What to Celebrate August 19 to 25, 2019
Celebration Ideas for August 19 – 25, 2019
Welcome to the end of another productive week! (Your week was productive, right?). You deserve a fantastic weekend, and an even better next week.
And there’s plenty of celebrations coming up to help you achieve that. From soft serve ice cream and chocolate pecan pie to poets and the tooth fairy, there’s plenty to enjoy.
And for the more serious-minded, consider helping to protect the orangutan. Or spreading the word about the preciousness of clean fresh water.
Of course there’s plenty more, too. So once again we come to the time for you to take a peek and plan your week.
Just always remember to …
Enjoy!
Celebrate for the rest of August
For August we protect our water, our kids’ educations, and our eyes. And our kids’ eyes, too. All worthwhile goals!
National Water Quality Month: This month reminds us of just how precious our fresh water is. And not just to us, but to all living creatures. So let’s all help protect it. We don’t want to find out what it’s like to try to live without it.
National Eye Exam Month: If you haven’t been getting your eyes checked regularly, this month reminds you to do that. And make sure your kids get annual eye exams, too. It’s hard to learn if you can’t see clearly!
Truancy Prevention Month: With school starting in the next week or 2 in many places, it’s time to make sure the kids are actually in school! Yes, most of them are. But let’s not let those who are skipping school—or are at risk of starting to skip school—fall through the cracks. Many communities hold events during August to combat truancy.
Weekly Celebrations for Aug. 19 thru 25
This week is all about aviators and entrepreneurs. Two groups of people definitely worth admiring!
Chefs are also worth celebrating, but unlike past years we won’t be doing that this week. Instead we’ll do that in September.
National Aviation Week (August 19 – 25, 2019): National Aviation Day happens every year on Orville Wright’s birthday. But one day to celebrate modern aviation is not enough! So all during the week that includes Aviation Day we celebrate aviators everywhere.
Congressional Start-Up Day Week (August 19 – 23, 2019): Congressional Start-Up Day is on Wed, Aug 21. But the day gets celebrated with a week of events. It’s a way for entrepreneurs and their lawmakers to connect and share ideas to make it easier for startups to survive and thrive.
And one note: In the past Chefs’ Appreciation Week would be this week. But it’s moved to September starting this year. So mark your calendars for September 15 – 21 to celebrate chefs everywhere!
Celebration Days coming up for Aug. 19 thru Aug. 25
Orangutans and mosquitoes and bats … oh, my! But never fear, some of those bats will take care of those mosquitoes for you. No problem!
And without mosquitoes to squish you’ll have more time to enjoy lemonade, pecan tortes, and waffles.
Just make sure you leave enough time to honor medical dosimetrists, surgical oncologists, and aviators. Maybe while wearing bows and visiting a National Park.
With all these celebrations & more waiting for you, you’re sure to find yourself enjoying another fun-tastic week!
August 19:
National Aviation Day: Celebrate the pioneers of modern aviation on Orville Wright’s birthday. Did you know Orville got to be the 1st person to successfully fly a fixed-wing aircraft because he lost a coin toss?!
International Orangutan Day: Celebrate the orangutan and support efforts to save it and its habitat for this day. Check out the World Orangutan Events Facebook page to keep up with Orangutan Day happenings.
National Soft Ice Cream Day: If you love soft-serve ice cream (and who doesn’t?) this day is for you. Head out to your favorite ice cream shop for some soft-serve.
International Bow Day: On this day a bow is your fashion accessory of choice. These days bows are mostly women’s hair decorations. But men could certainly celebrate by wearing a bow tie (which also have their very own Bow Tie Day). However you wear your bow, do it with style!
August 20:
National Lemonade Day: Enjoy a tall, ice-cold glass of lemonade to celebrate this day … and cool off on a hot, sticky August day. Have a regular lemonade or make it pink, sparkling, or whatever way you like it best.
World Mosquito Day: This day celebrates the mosquito in all it’s glory! … Uh, no. Sorry. This day actually celebrates the discovery that female mosquitoes transmit malaria. A British doctor, Sir Ronald Ross, made this discovery on August 20, 1897. And while malaria transmission doesn’t seem like something to celebrate, learning how it happens meant people could take steps to prevent it.
National Radio Day: On this day we celebrate the radio. We take it for granted now, but back in the late 1800s & the 1st half of the 1900s it was amazing to be able to hear news of the world at home.
National Chocolate Pecan Pie Day: On this day we take the already perfect pecan pie and dress it up with scrumptious chocolate. So add chocolate to your favorite pecan pie recipe to celebrate. Or try this recipe with chocolate chips. Other chocolate pecan pie recipes put a layer of chocolate between the crust and the pecan filling. How you add your chocolate is all up to you.
August 21:
National Poets Day: Celebrate your favorite poets for this day. And poets & poetry in general. If you’re a poet celebrate yourself! Maybe even write some verse in honor of the day.
National Medical Dosimetrists’s Day: Thank a medical dosimetrist for this day! Especially if you or a loved one has ever had radiation therapy. The dosimetrist is the person who created the radiation plan to get the right amount of radiation to the right spot.
National Senior Citizens Day: On this day we honor our senior citizens, their achievements, and the contributions they still make to our communities. Because seniors may be old, but they have a lot of wisdom to share.
National Spumoni Day: On this day we eat slices of ice cream! Specifically the molded, layered ice cream of cherry, pistachio, and chocolate flavors mixed with nuts & fruits. If you can’t find Spumoni, Neapolitan is similar but doesn’t really compare. You might like to make your own Spumoni.
August 22:
National Take Your Cat to the Vet Day: Annual checkups are just as important for cats as they are for us. So if your kitty hasn’t had a vet visit in the last 12 months, make an appointment to get that done.
Southern Hemisphere Hoodie-Hoo Day: According to Tom & Ruth Roy, on this day everyone in the southern hemisphere must yell “Hoodie-Hoo” at high noon. This will chase away winter & welcome spring.
National Surgical Oncologist Day: This day honors the surgeons who specialize in removing cancer. If a surgical oncologist has helped you or a loved one, make a point to thank him or her.
Never Bean Better Day: This silly-sounding day is actually quite serious. It’s all about spreading love—or sharing the wuv—like Bean, a very special therapy dog.
National Tooth Fairy Day: On this day we celebrate that nighttime visitor who retrieves lost teeth & leaves money or other gifts in their place. So help your kids give a shout-out to this hard-working sprite. Maybe there’ll be an extra reward for the next lost tooth?
National Pecan Torte Day: This week is turning into a pecan-lovers dream! First there was chocolate pecan pie and now there’s pecan torte. Mmmmm … And tortes are dead simple to make, so try this recipe for a scrumptious homemade pecan torte.
August 23:
Valentino Day: Have you heard of silent film star Rudolph Valentino? This day celebrates him on the date he died. Why not learn a bit about him & maybe even watch one of his movies?
National Ride the Wind Day: On this day we go hang-gliding! Or at any rate we celebrate the the first human-powered flight to win the Kremer prize. It happened on Aug. 23, 1977. But if hang-gliding’s not your thing, you might prefer to keep your feet firmly on the ground and help a kite ride the wind instead.
National Sponge Cake Day: Enjoy a slice of light, airy, and moist sponge cake for this day. Maybe topped with fresh fruit and whipped cream? It’s a tough cake to get right, so you may want to buy it (you can still top it yourself). But if you’re feeling ambitious, try this sponge cake recipe.
August 24:
Pluto Demoted Day: This is our annual day to be outraged that Pluto got demoted from full-on planet to the offensive “dwarf planet” designation it holds today. Do you know why it happened? Do you agree that the reasons are valid?
International Bat Night: Celebrate the cute (yes, really!), useful, and endangered bat overnight Aug. 24 – 25. Find an event near you if you can. If not, at least learn more about these animals and why they’re not scary.
National Waffle Day: On this date in 1869 a hero of waffle-lovers everywhere got a patent for a “… new and useful ‘Improvement in Waffle-Irons…’”. This may be why we’ve also seen this day referred to as National Waffle Iron Day. Whatever you call it, celebrate with your favorite waffles. Perhaps these Belgian Waffles? Or, with fall coming (but thankfully not yet here!), consider Pumpkin Pie Spice Waffles. And if the spiced butter hasn’t hit your store shelves yet, make your own whipped pumpkin pie spiced butter.
National Peach Pie Day: The August 24 yumminess doesn’t stop with breakfast! No. There’s also peach pie to enjoy. So have a slice (or 2) for dessert after lunch or dinner. Or both! If you’re able, make a peach pie yourself.
August 25:
National Whiskey Sour Day: Mix up a whiskey sour and raise your glass in a toast to this day. What’s your favorite whiskey to use in this drink?
National Park Service Birthday: Also called National Park Service Founders Day or just National Park Service Day, this day is all about celebrating the beginning of the National Park Service. President Woodrow Wilson signed the National Park Service Act on Aug. 24, 1916. This date is one of the Park Service’s free admission days. Many parks also hold events for the day. So if you can make it to a National Park for this day, do it!
National Secondhand Wardrobe Day: This day is all bout being thrifty and environmentally friendly. Gently used clothing shouldn’t be clogging up a landfill. It should be getting more use! And consignment shops & thrift stores help it do just that. And savvy shoppers get great clothes at a fraction of the price of new. So head out to your favorite secondhand shop to bring in clothes you no longer wear and pick up a few bargains.
National Banana Split Day: End your weekend right … with a decadent banana split! This extravagant creation was born in Pennsylvania in 1904. Make a classic banana split to celebrate. Or make a banana split-inspired dessert.
