebrate for the rest of August
Good food, good romance, and standing up for your fellow humans. What better way to spend your month?
National Catfish Month: Replace your usual fish with catfish for the month. Especially if you rarely or never eat it. You might find you like it enough to add it to your usual rotation! The month technically is in support of farm-raised catfish, but if you fish then you might like to celebrate by going fishing for catfish. Then cooking it up & enjoying your “hard work”.
Bystander Awareness Month: This month reminds us that as bystanders we have the power to stop harassment and violence. So spend some time this month learning how bystanders can step in safely. The month focuses on sexual violence, but once we learn to be engaged bystanders we can apply what we’ve learned to most situations we may see.
Read-a-Romance Month: Now before you dismiss this celebration, keep in mind that romance books don’t have to be either trashy or sappy. There’s plenty of romance books with interesting characters and real plots. Find one (or more) of those to read & you’ll want to celebrate this month all year long!
And don’t forget: Clear the Shelters starts on Aug. 23! It’s the perfect time to add to your furry family. And of course spread the word too, so come Sept. 19 as many shelters as possible can be empty!
Weekly Celebrations for August’s 3rd Week
Reach for the skies and pull down some sunny highlights to paint into your hair (or something like that 😉).
National Aviation Week (August 16 – 22, 2021): We celebrate Aviation Day on Orville Wright’s birthday, but we also celebrate aviation achievements for the whole week. Because let’s face it, aviation has too much to celebrate to fit it all in one day! The 9/11 Memorial & Museum is offering free admission to all flight crewmembers (active and retired) for the week. See if any museums near you may also be having events for the week.
National Balayage Week (August 16 – 22, 2021): Celebrate the hair painting technique known as balayage by giving it a try. If you loved the sun-kissed look, this type of highlighting is for you.
Celebration Days coming up for Aug. 16 thru Aug. 22
From jokes to bad poetry and rum to lemonade—along with black cats, orangutans, and mosquitoes—you’ll find plenty of options for creating your perfect fun-tastic week.
August 16:
Tell a Joke Day: Start the week off with a little humor. Because laughter makes the day more pleasant.
National Airborne Day: Honor our Armed Forces’ airborne divisions on the anniversary of their first official parachute jump. The date was Aug. 16, 1940, and the US Army Parachute Test Platoon jumped at Fort Benning, Georgia.
National Roller Coaster Day: Celebrate the patent on the first vertical loop roller coaster, awarded to Edwin Prescott on Aug. 16, 1898. How? Well, on a roller coaster, of course! Or shake you head in wonder at those who like roller coasters … your choice. 🙃
Wave at Surveillance Day: Wave at your laptop camera for this day. And wave at any other surveillance cameras you see … make sure to look for them! You might be surprised at how many places you’ll find them.
National Rum Day: Drink rum in all your favorite cocktails. Well, maybe not all. You do want to be responsible about it.
August 17:
Black Cat Appreciation Day: Well now, we appreciate black cats every day. But for this day little house panthers everywhere get extra appreciation. So lots of extra love & treats & playtime. Or peace & quiet if that happens to be your black cat’s preference. 🥰
National Nonprofit Day: Celebrate all the ways nonprofits benefit your community. So give your favorite non-profits a shoutout on social media. Donate to one or more. And if you work for a nonprofit, make sure your community knows what you do! Do these things on the anniversary of the Tariff Act, signed into law on Aug. 17.1894. It imposed the first taxes on corporations but included exemptions for nonprofits.
National Thrift Shop Day: Score yourself some bargains at your local thrift store!
Baby Boomer’s Recognition Day: For this day Baby Boomers celebrate themselves! And so do the rest of us, because while Boomers may not be perfect, they did give us George Clooney, Tim Allen, Jodie Foster, Elvis, the Beatles, Rolling Stones, and more.
August 18:
Bad Poetry Day: Read, write, & recite the worst poetry you can find or compose. And enjoy!
Congressional Startup Day: For this day entrepreneurs get to let their representatives in Congress know about their concerns and needs. If you’re a startup—or hoping to get a business started soon—see what events your representative may be holding & get involved.
National Mail Order Catalog Day: People have been buying things without leaving home (well, other than to mail off the order form, anyway) for more than 100 years! On this date in 1872 Montgomery Ward’s very first mail-order catalog debuted. Although “catalog” may be overselling the thing—it was a single sheet of paper. But it expanded quickly, and other merchants—most notably Sears—jumped on the bandwagon.
Birth Control Pills Day: Celebrate the date when the contraceptive pill became available by prescription. Technically it existed before Aug. 18, 1960, but doctors could prescribe it only to married women and not for preventing pregnancy. 🙄
Serendipity Day: Celebrate the “happy accidents” in your life for this day. And really, every day! If you pay attention you’ll notice serendipity quite often. And you might even be happier for it.
National Pinot Noir Day: Celebrate your newly serendipitous life with a glass of Pinot Noir. You’re welcome.
National Fajita Day: Does Pinot Noir go with fajitas? Here’s you chance to find out!
National Ice Cream Pie Day: And of course, ice cream pie makes the perfect summertime dessert. So, serendipitously, your evening is all set with these celebrations! (Incorporate some bad poetry, too)
August 19:
National Aviation Day: Celebrate Orville Wright’s birthday and the progress aviators have made since his first flight.
International Orangutan Day: Orangutans are another species negatively affected by human activity. Deforestation has taken their homes & reduced their populations by more than half. And one of the main reasons for the deforestation of the orangutan’s home? The palm oil industry. Use this day to help spread the word and stop the destruction.
International Bow Day: On this day we wear bows! The day was created by Claire’s, so the intent is probably hair bows. But wear whatever bows you like! Including bowties. So there. 😁
National Potato Day: Obviously you’re going to have to eat potatoes all day. Which is pretty easy considering just how many different ways there are to make them. So make sure you’re well-stocked with taters & get creative!
National Soft Ice Cream Day: More ice cream? Yes, please! The 18th was ice cream pie. But for the 19th you get to decide how you want your ice cream. In a bowl or a cone … and the choice of cone is yours, too. Add sauce or sprinkles or whatever else you like. As long as the ice cream is soft serve you’re celebrating right.
August 20:
National Lemonade Day: Enjoy ice cold lemonade on another hot August day. If you make it yourself you can have it exactly the way you like it.
National Radio Day: Listen to the radio! Use an actual radio or stream your favorite radio personalities.
World Mosquito Day: Celebrate the discovery that female mosquitoes transmit malaria. This may not seem like something to celebrate, but knowing how a disease is transmitted helps us figure out how to stop it! And now we know mosquitoes transmit other diseases, too.
National Chocolate Pecan Pie Day: Mmmm … for anyone who loves chocolate & pecan pie, this day is heaven. Combine your two loves into one enchanting pie.
August 21:
National Poets Day: Celebrate the poets—good and bad—who create the memorable verse we love or hate. Write some poetry yourself if you’d like. Maybe even try a different form of poetry (you did know there’s different kinds?).
World Honey Bee Day: Honor the little honeybee for all its hard work pollinating flowers and spitting out sweet nectar. Maybe plant some flowers honey bees like to visit? Like so many of earth’s creatures, honey bee populations have been in decline. And we want this little cutie to survive!
Internet Self-care Day: This day is all about self-care. Specifically about using the (good parts of) the internet to help you take care of that most important person: you! So seek out self-care tips from your favorite sites & discover some new sites too. Get inspiration from one woman’s journey through useful and not-so-useful self care tips she found around the ‘net.
Senior Citizens Day Celebrate the contributions senior citizens have made and continue to make to our lives. Yes, these days there is considerable overlap between Baby Boomers (who we celebrate on the 17th) and senior citizens. But the groups aren’t completely identical, and anyway today’s seniors have shaped the world for better or for worse—but mostly for better!—and they deserve the recognition. And if you only celebrate one, this one is more official, decreed with Proclamation 5847 in 1988.
National Spumoni Day: More ice cream for this week? Yes, please! And 3 flavors, too. Although technically spumoni is 3 flavors of gelato: almond, semisweet chocolate, and stracciatella. But here in the US we’re most likely to find spumoni made with cherry, chocolate, and pistachio ice creams, although other combinations also exist. Any variety may or may not include bits of fruit & nuts too. Whichever variety you choose, enjoy your cool, creamy, and flavor-filled treat.
August 22:
National Take Your Cat to the Vet Day: This is not a day most cat parents want to celebrate. But we all know it’s important just the same. So if you’ve been putting it off, make that appointment!
National Surgical Oncologist Day: This day recognizes the expertise and accomplishments of the doctors who specialize in helping you beat cancer. They diagnose and remove tumors and also work with the rest of your care team to make sure you get the best treatment for your type of cancer. Celebrate by thanking any surgical oncologists you know. And maybe donating to a cancer charity? If you are a surgical oncologist, know that we appreciate you.
Never Bean Better Day: No, this day is not about the goodness of beans. It’s about the goodness of dogs! And it’s named for a very special dog, Bean the therapy dog. So shower all the dogs you know with unconditional love, just as they do for us.
National Be an Angel Day: Be someone’s angel for this day. How? By being kind & helpful. Yes, it really is that simple!
National Bao Day: For this day we eat bao! If there’s a Wow Bao (creators of the day) near you, see what special deals it’s offering. In Chicago you can get $10 worth of free lunch, plus additional deals later in the day. Other locations will have $15 off deals (with a minimum order). Yum!
National Pecan Torte Day: And after your bao? Enjoy a dessert of pecan torte! Hopefully you’ve finished your chocolate pecan pie from earlier in the week. 😋 Because you’re going to need room for this delight!
