What to Celebrate January 11 thru 17, 2021
Celebration Ideas for January 11 – 17, 2021
How’s 2021 going for you so far? Good we hope.
By now you no doubt know we firmly believe finding ways to enjoy at least a few moments (and preferably more!) of every day can make life better. And there’s no shortage of fun little unofficial holidays to choose from.
We’re looking forward to being more creative, trying some new mocktails, and getting more organized. We wouldn’t say no to a hot pastrami sandwich, either.
Of course there’s plenty more for you to choose from. So go ahead, take a peek and plan your week. And as always …
Enjoy!
Celebrate All January Long
Work out your mind and your body (not to mention your balance) this month.
International Brain Teaser Month: Do you like solving puzzles like crosswords & Sudoku? How about logic puzzles or word searches? Whatever kind of “brain teasers” you enjoy, make time for them all this month. And the rest of the year too for that matter!
National Hobby Month: If tackling brain teasers is one of your hobbies, then you’re all set for this celebration too! But hopefully you have other hobbies you can get back into. Or maybe you’ve been thinking about starting a new hobby? This is the month to do it! But don’t stop when January ends. Keep it up all year. You won’t regret it.
International Creativity Month: Brain teasers & hobbies are certainly creative pursuits. But creativity is also useful for solving real problems. So try to think creatively about the world around you and the situations you face each day. You might be surprised at how different things can look from a different perspective.
National Skating Month: Go ice skating! It’s fun and it’s good exercise. And if you’ve never skated before, this is the time to take advantage of free lessons and skating demonstrations. See if there are any events happening near you.
Weekly Celebrations for January’s 2nd Full Week
Try pizza and mocktails in all kinds of different combos this week! And with mocktails you can drink as much as you’d like without worrying about a hangover. That’s a win!
Then get sincere with the thank you’s and silly with a goofy dance.
International Thank You Days (January 11 – 18, 2021): It’s time to say thank you! Well, really every day is a good time to say those 2 little words. But sometimes we get busy, and thank you’s for things like watching the house while we’re on vacation or sending a birthday gift get put off and then forgotten. Well this is the week to remember those things and get those thank you’s said. Or written. Whatever works for you. But if you do written, consider real, physical snail mail, not email or a text.
National Mocktail Week (January 10 – 16, 2021): Did you know your favorite cocktails can be just as good without the alcohol? It’s true! And this is the perfect week to explore alcohol-free cocktails. Whether you need to or choose to abstain always or just want alternatives for when you don’t feel like drinking, this week is for you. Having tasty non-alcoholic drink options will also make it easier to support friends and family who live alcohol-free.
National Pizza Week (January 10 – 16, 2021): It’s time to eat all your favorite pizzas. And possibly score deals on them, too! Try at least one new topping combination for the week, too. Maybe even try making one yourself! But definitely check out which pizza places near you are offering specials in honor of the week.
Cuckoo Dancing Week (January 11 – 17, 2021): This week we all get to look a little goofy (ok, a lot goofy!), dancing to The Cuckoo Song. It’s a Laurel & Hardy song & dance, and it goes like this:
Celebration Days coming up for Jan. 11 thru Jan. 17
There’s something for almost everyone in the year’s 2nd week. You might …
Get your desk & your home all clean & organized. Or at least get started. Then feel like a kid again with your rubber ducky. And some stickers, too! Don’t forget to splash in some puddles.
Drink hot tea & booch (not hooch!), snack on marzipan & fig newtons, and wear your favorite hat.
Or maybe you prefer other celebrations. So …
How will you create your fun-tastic week?
January 11
National Clean Off Your Desk Day: Now that you’re back into something of a routine after the holidays it’s time to make sure the rest of your year goes smoothly. So archive last year’s finished projects, organize ongoing projects, and toss any random junk cluttering up your work space. Ahhhh …
National Step in a Puddle and Splash Your Friends Day: Did you do this as a kid? Many (most?) of us did! And of course our friends did it to us too. Now we have permission to do it as adults … and yes, our friends now have permission to do it to us again too! Depending on where you live finding an unfrozen puddle in the middle of January could be challenging. But where there’s a will there’s a way! 😁
National Human Trafficking Awareness Day: There have been a lot of conspiracy theories around human trafficking in recent years. But human trafficking is a real problem causing suffering to real people. And we need to end it. The US Senate designated this day in 2007, and every year the Department of Homeland Security marks the day with its Blue Campaign.
National Milk Day: Celebrate the anniversary of the first deliveries of milk in glass bottles (maybe) with a tall glass of cold milk. From a glass bottle if possible. Make it chocolate if you’d like. Or any flavor, really. Consider a hot chocolate (made with milk, of course!) or a milkshake too. This day is different from World Milk Day in June.
January 12
National Pharmacist Day: Thank your pharmacist for making sure you get the medications you need when you need them. And for making sure your meds won’t interact with each other! Yes, pharmacists do a lot more than count pills into little bottles.
Kiss a Ginger Day: You know how to celebrate this one, right? Although this year it might be best to limit your kisses to gingers within your bubble. And do virtual kisses with others until you can safely get that close again.
National Hot Tea Day: Hot tea is just the thing to warm you up on a cold winter day. And this is the day to drink it! So steep a cup (or a pot!) of your favorite tea, whether that’s black, green, oolong, or white.
National Curried Chicken Day: No need to wonder what to make for dinner on Jan. 12. Curried chicken is your only choice! Make your favorite chicken curry recipe, or try this simple slow cooker curried chicken recipe.
National Marzipan Day: After your curried chicken you’ll need something sweet. Like marzipan! Have some little fruits or animals made from marzipan. Or a piece of chocolate coated marzipan. Or maybe you’d prefer a pastry with marzipan, like stollen or kringle. Whatever you choose, it’s a delicious way to end your day.
January 13
National Rubber Ducky Day: Take a bath with your rubber ducky. No, you’re not too old. Yes, you do need a rubber ducky, so if you don’t have one, buy one!
National Sticker Day: It’s a day for covering everything in stickers! Or at least get yourself organized with stickers. Labels are a kind of sticker! And if you use a paper planner, stickers can help you spot important dates & appointments. How do you like to use stickers?
Stephen Foster Memorial Day: Honor the man who composed instantly recognizable songs like Camptown Races, Beautiful Dreamer, and Oh! Susanna. He died much too young, at age 37, on this date in 1864. This day is an official US Observance Day.
Public Radio Broadcasting Day: Today we have a dizzying array of choices for listening to news, music, and more. But it’s only been 111 years since the very first public radio broadcast. Lee de Forest transmitted a Metropolitan Opera House performance over the airwaves to several locations in New York City on Jan. 13, 1910.
National Peach Melba Day: Your dessert for the evening of the 13th must be Peach Melba. The dessert’s creator, chef Auguste Escoffier, named his creation after singer Nellie Melba in the 1890s.
January 14
National Dress Up Your Pet Day: If you’re one of those lucky people whose pets enjoy (or at least tolerate) being dressed up, this is your day! Put them in their best outfits and show them off! For the rest of us, we’ll just have to celebrate by enjoying pics of other people’s dressed up pets.
Organize Your Home Day: After you’ve had fun dressing up your pets, make sure their costumes and the rest of your home are nice & organized. Or at least get started/make a plan to get organized. Consider the Declutter 365 Challenge to be organized by the end of the year.
Ratification Day: On this date in 1784 the Confederation Congress ratified the Treaty of Paris. This act officially ended the American Revolution and created the sovereign entity of the United States. Technically this had been accomplished with the signing of the Treaty the previous September, but ratification made it final. Why not learn more about the Treaty of Paris for the day?
National Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day: Make lunch or dinner a hot pastrami sandwich. Make it yourself or order from your favorite deli. There are several variations, but if you’d like, try this simple hot pastrami sandwich recipe.
January 15
National Hat Day: Wear your hat! Any kind will do. Need a new hat? Buy one to celebrate the day.
National Booch Day: Drink booch! That’s kombucha if you didn’t know. If you already love the stuff you’re probably already going to be drinking it. If you’re not so familiar with the “booch” check out the flavors available and try a few!
National Bagel Day: Start your day with your favorite bagel and toppings. Or maybe try something new. No worrying about carbs for the day! Unless you have to, in which case consider this next day instead.
National Strawberry Ice Cream Day: Ice cream makes a simple and delicious treat or dessert any day of the year. Even one in the middle of winter! And strawberry ice cream brings a little summer brightness to otherwise dreary, grey days. So indulge in a bowl or two! And if you skipped Bagel Day because of the carbs, have a low-carb strawberry ice cream to celebrate the day. Buy your keto-friendly ice cream or make a simple, no churn keto strawberry ice cream.
January 16
Religious Freedom Day: Celebrate your freedom to celebrate whatever religion you choose. Or none at all! This right is enshrined in the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, adopted on this date in 1786 by the Virginia General Assembly.
National Use Your Gift Card Day: Did you get gift cards for Christmas? Or maybe you have cards sitting around from birthdays or other gift-giving days during the year. And possibly past years, too? This is the day to decide what to get with them! Or at least find them all, note what you’ve got, & keep them where you’ll be able to find them when you need them.
National Without a Scalpel Day: No scalpels sounds like a fantastic idea! For pretty much any situation, really. Well, almost any situation. Sometimes you can’t avoid surgery if you want effective treatment. But when you can it’s the preferable option. And with today’s imaging technology and minimally invasive procedures it’s an option available more often. But back on Jan. 16, 1964 it was revolutionary. That was the day Dr. Charles Dotter opened a woman’s blocked blood vessel with the very first angioplasty.
Appreciate a Dragon Day: Don’t limit your appreciation to religious freedom and medical treatments without scalpels. No, there’s something even better to appreciate: dragons! Why? Because … dragons! So read books with dragons. Draw dragons. Sculpt dragons. This day is perfect for all ages, because while the day originally came about to celebrate the release of the children’s book DragonSpell, everybody loves dragons! Don’t they?
National Nothing Day: This one could be hard to celebrate if you’re planning to celebrate your religious freedom, use your gift card, or marvel at treating diseases without surgery. Or appreciate dragons or eat fig newtons, for that matter. But if none of those celebrations appeal to you, this one’s perfect! Do absolutely nothing to celebrate anything.
National Fig Newton Day: Eat figgy cookies all day long! Have the “real” Fig Newtons, or another fig bar. You could even make your own fig-filled cookies.
January 17
Cable Car Day: Celebrate the public transportation of days gone by. The only operational cable cars in the US are in San Francisco. But like so many other things, they shut down due to COVID-19. It just wasn’t safe to run them. They’ll hopefully come back at some point, but until then you can still read about them & see pictures & videos.
World Snow Day: You may not be able to visit the cable cars, but you might still be able to get out & enjoy the snow! See if there’s an official event near you. Then go! If not, plan some outdoor activities on your own. Yes, even if there’s no actual snow where you are.
Popeye Day: The sailor man with a love of spinach (and Olive Oyl) debuted on this date in 1929.
Ditch Your New Year’s Resolutions Day: If you haven’t already, feel free to toss those New Year’s resolutions right out the window (probably not literally ). Because let’s face it, you’ll be doing that sooner or later. Might as well make it sooner. And a series of short-term goals are often better at helping you make real changes.
National Bootlegger’s Day: The start of Prohibition on January 17, 1920 gave birth to a whole new “career”, the bootlegger, and a quality whiskey for a group of Iowa bootleggers to sell: Templeton Rye. It’s legal now of course, but Infinium Spirits, owner of the brand, created this day to pay homage to “The Good Stuff” and the enterprising outlaws who gave it life. Raise a glass of Templeton Rye in a toast, or read more about this whiskey and the town where it was born.
National Hot Buttered Rum Day: If whiskey’s not your thing, consider a hot buttered rum instead. And if sipping warm alcohol turns your stomach? Try a Hot Buttered Rum Bread Pudding instead. Or even Hot Buttered Rum Carrots. Or just make the hot buttered rum sauce and pour it over whatever sounds good to you!
