What to Celebrate May 13 to 19, 2019
Celebration Ideas for May 13 – 19, 2019
Happy Mother’s Day weekend to all the moms out there!
Did you know Mother’s Day is actually an official holiday in the US? President Woodrow Wilson signed the proclamation making it so in 1914. (No, that doesn’t make it a paid, time off work holiday).
But as usual there are plenty of other celebrations coming up too. Mostly unofficial, but who cares? It’s about the fun. Or the awareness. Or the deliciousness. It all depends on the holiday!
So make every day a special one. Join us to take a peek and plan your week. And remember to …
Enjoy!
Celebrate for the rest of May
May is full of health & safety & fun. And deliciousness too! So smile while you’re being active, staying safe in the water, and enjoying mouthwatering barbecue!
National Water Safety Month: Water recreation season is here! Between swimming, boating, water skiing, snorkeling etc. there’s lots to do in the water. But it’s important to stay safe doing it! And this month is a reminder to do that. So learn the best ways for you and your kids to stay safe and have your kids take the Safe Swimmers Pledge.
National Physical Fitness and Sports Month: You know regular physical activity is good for you (you do know that, right?). But life gets hectic, and it’s not always easy to fit in. So this month make a conscious effort to find more ways to be active. With warmer weather finally here, it should be easier. And if you make it a family activity to go for walks, take bike rides (it’s also Bike Month!), play catch, etc. it’ll be something fun you look forward to instead of work you have to “fit in.”
National Barbecue Month: Grilling season has arrived! And you don’t have to wait until Memorial Day to lovingly place your favorite meats and/or veggies on the grill, then cook & baste them to perfection. Get out there now! You know you want to …
National Smile Month: All that fun in the sun & in the water and delicious barbecue is enough to make anyone smile! Although that’s not quite what this month is about. It’s actually about good oral health. Because the health of your mouth can affect the rest of your body. And of course, a healthy mouth makes for a smile you’re proud to show off. Which is definitely something to smile about!
Weekly Celebrations for May 13 to 19
For this week we visit public gardens, bike to work if we can (or to those public gardens?), and make sure the women in our lives are taking care of their health. And then enjoy a craft beer or two as a reward for our hard work & dedication.
National Public Gardens Week (May 13 – 19, 2019): It’s the very first National Public Gardens Week this year! This week has grown out of National Public Gardens Day, created in 2009. Lots of public gardens have free or discounted admission for this week. See if there’s one near you here. Or see a list of all events around the country here.
National Women’s Health Week (May 12 – 18): Women, are you taking your health as seriously as the rest of your family’s health? If you’ve been putting off your own checkups, this is the week to change that.
American Craft Beer Week (May 13 – 19, 2019): Celebrate America’s small and independent craft brewers this week. And stick with the truly independent craft brewers. The ones bought up by the big guys don’t count this week! So why not try some new craft brews to celebrate? You just might discover a new favorite.
Bike to Work Week (May 13 – 19, 2019): Do you live close enough to work to ride a bicycle? If you do, try it for this week! You might like it enough to make it a habit. And if you don’t, the whole month of May is Bike Month, so try riding at other times. See if there are any biking events near you too!
Celebration Days coming up for May 13 thru May 19
Jumping frogs, dancing chickens, and pet sea monkeys, oh my! What fun if silly celebrations those are!
On the serious side there’s endangered species to help, peace officers to honor, and MPS to raise awareness of.
Of course we haven’t forgotten there must always be deliciousness. So how about apple pie, Mimosas, and devil’s food cake to enjoy? They could even be part of your pizza party!
With all this and more happening, it should be easy to create another fun-tastic week for yourself!
May 13:
Frog Jumping Day: It’s time for a frog jumping contest! With real frogs if you have ‘em. Or just pretend you’re frogs & see who can jump highest … your kids will probably win.
National Apple Pie Day: On this day we eat apple pie! Homemade is best, so if you have the time, make one. No recipe? Try this one.
Hummus Day: We also eat hummus on the 13th. It’s a bit less American than apple pie (which wasn’t invented in America anyway!) but no less delicious. You can use it as a dip, in place of mayo or other condiments, as an ingredient for cooking or even baking, and pretty much any way you want!
May 14:
National Dance Like a Chicken Day: Do you know the Chicken Dance? Well this is the day to do it. And if you don’t know it, learn it! It’s pretty simple. And silly. But also fun. So get dancing!
National Buttermilk Biscuit Day: Make some buttermilk biscuits to go with your meals for this day. Buy the refrigerated rolls if you must, but the dough is really simple to whip up yourself. And if you make drop biscuits you don’t even need to worry about all that rolling & cutting! Try this drop biscuit recipe. It uses regular milk, but just use buttermilk instead … because it’s Buttermilk Biscuit Day, you know.
The Stars and Stripes Forever Day: May 14, 1897 was the very first performance of The Stars ad Stripes Forever, the US’s official march. And every year we celebrate the anniversary of this performance.
Underground America Day: On this day we celebrate the people who live in American soil. That’s in not on. As in homes built underground. There’s only a few thousand people living underground, so you’re probably not one of them … but you may be surprised that there’s actually that many “underground Americans”!
May 15:
MPS Awareness Day: MPS is a group of 7 related genetic diseases caused by a missing enzyme. Without this enzyme the person can’t break down certain molecules and when those molecules build up in the body they can cause organ damage.
Peace Officers Memorial Day: This day honors local, state, and federal law enforcement officers. President John F. Kennedy signed the resolution authorizing the day in 1962. President Bill Clinton amended it in 1994 to include a provision for flying flags at half-staff to honor the fallen.
National Chocolate Chip Day: How amazing is it that little bits of chocolate can make almost anything better? Cookies, pancakes, muffins, bagels, croissants, brownies, and so much more! So for this day come up with creative uses for those delectable little chocolate chips.
National Nylon Stockings Day: On this day women everywhere wear nylon stockings! Ok, probably not. Do you even know what nylon stockings are? No, not pantyhose. Stockings don’t have the panties attached. They’re like really long socks that go up above your knee. Often most of the way up your thigh. And in the beginning the only way to hold them up was a garter belt! Of course these days most women don’t wear hose or stockings (or skirts much). They might wear tights when wearing a skirt in cold weather.
Straw Hat Day: It’s time to put away the hats for keeping your head warm & bring out the hats for sun protection & fashion. And straw hats are those hats. If you have one, wear it. If you don’t have any, buy one!
May 16:
National Sea Monkey Day: Did you have “sea monkeys” as pets when you were a child? Relive the nostalgia for this day. How? Well, you can still buy these “instant pets.” Along with some elaborate aquariums for them to call home. So you might want to get some to call your very own again. Or introduce your kids to them. Or just wonder at the marketing genius behind calling tiny shrimp pets …
National Mimosa Day: On this day we mix up some champagne and orange juice & sip Mimosas all day! Ok, so all day might be a bad idea. Especially if you’re at work. But maybe have a little Mimosa party after work with some friends.
Do Something Good for your Neighbor Day: Do like the name of the day says & do something good for a member of your community.
National Love a Tree Day: Trees are amazing, and so important to life. They store carbon, give shade, slow soil erosion, provide food & shelter for many animals, and more. What’s not to love? So hug a tree, plant a tree, water a tree, or even just sit under a tree to celebrate this day.
May 17:
National Endangered Species Day: Just a few days ago scientists announced a biodiversity crisis. They say 1 million species are in danger of disappearing forever. Highlighting the animals in danger and working to prevent their extinction is what this day is all about.
National Pack Rat Day: Are you a pack rat? This is your day! Use the day to organize your treasures, pare down your collection, or even use some of those things you’ve been saving for “some day” … this is the day!
National Walnut Day: This is one of the few food days that are officially National days. President Dwight D Eisenhower signed a Senate Resolution proclaiming the day in 1958. The Walnut Marketing Board actually created the day several years earlier, in 1949. But you don’t need to know or care about that to celebrate! Just use walnuts in all your cooking & baking for the day.
National Cherry Cobbler Day: On the 17th we also enjoy cherry cobbler! Now cherry cobbler doesn’t need walnuts, so you may skip the walnuts for this particular dish. But you don’t have to! Either add walnuts to your favorite cobbler recipe, or try this Cherry Nut Cobbler recipe. Yum …
National Pizza Party Day: Oh, what a delicious day this is turning out to be! Invite friends and family to your place for a pizza party! Make the pizza yourself or order a few from your favorite delivery place. Serve cherry cobbler (with walnuts!) for dessert.
May 18:
National Visit Your Relatives Day: On this day do as the name says & visit your relatives! Unless your relatives are coming to visit you. You’ll probably want to coordinate that …
National Cheese Souffle Day: Are you afraid of souffles? They do have a reputation for falling if you even sneeze while they’re baking. Or if you just look at them wrong. But on this day you absolutely must eat souffle! And not any souffle. A cheese souffle. This cheese souffle recipe is supposed to be foolproof. At least that’s what it claims.
International Learn to Swim Day: With the unofficial start to summer just a week away, it’s time to think about water safety. (Not to mention May is Water Safety Month). And knowing how to swim is important for anyone who spends time in or near the water. So if your kids don’t know how to swim yet, get them enrolled in a class! And if you’re an adult who doesn’t know how to swim, it’s time for you to do the same (don’t be embarrassed! Just learn).
May 19:
May Ray Day: On this day we celebrate the sun’s rays, which we’re hopefully seeing more of these days. Safely, of course. So wear sunscreen and that straw hat from the 15th.
National Scooter Day: On this day we get outside & ride scooters! Preferably the kind you propel, not the electric kind (if you’re able)! But whatever kind of scooter you ride, have fun with it!
Take Your Parents to the Playground Day: You could even ride your scooters to the playground to celebrate this day. It’s a day for kids to show their parents just how hard they work (at playing!). But even if you’re grown & don’t have kids of your own, there’s no reason you can’t take your parents to a playground (or park) for some outdoor fun.
National Devil’s Food Cake Day: End your day of outdoor excitement with a decadent slice of rich, moist Devil’s Food cake! Make it yourself if you can (you’ll need to plan ahead so you have time for scooting & playground-ing!). If you don’t have your own recipe, here’s one to try.
