What to Celebrate September 3 thru 9, 2018
Celebration Ideas for September 3 – 9, 2018
Labor Day weekend is here! Can you believe it?
Are you relieved that with school back in session your life gets a bit more structured again? Or are you sad that the season of fun in the sun is done? Maybe a little of both?
Well don’t be sad! The sun still comes out every day. And the weather’s still warm (at least around here). So you still have time for fun … in the sun even! Maybe a bit less time, but time just the same.
And we’re once again bringing you fun & delicious (and yes, some serious too) ideas for spending that time.
So as usual we invite you to take a peek and plan your week. But most of all …
Enjoy!
Celebrate All September Long
For September we keep our pets happy by being responsible pet owners. We try to help the koala before it becomes endangered. And we remind the men in our lives of the importance of prostate cancer screening.
Happy Cat Month: Is your cat a happy cat? Hopefully the answer’s yes, but even so there are always ways to do better. So spend some time this month learning how to keep your favorite feline as happy as possible.
Responsible Dog Ownership Month: You’re a responsible dog owner, right? But are there ways you could do even better for your precious pooch? Taking the time to find out is the true mark of responsible dog ownership.
Save the Koala Month: Koalas aren’t endangered yet, but they are listed as vulnerable. The Australian Koala Foundation doesn’t want to wait for things to get worse before helping them. You can help too!
National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month: Help spread the word about prostate cancer and the importance of screening. Although it’s usually slow-growing, sometimes it’s not. You need to know in order to make the best treatment choice for you.
Weekly Celebrations for September’s 1st Week
Learn and eat waffles with enthusiasm this week!
International Enthusiasm Week (September 1 – 7): Do everything with enthusiasm this week!
National Waffle Week (September 2 – 8): Eat waffles all week! There’s so many different ways to make ‘em & top ‘em that you can eat different waffles every day. And remember, you don’t have to stick with eating them for breakfast only. Chicken and waffles makes a great meal any time of day. Or use them as “buns” for a burger (like White Castle’s Belgian waffle slider). See if your favorite restaurants are having any specials for the week, too.
Self-University Week (September 1 – 7): This week is a reminder to never stop learning. Even if you’ve finished your formal education, true learning is not something you can ever complete. There’s always something new to learn. And the “right” answer is rarely as simple as it might seem at first. In fact, sometimes there is no “right” answer …
Celebration Days coming up for Sept. 3 thru Sept. 9
Of course Monday is Labor Day, and by coincidence there’s apparently not much happening on Sept. 3 most years. So just enjoy your official holiday! And perhaps add Welsh Rarebit to your menu while contemplating Nome, Alaska’s odd but fun Labor Day tradition.
For the rest of the week we get to enjoy cheese pizza, macadamia nuts, and coffee ice cream, among other delicious delights.
We might also read a book, go crazy with ampersands, and learn how to take better care of our iguana … if we had an iguana.
There’s plenty more fun for body, mind, and tongue too! So make sure to take a few moments before your long weekend to plan for a fun-tastic week ahead!
September 3:
Great Bathtub Race: This unique race has been run every Labor Day in Nome, Alaska since 1978. Teams of 4 people push each wheel-mounted tub down the street while a 5th person “bathes” in it. Yes, the tub is full of water! Talk about good, clean fun! :D
National Welsh Rarebit Day: Add some Welsh Rarebit to your Labor Day celebrations! What the heck is it, you ask? Well, rarebit is a Welsh word for rabbit. But no, this dish contains no rabbit. Instead it’s toast smothered with a hot cheese sauce! The sauce often includes beer. It can also contain other seasonings, like the hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce in this recipe.
In 2017 this date was also a National Day of Prayer for Victims of Hurricane Harvey. The presidential proclamation for the day only specified it for that year. But many days that started with a single proclamation have taken on a life of their own for years & even decades afterward. So consider taking a few moments out of your holiday to offer a prayer for the continued recovery & rebuilding … it takes much more than a year to recover from such devastation.
September 4:
Another Look Unlimited Day: On the day after Labor Day we take stock & purge unused items from our homes & lives. But don’t throw it in the trash unless it’s truly broken or otherwise unusable. Donate or sell anything that still has life left in it. Or consider if there are ways you repurpose it into something else you’ll use. But give yourself a deadline for actually doing it or you’ll just end up “spring cleaning” it next year!
Newspaper Carrier Day: Yes, newspaper carriers still exist! And this day honors them along with the very first newspaper carrier, Barney Flaherty. Benjamin Day, then publisher of the New York Sun, hired the boy (10 years old!) on Sept. 4, 1833. This day is different from International Newspaper Carrier Day which is held on the Saturday of National Newspaper Week (usually in October).
National Macadamia Nut Day: Enjoy macadamia nuts for this day! Have ‘em as a snack or bake with ‘em. We vote for macadamia nut cookies!
National Wildlife Day used to be on September 4, but this year the day’s founder, Colleen Page, changed it to February 22. The new date honors the memory of Steve Irwin (the Crocodile Hunter) on his birthday. So we missed it this year, but make plans now to celebrate in February 2019! And of course you can celebrate wildlife on Sept. 4 or any day of the year (but you can’t call it National Wildlife Day, ‘cause that’s copyrighted …).
September 5:
National Cheese Pizza Day: For this day there is no arguing about the toppings to get on your pizza. You will forgo them all to just enjoy the delights of slightly browned (when done right), melty cheese! Order it if you have to, but it’s so simple to make yourself! Go with a classic cheese pizza like this one. Or get a bit fancier with this 4-cheese pizza. Mmmmm …
National Be Late for Something Day: For this day you have unofficial permission to not worry about being on time. Slow down. Smell the roses (or whatever flower you prefer!). Enjoy the scenery. You’ll get where you’re going eventually … The Procrastinators’ Club of America created this day back in the 1950s.
Jury Rights Day: This day marks the date in 1670 when a jury refused to find William Penn guilty of “unlawful assembly” and “disturbing the peace” … for preaching about a religion (Quaker) that was not the Church of England. The jurors were jailed, which led to the legal precedent that courts can’t punish jurors for voting their conscience.
September 6:
Fight Procrastination Day: On the 5th you had permission to procrastinate & be late. But on the 6th you must banish procrastination! Ok, not exactly. Procrastination isn’t always bad, but too much can get in the way of living your best life. So learn how to use it effectively and how to fight the urge to overuse it.
National Coffee Ice Cream Day: Now here’s something we’ll never procrastinate about: Eating coffee ice cream! As a bonus, the caffeine will give you an extra boost to get things done instead of procrastinating. So you can effectively celebrate 2 holidays with one deliciously creamy & coffee-y bowl of ice cream. Talk about a win-win! Here are some ideas for thinking outside the bowl (or cone) when serving coffee ice cream.
National Read a Book Day: Do as the day’s name says! Even if you’re not much of a reader, surely there are some books you enjoy? Pick one up and spend some time getting lost in it. Don’t worry, you don’t have to read the whole book! Just read for as long as you’re enjoying it.
September 7:
National Salami Day: Indulge in savory salamis all day! Yes, you can enjoy this cured & spiced meat for every meal. Add it to eggs and salads. Use it in place of bacon. Put it on crackers or a sandwich. It’s all up to you.
Neither Snow nor Rain Day: The name of this day refers to the Post Office’s unofficial motto, as inscribed over the entrance to New York City’s central post office: “Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” It commemorates that office’s opening on September 7, 1914.
National Food Bank Day: Donate to or volunteer at a food bank to celebrate this day. St. Mary’s Food Bank opened in 1967, the very first food bank anywhere. It created this day in 2017. Not sure where to find a local food bank? Do a search here for ones that are part of the Feeding America network.
National Beer Lovers Day: Another super-simple celebration. Drink beer! You get to decide what kind. If you want to get a bit more creative, Draft Magazine suggests combining running with beer drinking. We’re not sure how good this idea is, but we’re not here to judge!
September 8:
National Iguana Awareness Day: The poor iguana is a popular pet … while it’s still tiny & adorable anyway. When these reptiles get bigger—5 feet or more!—people decide they can’t handle them any more. Or they get to be too expensive. Learn what pet iguanas need to be healthy & happy before getting one. And if you already have one, make sure you’re doing right by it.
National Ampersand Day: Use the ampersand wherever possible all day! Use it here & there & everywhere! Anywhere you find an “and”! Use different fonts & see how different the ampers& looks in them. Above all, have fun with it … lots & lots & lots of fun!
National Dog Walker Appreciation Day: Dog walkers play an important part in the lives of many doggy parents & their beloved fur babies. So in 2016 Wag! decided they needed their own day. So thank your favorite dog walker(s) & let them know how much you appreciate them!
Pardon Day: September 8 is the anniversary of the day in 1974 when Pressident Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon “ for all offenses against the United States which he, Richard Nixon, has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 20, 1969 through August 9, 1974.” Read the full pardon here. Spend your day celebrating or lamenting this particular pardon (depending on your viewpoint). Or take a more lighthearted approach & use the day to give or get pardons in your own life.
September 9:
National Teddy Bear Day: If you still have your childhood teddy bear, give it a hug today! If not you can still indulge in some nostalgia for the bear inspired by President Teddy Roosevelt’s refusal to shoot a restrained bear cub.
National Wiener Schnitzel Day: Enjoy the Austrian breaded veal meal known as wiener schnitzel. Serve it with salad or potatoes (or potato salad!). You may also make your schnitzel with other meats (pork is common), but under Austrian law that may not be called wiener schnitzel. Make it yourself with this simple recipe and tips for making it perfect.
Grandparents Day: Celebrate your grandparents today. Or your friends’ grandparents. Or any older adults who could use reminding that their lives still have value.
