What to Celebrate Dec. 23 thru 29, 2019
Celebration Ideas for December 23 – 29, 2019
There’s less than 2 weeks left in the year! … in the decade, even. Have you accomplished all you wanted to? Do you have time to accomplish the things you have left?
Hopefully the answer is yes! But the year (and decade) will end no matter how much you have left to do. So why not enjoy as much of the year’s remaining time as possible.
Eat some pfeffernusse, drink some eggnog, and head out to the zoo. Whine a bit and play some cards, too.
(If you celebrate Christmas, try to fit that in there somewhere too. 😉 ).
So go on, take a peek and plan your week. And remember to always …
Enjoy!
Celebrate for the rest of December
If your holiday celebrations are finally winding down, you may finally have time to enjoy some of the month-long celebrations December brings. And if your celebrations are still going strong or just starting (like Kwanzaa), you might need a lighthearted break. Consider one or more of these.
Bingo’s Birthday Month: Play Bingo! (And hopefully yell Bingo! often).
National Pear Month: If you’re over all the rich, heavy holiday foods, enjoy some pears instead. Eat them fresh or cook with them.
Buckwheat Month: Another versatile food to give you a break from your holiday leftovers.
And don’t forget, the Audubon Christmas Bird Count runs through January 5.
Weekly Celebrations for December’s Final Week
This week is all about Christmas and the end of the year. Shocker, we know! 😄
Twelve Day of Christmas (December 25, 2019 – January 5, 2020): Have you ever been unsure when those 12 days of Christmas were supposed to be happening? Do they start or end on Christmas Day? While it might seem reasonable to think that the big haul happens on Christmas Day, that’s not accurate. Christmas Day is the 1st day, so all you get is a measly partridge in a pear tree! You’ll have to wait all the way to Jan. 5 for your 12 drummers plus the remaining partridge, laying geese, milking maids, golden rings, etc. But actually the 12 Days are a real Christian celebration, starting with Christ’s birth and running through various saints’ days and finally to the Epiphany.
It’s About Time Week (December 25 – 31, 2019): This week reminds us it’s time to get all that year-end stuff done. Because it’s about time to roll into a brand new year! Not that you really need a reminder, but you get one anyway.
Celebration Days coming up for Dec. 23 thru Dec. 29
Most days this week are a bit light on the unofficial holidays. But there’s still plenty to keep you feeling festive. After all, who can be grumpy with a Festivus pole in their front room (and a plate of pfeffernusse on the table)?
And if you are feeling grumpy, celebrate National Whiners Day and get it out of your system. Then have some candy canes & fruitcake on your way to the zoo.
See? It only takes a little imagination to create another fun-tastic week for yourself!
December 23:
National Roots Day: On this day we celebrate our family history. If you’ll be seeing family on this day, spend some time finding out what they may know about your ancestry. Maybe one of them has already started researching your roots! If you’re not spending time with family this year (or at least not on the 23rd), consider starting your own ancestry project.
Festivus: Fight back against the commercialization of the season by putting up your Festivus pole, airing your grievances during dinner, and wrestling the head of the household. Be on the lookout for Festivus miracles.
National Pfeffernusse Day: Enjoy a handful of these little German spiced cookies to celebrate this day … and the end of another Monday! You may have also heard them called pepper nut cookies. Whatever you call them, they’re delicious. If you have the time, make a batch or two.
December 24:
National Eggnog Day: On Christmas Eve we drink eggnog. But you don’t have to celebrate Christmas to enjoy this drink … spiked or not is up to you. Whip up a batch of one of these recipes (a classic plus 3 variations). Or try all 4! Although some don’t contain egg, so we’re not sure they truly qualify as eggnog!
December 25:
A’Phabet Day (No “L” Day): Drop all the Ls from your words to celebrate this punny day. And as long as you’re being irritating (c’mon, you know speaking & writing without L is irritating!), see what other puns you can come up with. (You do know what “No L” is punning, right?).
National Pumpkin Pie Day: After working hard at talking without using the letter L all day, you deserve some pumpkin pie! Lucky for you, that’s the pie we celebrate on the 25th. If you don’t already have a recipe you love, give this pumpkin pie recipe a try.
December 26:
National Thank You Note Day: On this day we put pen to paper and write thank you notes for all the lovely Christmas gifts we just received. Or for any other gifts we received recently (or this year for that matter). Yes, you may have thanked the giver when you opened the gift, but taking the extra time to write a note really shows your appreciation. And no, an email or social media message is not the same & just won’t do for this day!
National Whiners Day: If you just don’t get the point of the above day, you may already be well on your way to celebrating this one appropriately (but I don’t waaaant to write, address, stamp, and send thank you notes!). So go ahead & whine about it on this day. And about anything else making you feel whiny. But when you’re done with all the whining, take some time to be thankful for all the good things (big and small) in your life.
Kwanzaa: This is the first day of Kwanzaa. Dr. Maulana Karenga created this 7-day celebration in 1966. Wish peace, love, and unity to anyone who celebrates. And if you don’t understand the celebration, why not learn a bit about it.
Boxing Day: This mostly British holiday was traditionally the day employers would hand out boxes containing gifts, money, and/or food to their employees as thanks for a job well done during the year. Today it’s mostly a day for more sales, soccer, and feasting.
National Candy Cane Day: If you’ve decorated with candy canes, take one down & eat it! If not, go get yourself some candy canes (they’re probably even on sale) and enjoy. They come in lots of different flavors now, so you don’t have to limit yourself to peppermint.
December 27:
Visit the Zoo Day: It’s time to get the kids out of the house & take them to the zoo! No, it doesn’t matter how old they are either. Going to the zoo is a great family activity where you can have fun and learn things too. What animals would you like to learn more about? Make a point of visiting them at the zoo.
Howdy Doody Day: The Howdy Doody show, starring a puppet of that name and creator of the character (but not the puppet!) Bob Smith, debuted on this date in 1947. If you ever watched, spend some time reminiscing, and maybe even watch a few episodes. If you’ve never seen Howdy, well now’s the perfect time to take a look!
National Fruitcake Day: Who doesn’t love fruitcake?! Yeah ok, lots of people think they don’t like fruitcake. But that’s just because they’ve never had a good one! Get tips on how to make a delicious fruitcake along with several recipes to choose from (including cookies) here. If you still can’t bring yourself to eat fruitcake, make one for someone who does love this sweet, spiced delight.
December 28:
Pledge of Allegiance Day: Celebrate the anniversary of Congress’ official recognition of the Pledge of Allegiance in 1945 by reciting the pledge. Did you know the phrase “under God” wasn’t added until 1954?
Endangered Species Act Day: President Richard Nixon signed this important set of protections on December 28, 1973. It has since helped the Bald Eagle, Grizzly Bear, Red Wolf, and others increase their populations. Why not learn more about these or other listed animals & plants for this day?
National Card Playing Day: Is your end of year weather shaping up cold & snowy? If it is, and it’s making you want to hibernate, you’ll need a fun hibernation activity. Cards fits the bill! So pick your favorite game(s) & get dealing. And if nobody else wants to celebrate this day with you? Play solitaire.
National Chocolate Candy Day: Enjoy your favorite chocolates to end your patriotic, fun & relaxing day.
December 29:
Tick Tock Day: Tom & Ruth Roy of Wellcat created this day to remind us that time is running out. Whether on the year or life in general isn’t clear. But does it really matter? Whatever it is you want/need to get done, stop putting it off & do it!
National Pepper Pot Day: Make and enjoy a pot of the “soup that won the war.” That would be the Revolutionary War. And legend has it that the Continental Army’s chef threw together whatever ingredients he could find to boost the men’s morale. Apparently it worked. Make your own warm, filling morale-booster with this recipe.
