What to Celebrate October 14 to 20, 2019
Celebration Ideas for October 14 – 20, 2019
Can you believe we’re half-way through October?!
Do you have your Halloween costume(s) ready? If you celebrate, of course. How about candy? Or do you wait to buy that so you don’t eat it all before the big day?
But enough about Halloween. There’s tons of other daily, weekly, & monthly celebrations for you to enjoy before that.
For the upcoming week we start a pet charity drive, thank a vet tech, and protect community cats. We also thank pharmacy techs, fight against bullying, and schedule that mammogram.
And throughout it all we enjoy delicious foods, from vegetarian meals to meatloaf, and chocolate cupcakes to all desserts.
So let’s get the party started! Jump right in to take a peek & plan your week.
And always remember to …
Enjoy!
Celebrate All During October
During October we start helping homeless pets have a brighter holiday season & help kids grow up in a world without bullying. And we admire the beautiful birds of prey (raptors).
We fuel these efforts with vegetarian meals and pizza (meat or no meat on your pizza is up to you!).
Wishbones for Pets Month (October 15 – November 30): During this 6-week “month” professional pet sitters raise money & collect supplies for pet charities across the country. And Canada, too! If you’re a pet sitter, collect donations. If you’re a business, consider becoming a drop-off location. And the rest of us can help by donating to make this year’s drive another huge success.
Raptor Month: Celebrate the birds of prey, like eagles, hawks, and vultures for this month. Learn more about them during October. And maybe even go birdwatching to see if you can spot any raptors at a forest preserve, nature center, or bird sanctuary near you.
Pizza Month: Eat pizza! Every day if you want. After all, there’s an almost limitless number of ways you can top your dough. And multiple crust styles you can use, too. From all veggie to all meat & everything in between, it’s hard to get tired of pizza.
Vegetarian Awareness Month: This is a month for exploring vegetarian eating. Vegetarians can help introduce friends and co-workers to delicious vegetarian dishes. And non-vegetarians can keep an open mind and try those dishes. You might just find you enjoy them so much you want to eat vegetarian more often!
National Stop Bullying Month / National Bullying Prevention Month: In October we work to STOMP Out Bullying™ & encourage everyone—young people especially, but really everyone—to be kind and inclusive.
Weekly Celebrations for Oct. 14 to 20, 2019
This week we celebrate the veterinary technicians and learn about nutritious school lunches.
National Veterinary Technicians Week (October 13 – 19, 2019): Thank the vet tech(s) who take such good care of your fur-babies! Well, we hope you thank them whenever you see them, but make it an extra-special thanks this week. Because they are a critical part of every veterinary practice.
National School Lunch Week (October 14 – 18, 2019): During this week schools celebrate lunchtime with special menus and activities. This year’s theme focuses on how schools are working harder to provide a variety of nutritious foods kids want to eat.
Celebration Days coming up for Oct. 14 thru Oct. 20
Of course Monday is Columbus Day, and most communities still celebrate. It’s also a federal holiday, so many government offices will be closed. But whether or not you want to celebrate Columbus, you have plenty of other options for Monday and the rest of the week.
You might choose to kick butt, be a grouch, and wear something gaudy. Maybe while eating chocolate cupcakes and drinking liqueur?
But don’t stop there. You also have hagfish, fossils, and toy cameras to celebrate. Plus so much more.
So let’s make it another fun-tastic week!
October 14:
Native American Day: Does your community still celebrate Columbus on the 2nd Monday in October? Since he didn’t really discover America, and he wasn’t particularly nice to the “Indians” he found here, many people choose to celebrate Native Americans instead.
National Dessert Day: Do you eat dessert? If it’s not part of your usual routine, this is the day to make an exception. If you do regularly eat dessert, make it an extra-special one for National Dessert Day.
National Kick Butt Day: On this day we kick ourselves in the butt & get in gear to make serious progress on our goals & projects. No excuses. No surrender!
Be Bald and Be Free Day: Lots of people are bald & proud these days. Many even shave their heads. This day is for everyone who is bald, whether you normally wear a toupee or not, to show off your “shiny” scalp. Take a selfie & post it to the world. And if you’re not bald, give a shout-out to any bald friends & family members.
October 15:
National Grouch Day: Have a party for all the grouches you know. It’ll help them be as grouchy as possible in honor of this day. Because there’s not much that makes a grouch grouchier than being surrounded by cheerful, partying people! 😉
Global Handwashing Day: The simple act of washing your hands (with soap!) can help prevent infections and keep you and everyone around you healthier. Seriously. This day is about both reminding us all of the importance of handwashing and ensuring everybody has easy access to the soap & water they need to get the job done. That’s not always the case.
White Cane Awareness Day / White Cane Safety Day: This day reminds us that the white cane is an important tool for blind people. It helps them navigate the world safely. So when you see someone using a white cane, let them do their thing! They probably don’t need any warnings from you. But they do need your courtesy, just like any sighted person.
National Pharmacy Technician Day: Pharmacy techs don’t often get the recognition they deserve. But for this day we show them appreciation. So thank any pharmacy techs you know. And if you get a prescription filled on this day, make it a point to thank the tech who helps you (and the rest of them too, for that matter).
Pay Back a Friend Day: Do you owe a friend money? Many of us do, for various reasons. This is the day to pay up. Or at least pay back what you can afford to right now. Because your friend is probably embarrassed to ask for the money. But if you ignore the issue too long there’s a good chance you’ll lose that friend.
National Cheese Curd Day: A few years ago Culver’s decided we needed a day to celebrate (and eat!) cheese curds. And they weren’t wrong. They’re even running a contest in honor of the day … you could win free curds for a year!
October 16:
Global Cat Day: Previously known as National Feral Cat Day, this day recognizes community cats and their right to live peacefully in their colonies.
Hagfish Day: Celebrate the deep-sea creature that’s so ugly it’s beautiful. Or something like that. At any rate, it’s quite unique. And it deserves its own day just for that. How many of these hagfish facts did you know?
National Fossil Day: Were you fascinated with fossils as a kid? Lots of kids were. But some never outgrew that fascination. Thus we have a day dedicated to celebrating these remains of long-dead creatures. And if you’re someone who never outgrew your fossil fascination, you’ll want to be a part of this day.
Thank Your Cleaner Day: If you appreciate clean schools, workplaces and public buildings, take this opportunity to thank the people who make them possible. Because without professional cleaners we’d either have to clean ourselves or tolerate less than clean & hygienic spaces.
National Take Your Parents to Lunch Day: On this day parents join their kids for lunch in their schools’ cafeterias. The goal is for parents to see how schools put together healthy lunches. And for both parents and schools to work together to make sure the kids can eat as healthy as possible.
National Dictionary Day: Celebrate the birth of the Father of the American Dictionary, Noah Webster, on October 16, 1758. Celebrate by learning some new words. You might also like to check out Webster’s 1828 Dictionary.
National Liqueur Day: Enjoy a liqueur to wind down after a long day & celebrate National Liqueur Day. That’s liqueur—a sweet & often syrupy drink—not liquor, which is not sweetened. But a flavored, sweetened liquor (think chocolate vodka) is a liqueur. But don’t worry too much about the actual definitions. Just enjoy!
October 17:
National Pasta Day: It’s a day to enjoy your favorite pasta dish(es). Or try something new. Or both!
Wear Something Gaudy Day: On this day we find our loudest, most outrageous clothing and wear it proudly. Why? Just for the fun of it!
Spirit Day: This day is for wearing purple to show solidarity with LGBTQ youth and speak out against bullying these young people just because of who they are.
National Mulligan Day: On this day you get a “do-over.” A do-over for what? For anything you want! If you’ve ever wished you could do something differently, this is the day to do that.
Get to Know Your Customers Day: If you’re a business owner or your job requires customer interaction, this day is for you. The best way to keep customers happy and attract new ones is to understand what they want & need. So use this day to learn more about your customers.
October 18:
National Mammography Day: This day reminds us that a mammogram is an important screening tool. It can detect breast changes before you can feel them. So if you haven’t been keeping up with your mammograms, use this day to schedule one.
World Menopause Day: Learn more about menopause, its challenges and ways women in midlife can maintain & improve their wellbeing. And yes, this is a day anyone can celebrate. Because women either have experienced, are experiencing, or will experience menopause. And men can help the women they know & love navigate this sometimes challenging time. You can find more links to menopause information here.
National No Beard Day: On this day men across the country shave their beards. Take before & after pictures to share on social media. If you’re already beardless then you’re all set! Just make sure you don’t skip your shave for this morning. Rather attached to your beard? Don’t worry, just think of it as a fresh start for No-Shave November.
National Meatloaf Appreciation Day: Make & eat meatloaf. Need we say more? Ok, we’ll say just a little more: If you need a meatloaf recipe, try this super-simple but uber flavorful meatloaf recipe.
National Chocolate Cupcake Day: Mmmm … chocolate. And cupcakes. Together! If you have time, make chocolate cupcakes to enjoy (and share!). I’m sure you could make them ahead of time so you can just enjoy them for this day. Or buy them if you must.
October 19:
Sweetest Day: Spread sweetness around for this day. Either with actual sweets (the day began as Candy Day back in 1916) or with simple acts of kindness. Because although these days we tend to think of it as a celebration for couples, it’s really about being generous.
Evaluate Your Life Day: This is the day to … well, evaluate your life! Take a look at where you are & decide if it’s where you want to be. Or at least that you’re heading in the right direction. If so, good for you! If not, make a plan to make the changes you need to get going in the right direction.
National Seafood Bisque Day: For this day you must obviously eat seafood bisque. So order it at your favorite restaurant, or try this recipe with shrimp and crawfish.
Bridge Day: This festival is all about BASE jumping! But don’t worry, you don’t have to jump, just watch. There’s also a car show, chili cookoff, live music, and more. It happens at the New River Gorge Bridge in Fayetteville, WV.
October 20:
Sloth International Day: Celebrate the rather slow but always adorable sloth! And as with other animals, vow to protect them & avoid harming them. Did you know these things about sloths?
World Toy Camera Day: On the 3rd Sunday in October we celebrate the toy camera. Why? Because we can! They were mostly cheap & plastic. And they took pretty bad pictures. But they were fun! And no doubt they introduced plenty of future professional photogs to the joys of photography.
International Chefs Day: On this day chefs everywhere hold events to teach kids about healthy eating. And the kids get to help create healthy recipes they’ll love to eat.
National Brandied Fruit Day: Enjoy some brandied fruit to celebrate this day. It makes a great topping for cakes, ice cream … and just about anything, really! Or start a jar of brandied fruit to enjoy later. Better still, do both.
