What to Celebrate March 30 thru April 5, 2020
Celebration Ideas for March 30 – April 5, 2020
The pandemic is feeling more & more real, with roughly half the states (here in the US) issuing shelter-in-place orders and more coming on board each day.
Of course, it’s been real all along, but now we can really see it.
But staying at home except for essential trips doesn’t mean you should hide under the bed! It’s actually important to keep a positive outlook and find ways to enjoy each day.
Hopefully these unofficial holidays can help. Some, like the food days, are easy to celebrate at home. Others may require some creativity, but you have plenty of that! Right?
So do take a peek and plan your week. And remember to …
Enjoy!
Celebrate All April Long
You still have a couple of days for celebrating mirth, optimism, dolphins & any other March months you like.
But let’s look ahead to April and moving more, combating stress, & getting a handle on emotional overeating. All things that can help us during this uncertain time.
Move More Month: Movement is good for your body. Movement is what your body was built for. If you’re working from home, furloughed, or laid off, exercise can help you manage the stress (which we also address this month). And if you’re still working, you may need the energy-boosting, stress-busting benefits of exercise even more! No matter what your situation, take some time this month to build a healthy habit of moving more.
Stress Awareness Month: We’re all pretty stressed these days. Not knowing what’s going to happen from day to day can do that to you. But uncontrolled stress not only is bad for your health, but can feed on itself, causing even more stress. So take some time this month to learn ideas & techniques for managing your stress.
Emotional Overeating Awareness Month: Sometimes when we’re feeling stressed or upset we use food to try to feel better. Especially so-called “comfort foods,” which are usually full of fat, sugar, or carbs. Or even all three. Too much of this leads to weight gain & other health problems. With this virus running rampant around the world the odds are many of us are stress eating. Spend some time this month learning about triggers & ways to manage your emotional eating. Celebrating Move More Month can probably help!
Weekly Celebrations for March 30 to April 5
Learn about tiny & live by the Golden Rule, which also applies to picking up your dog’s poop. If you don’t want people to leave their dog’s poop for you to step in, don’t leave your dog’s poop for them to step in!
Nano Days (March 28 – April 5, 2020): Learn about & celebrate the science of tiny! Start by learning what nanoscale science is and why it’s important.
International Pooper Scooper Week (April 1 – 7): This week reminds all dog owners it’s important to always pick up after your precious pooch! That means both at home and on walks. And if you can’t pick up after your dog, please hire someone. Yes, the founder of the this week, aPaws, is the Association of Professional Animal Waste Specialists! But they’re more than that. They can help you find pooper scoopers sure, but also dog walkers, pet photographers, pet taxis, and more.
Golden Rule Week (April 1 – 7, 2020): On this week we live by the Golden Rule of doing to others as we would have them do to us. These days that’s more important than ever. Let’s all help each other through this stressful time!
Celebration Days coming up for March 30 thru April 5
Take a virtual vacation—what a timely day!—then take a walk and play outside. Then color with crayons, have fun reading, and throw a party.
Yes, you can have a party for one. We’re rewriting social norms these days, remember?
Make yourself some turkey neck soup, sourdough bread, and chocolate mousse. Use some of your sourdough bread to make a PB&J sandwich!
Get creative & keep enjoying life. It’s definitely still possible to have a fun-tastic week. It just may look a bit different than it used to.
March 30:
National Doctors’ Day: On this very timely day, thank the doctors working hard to keep us all healthy. And of course especially to help us get well again when we’re not.
National Virtual Vacation Day: This relatively new day encourages us to “travel” virtually when we can’t do it in our real lives. And that’s especially relevant right now. Because most of the world isn’t traveling anywhere for a while. But we can use the internet to discover many places & even museums. If you have a VR headset you have even more realistic options. But that’s not completely necessary. YouTube has tons of 360° videos. And you can also find plenty of regular videos that take you on a walking tour of various locations.
National Take a Walk in the Park Day: Not all of your travels need to be virtual, though. Fresh air is still good for you. As long as you still practice social distancing, anyway. Some parks and forest preserve districts have closed, but if there’s any open near you, consider taking a walk in the park to burn off any extra energy and calm your mind.
National Pencil Day: How often do you use a pencil these days? Probably not very often at all! But for this day you must make it a point to use one. But don’t just write with it! No. Make a mistake and use the attached eraser to fix it! Because how else would we celebrate the anniversary of the first patent for a pencil with an eraser on the end?
Grass is Always Browner on the Other Side of the Fence Day: On this day we stop assuming what others have is better than what we have. Because that old saying about the grass always being greener over there? It’s nonsense! It just makes us feel jealous and insecure. So instead we acknowledge the grass is just as likely to be browner and feel grateful for what we do have.
National Turkey Neck Soup Day: Make a hearty turkey neck soup to keep you nourished. We’re not sure why we’re celebrating this day in early spring instead of fall or winter, but who cares? This soup is delicious, filling, and simple to make! Here’s a recipe for you if you need one.
March 31
Bunsen Burner Day: While we’re all stuck at home we might as well do some Chemistry experiments with our Bunsen burners? Ok, probably not. But we can reminisce about our time in Chemistry or Microbiology lab.
National Crayon Day: It’s time to break out the crayons & color! If you & your kids haven’t already been using some of your quarantine/social isolation/work-from-home time to color, find those crayons & get coloring. And if you have been doing that already, well keep it up! Or even break out a new box if you have one.
Equal Pay Day: On this day the average woman has earned, since the beginning of 2019, the same amount the average man earned during 2019. In other words, it took an extra 3 months of work for a woman’s earnings to match a man’s. Now, this isn’t true for all women or all professions. But it still illustrates that too many women are not earning the same as men for the same work. Maybe when our economy re-opens for business that’ll change?
Clams on the Half Shell Day: If you love clams, this day was just made for you! Well not literally. We have no clue who created it. But just the same, it’s a delicious day. And so easy to celebrate. You can have your clams raw with a fresh sauce, but if that’s not your style consider this grilled Clams on the Half Shell recipe. Just 10 minutes & you’re done! Or maybe you’d prefer this Baked Clams on the Half Shell recipe.
National Tater Day: Enjoy taters your favorite ways for this day. Consider hash browns for breakfast, fries for lunch, and mashed or baked potatoes for dinner.
April 1:
International Fun at Work Day: For many of us, this will be a very different celebration than it might have been in years past. But no matter where we’re working, we need to fit in some fun. And for those still having to go to work, finding ways to have fun, even for a few moments, can help relieve the stress. So do have some fun in whatever ways possible. And really, try to do that every day.
Reading is Funny Day: Yes, reading is fun. And it can even be funny! Forget the April Fool’s pranks. Spend this April 1 finding the fun & the funny in books, graphic novels, & whatever other reading material you & your kids enjoy. Maybe consider reading aloud in funny voices. Or each person reading a character aloud & figuring out how to make that character funny.
National Walking Day: If you can safely go outside for some fresh air, celebrate this day with a walk around the block or a nearby park. And if you can’t go out, make a few trips around your home. Because staying active as much as possible is still good for your health.
National One Cent Day: We don’t use actual cash much anymore. And people have been trying to get rid of the penny for decades. But it’s still here! And it even has it’s own celebration day. Why not learn more about the history of this much-maligned coin for the day.
National Sourdough Bread Day: Enjoy the pleasantly sharp, slightly sour taste of a good sourdough bread for this day. If you have some sourdough starter, make yourself a loaf! If not, you may buy your sourdough bread. Never made sourdough bread but would like to try? Check out this detailed recipe post & try it! There’s a link to information about sourdough and keeping a starter, too.
April 2:
National Ferret Day: Ferret parents already know how awesome these little critters are. If you do have ferrets, treat them to some extra love & playtime. Or snuggle time. If you don’t have your own ferrets, enjoy their weirdness with ferret videos. They’re a welcome break from the news these days.
World Autism Awareness Day: How much do you know about autism & how it affects the people who have it? You might be surprised at what you don’t know. So why not learn more about autism & help Autism Speaks celebrate its Light It Up Blue campaign.
National Reconciliation Day: Now more than ever we recognize we’re all in this together. This day asks us to reevaluate grudges, mistakes, misunderstandings and other things that may have damaged some of your relationships. And where possible, make amends and/or forgive.
National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day: Whether you eat peanut butter & jelly regularly or you haven’t had it since you were a kid, this is the day to enjoy this amazing taste combo. Have PB&J sandwich or see if one (or more!) of these recipes looks good to you.
National Burrito Day: It’s the original wrap sandwich! But the filling tends to be much heartier than what we call a wrap. Steak, beans, pork, or chicken in a savory sauce. Along with tomato, rice, & veggies. Burritos are incredibly satisfying & are a must for at least one meal on this day.
April 3:
National Walk to Work Day: If you’re actually going to work, and walking is an option for you, get the blood flowing by walking. If you’re working from home or furloughed, try to take a walk around the neighborhood or even your home. As mentioned for National Walking Day, getting in some exercise is a good thing, virus or no virus. Just do it safely.
World Party Day: Like most parties these days, this one may have to be virtual. Maybe create a party atmosphere at home for the family & have friends & other family do the same at their homes. Then have a video conference call to celebrate together! Do a Facebook live video too if you feel like sharing the celebration wider. We could all use a bit of partying, even if the party’s a bit different from those we’re used to.
National Find a Rainbow Day: On this day we go in search of rainbows! Or create them ourselves. A garden hose or prism works well for this. Take a picture & share it so others can find your rainbow too! And if you can’t search for or create rainbows yourself, see if you can find rainbow images others have shared for this day.
National Chocolate Mousse Day: Perfect for that virtual party or as a treat after your walk or rainbow hunt, chocolate mousse is the food of the day. It’s even simpler to make than you might think. Try this chocolate mousse recipe for a classic version. Or this mind-blowing technique that just whips up chocolate & water!
April 4:
World Rat Day: Much like ferrets, rats are an underappreciated pet. If you already know their joys, give your rats some extra love. If not, learn more about them. You might be surprised. And even inspired to adopt a rat or 2 for your own!
Slow Art Day: This is a day for taking the time to look at and appreciate art. Slowly. No zipping through art galleries to see as much as possible. Instead, fully appreciate just a few pieces. Many of the physical events have sadly but understandably been cancelled. But many museums & galleries offer digital versions of their collections. And some are even holding virtual events for the day.
National Hug a Newsperson Day: This is a day for recognizing the hard work your local newspeople put in bringing you up-to-date news every day. Obviously the hug will need to be virtual this year! And realistically it’s probably virtual most years, since most of us don’t actually know our newspeople. But it is even more important this year to recognize the people trying to keep up with this ever-changing situation & doing their best to bring you accurate news & information as quickly as possible. So reach out on social media or through email to offer a sincere thank-you to both the local & national newspeople you rely on.
National Play Outside Day: This day happens on the 1st Saturday of every month! And yes, going outside for exercise is allowed even during shelter in place orders (usually). If you have a yard, that’s probably the safest place to play. Otherwise, use common sense & keep a distance from others at your local park. Unless you’re actually feeling sick, of course, or you’re in a high-risk group.
National Chicken Cordon Bleu Day: Make your favorite Chicken Cordon Bleu recipe to celebrate the day! If you don’t have a recipe, try this one.
April 5:
National Deep Dish Pizza Day: No thin-crust pizza for this day! No, it’s all about a thick, deep bowl of a crust, swimming with all your favorite toppings. Mmmmm …
Gold Star Spouses Day: Originally called Gold Star Wives Day, this day honors the surviving spouses of service members killed in the line of duty. If you know any Gold Star families, thank them for their sacrifice & their loved one’s service.
National Flash Drive Day: Ah, the flash drive. That incredibly useful (and supremely losable!) little storage device. Use a flash drive to celebrate the anniversary of the first flash drive patent filing, on April 5, 1999. Early drives held just a few MB of data, but oh were they revolutionary!
National Caramel Day: Satisfy your sweet tooth with caramel! Choose your favorite caramel product—candies, caramel popcorn or apples, sauce drizzled on ice cream or cheesecake, or whatever—and indulge for one day.
National Raisin and Spice Bar Day: If caramel’s not your thing, consider raisin & spice bars instead. These cookie bars are sweet & spicy & comforting. This recipe calls them poor mans’ cookies, but we just call them delightful!
