What to Celebrate December 10 to 16, 2018
Celebration Ideas for December 10 – 16, 2018
By the end of the week we’ll be half-way through the month. With holiday cooking & baking & parties in full swing!
But remember to slow down a bit and have a cupcake. Call a friend (maybe a Pathologist?).
Thank the salespeople who make your holiday shopping easier. Then relax with a cup of tea. Or hot cocoa.
Celebrate your rights. And animals’ rights too. Plus much more.
So yes, it is time once again to take a peek and plan your week. And as always …
Enjoy!
Celebrate All December Long
It’s time to start counting birds! It’s a surprisingly fun activity that gets you outside with others who share your passion for our feathered friends. And it helps scientists better understand the birds.
Speaking of fun, you’re also supposed to be playing Bingo! Also, remember to make sure the fun games & gifts you buy for others are safe for them to use. That makes for a more fun holiday season all around.
Audubon Christmas Bird Count (Dec. 14, 2018 – Jan. 5, 2019): This 3ish-week count of birds across North, Central, and South America is the oldest wildlife census. And volunteers do all the work! Help Audubon & other scientists track changes in bird populations and migration patterns. Join a counting circle!
Safe Toys & Gifts Month: Make sure the toys & gifts you give this season are safe for the recipient’s age & abilities. Also learn where to find information on safety recalls.
Bingo’s Birthday Month: Do you play Bingo? This is the month for you! Even if you don’t, why not give it a try? You might be surprised at how much fun it can be … especially if you find some competitive players.
Weekly Celebrations for December’s 2nd Full Week
There’s not too much happening on the weekly celebration front for this week. But that’s just fine, since it means we can focus on the importance of human rights.
Human Rights Week (December 10 – 17, 2018): Each year the President of the United States issues a proclamation naming Dec. 10 as Human Rights Day, Dec. 15 as Bill of Rights Day, and the week of Dec. 10 – 17 as Human Rights Week. The UN created Human Rights Day, and many countries celebrate Human Rights Week. But the Bill of Rights is uniquely American, as it is the 1st 10 amendments to the US Constitution. It is quite appropriate that this day should be part of Human Rights Week.
Celebration Days coming up for Dec. 10 thru Dec. 16
This week we have days celebrating animal rights, human rights, horses, mountains, and monkeys.
We thank veterans with wreaths on their graves. We thank salespeople. And we call people we haven’t talked with in ages.
Nobel Prize winners finally get their prizes.
And of course we celebrate food! From noodle rings to cocoa and cupcakes to gingerbread (houses).
So many choices for having a generous and fun-tastic week. So hop to it!
December 10:
International Animal Rights Day: This day recognizes that all sentient beings deserve kindness and respect. And the right to live free from suffering. For too long humans considered other animals inferior and used them without concern for their suffering. Many still do, focusing on their differences from us. But others recognize our similarities, especially the ability to feel. Learn more about animal equality (or their lack of equality) here. The date for this day, December 10, was chosen specifically to coincide with …
Human Rights Day: The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed a Universal Declaration of Human Rights on this date in 1948. This document formalized the idea of inalienable rights for all humans, no matter our race, religion, sex, nationality, etc. Two years later, on Dec. 4, 1950, it formally established Human Rights Day.
Nobel Prize Day: This is the day when all the Nobel Prize recipients (usually announced in October) actually get their prizes at a ceremony in Stockholm, Sweden. Well, except the Peace Prize … that one gets awarded in Oslo, Norway (which used to be part of Sweden). December 10 is the day Alfred Nobel, who created the prizes in his will, died.
Green Monday: After Black Friday, Cyber Monday (and Cyber Week), and Giving Tuesday comes … Green Monday! Apparently by the 2nd Monday in December people suddenly realize they’d better get their holiday shopping done. And that makes this day the best sales day of the year for many retailers, especially online stores. And yes, that means you can snag lots of great deals again.
December 11:
International Mountain Day: This day promotes sustainable mountain development. Unless you live in a mountain area you probably don’t think much about them. But over exploitation, land degradation, and more threaten mountain communities and possibly even the rest of us, making this a day that’s important for all of us.
National Noodle Ring Day: Noodle ring?!!? In case you didn’t know, a noodle ring is what you make when you bake noodles in a Bundt pan! And there’s a day to celebrate it. Why not make one for this day? Here’s a simple recipe to try.
National App Day: Can you live without your apps? Well, yes you can … but do you want to? For most people there’s at least one app where your answer is NO! CJ Thompson, founder of Platinum Edge Media understands and created National App Day just last year. And apparently the company also announces a new app for the day each year.
December 12:
National Ding-A-Ling Day: Started in 1972 by Franky Hyle, this day is for calling people you haven’t spoken to in a long time. Of course these days it’s easier to reconnect or stay connected through social media. But even so having an actual conversation is very different from liking or even commenting on posts. So call at least one person for this day!
National Poinsettia Day: Celebrate the plant that makes so many homes brighter for the holiday season. The plant is native to Mexico and the Aztecs used the “star flower” to make a red dye. The plant first came to the US in 1828 when Joel Roberts Poinsett sent cuttings home to Charleston, South Carolina.
Gingerbread House Day: Have you ever made a gingerbread house? Whatever your answer, this is the day to do just that. You can buy gingerbread house kits. Or use this recipe to make a gingerbread house from scratch!
December 13:
National Day of the Horse: Horses are, according to Senate resolution 452, “a vital part of the collective experience of the United States.” To celebrate this day go riding, learn more about horses, or just take a look at this collection of horse photos from the Time LIFE archives. They include a rollerskating horse, a clairvoyant talking horse, and a gambling horse. Also working horses, movie horses, & racehorses.
National Cocoa Day: Mmmm … Does anything illustrate coziness more than a steaming mug of hot cocoa on a cold winter day? No! (Unless you’re sipping it in front of a roaring fireplace!). So savor a mug of your favorite hot cocoa to celebrate this day.
Pick a Pathologist Pal Day: Find yourself a disease expert to befriend for this day. Pathologists are especially useful friends for hypochondriacs, or anyone who wants to know more about all the things that can make you ill. This day comes to you courtesy of those wacky holiday creators, Tom & Ruth Roy.
December 14:
International Monkey Day: Despite the name, this day celebrates all non-human primates, including apes, lemurs, and tarsiers, along with monkeys.
National Salesperson Day: A salesperson’s job isn’t easy. But a good salesperson will make it seem simple … and make your shopping experience a good one. So thank any salespeople who help you on this day. And every day. This day used to be in March, but it moved to December in 2010. That makes sense really. The holiday rush makes salespeople’s jobs that much harder. And that much more important to you!
National Bouillabaisse Day: This is a day for seafood lovers for sure! If that describes you, celebrate with a scrumptious bowl (or two!) of this fish stew. If you’d like to make it yourself plan ahead! And then try one of these recipes:
December 15:
National Wreaths Across America Day: On the 3rd Saturday in December Wreaths Across America coordinates wreath laying ceremonies for veterans’ graves at Arlington and more than 1400 other cemeteries across the country. Honor our veterans’ sacrifices by volunteering, sponsoring a wreath, or donating.
Cat Herder’s Day: Tom & Ruth Roy send you their sympathies if you spend your day feeling like you’re herding cats. How to celebrate? Take a break from herding metaphorical cats & cuddle some real cats! Then you’ll be ready to start herding again. Maybe. ;)
National Cupcake Day: Who doesn’t love the little single-serving cakes we call cupcakes? Seriously, you get to eat a whole cake all by yourself! Make (or buy if you must) a batch of cupcakes to share for this day.
International Tea Day: Learn more about where your tea comes from and how the tea trade impacts workers and growers. And enjoy a hot cup of your favorite (fair trade?) tea.
December 16:
National Chocolate-covered Anything Day: Everything’s better with chocolate! (Well, almost anything). So cover whatever your heart desires in chocolate (dark, milk, white; it doesn’t matter) and indulge. Mmmmm …
Barbie and Barney Backlash Day: Parents! Are you sick of Barbie and/or Barney? Banish ‘em from your life (and your kid’s lives) for this one day. And thank Tom & Ruth Roy for your one-day reprieve from the insanity.
