DAY OF THE YEAR (1-SEPTEMBER - 2018)
1. WORLD BEARD DAY
The beard has been the symbol of manliness since time out of mine, close trimmed, full and properly manicured, even wild and bushy and out of control, the beard stands supreme. It has stood for many masculine virtues, including wisdom, strength, high social status, even sexual prowess, especially in warrior cultures. While there have been places that it hasn’t necessarily been in style, or even possible to grow for some, overall there has been a great deal of admiration and respect for someone sporting a fine beard. World Beard Day celebrates the beard and all it has been, become, and will be in days to come.
History of World Beard Day
Every year people gather in places all over the world to sport their beard, with various ways of celebrating all over the world. The origins of World Beard Day have been lost to history, which isn’t surprising considering that there is evidence that the Danish Vikings have held a day in honor of their beard going back as far as 800 AD. Back in those August days, there wasn’t a specific day held to honor the beard, but multiple celebrations throughout the region. Some of the celebrations are even a little crazy.
Take Dönskborg, Sweden for instance, where all those who lack a beard are banished from the town to spend a day and night in the nearby forest. In town, their shamefully clean-faced visages are burned in effigy by those sporting amazing beards. In southern Spain, there is a tradition of having a bearded man and a beardless boy engage in a boxing match if you can call it a boxing match when the man is armed with a sharp pike. Regardless of where you are, shaving on World Beard Day is considered to be one of the worst acts of disrespect possible, and in some places, those with beards have waited on hand and foot!
2. INTERNATIONAL TURKEY VULTURE DAY
It’s safe to say that vultures in general and turkey vultures, in particular, have a pretty bad reputation. These scavengers are usually depicted hovering over some helpless cowboy lost in an arid desert, licking their beaks in cruel anticipation. Sadly, this stereotype has some negative consequences in the real world. In order to correct it, conservation groups have made the first Saturday in September International Vulture Awareness Day, also called International Turkey Vulture Day.
The holiday, which aims to raise awareness of all species of vultures, began in South Africa and the United Kingdom but quickly spread around the world. Zoos and wildlife organizations from the United States and Canada to India, Uganda, Serbia, Australia, Tunisia and elsewhere host events where members of the public can learn more about vultures. Anyone wanting to share in the celebrations should look for a vulture event at a local zoo or wildlife park.
Those vulture fans not lucky enough to have a local event can still celebrate. Gathering a group of friends to watch a vulture-centric nature documentary can help share the love of these noble but misunderstood animals. For the ambitious, a vulture-shaped cake makes the perfect accompaniment.
The first Saturday in September has been set aside as a day to consider the ecological importance of a bird of prey that is otherwise mostly dismissed with a shudder. With some species under severe threat of extinction, today aims to educate a reluctant public in the critical role of this creature to the well-being of the environment. With vultures traditionally being perceived as representing death and decay, conservationists involved in preserving their numbers have faced an uphill battle in fund-raising efforts and in making theirs a more sympathetic cause. Hopefully, the joint effort of South Africa’s Birds of Prey Programme and England’s Hawk Conservancy Trust in establishing an international day of vulture awareness will change public attitudes. The key role of the vulture in signaling the presence of a carcass to other scavengers prevents contamination by pathogens and helps keep nature free of disease.
3. GINGER CAT APPRECIATION DAY
”Most of us rather like our cats to have a streak of wickedness. I should not feel quite easy in the company of any cat that walked about the house with a saintly expression.” ~ Beverly Nichols
There’s nothing quite like having a furry-footed feline friend bombing around your house and being the best buddy a person can ask for. Dogs may be man’s best friend, but Cats are our bosom companions, even if they can be aloof and contrary. To our mind, that just makes them more interesting! The best of all cats? The orange-furred balls of love that are Ginger Cats. Ginger Cat Appreciation
History of Ginger Cat Appreciation Day
Cats have been part of the human experience nearly as long as dogs, and have served as important a role in our lives as our canine companions. It’s likely that cats started living alongside us as a matter of mutual convenience, as our agricultural pursuits created a perfect environment for vermin to gather. These vermin also happened to comprise one of the primary food sources of the soon to be domesticated feline, and so it was convenient for them to hang around. Having become accustomed to our presence they soon moved into our homes continuing their jobs as vermin hunters, helping to prevent the spread of disease and insect pests there.
Today they continue in these roles, but they are also the closest and most loving companions we can have, even if they do get a bit cantankerous from time to time. When they aren’t lying about being the most adorable cuddle puffs you can imagine, they’re speaking about the house and engaging in their strange but wondrous feline behavior. Ginger Cat Appreciation Day celebrates the most glorious of the feline companions, the ginger cat.
4. BUILDING AND CODE STAFF APPRECIATION DAY
Happy Building and Code Staff Appreciation Day! If this is your field, then chances are you don’t feel the love every day, so live it up! Celebrate with a department lunch (that way you know you’ll be surrounded by like-minded people) or perhaps wear a smiley badge on all inspections you conduct today. If you don’t work in Building and Code, then today’s an opportunity to show your appreciation to those often overlooked people who ensure your building safety. Consider sending a box of chocolates and a note of thanks to the company or individual who performed your inspection to show you value their work, or at the very least, don’t be grumpy with your inspector today.
Since the origin of Building & Code Staff Day is unclear, it may well be a cry for recognition from within the industry itself – all the more reason to show your support!
5. EMMA M NUTT DAY
Long ago, in 1878, the first telephone operator started working for the Boston Telephone Dispatch Company. What image do you have in your mind when you think of a phone operator? Clean white blouse, sensible ankle-length skirt, and a friendly female voice? You may be surprised that the first operator was a man, in fact, all of the first ones were. But their reign wasn’t to last, in September of 1878 Emma M Nutt became the first female phone operator, and from that point forward it’s been a woman’s industry. Emma M Nutt Day celebrates this pioneer and all she and her fellow operators have done for communication since!
History of Emma M Nutt Day
As mentioned above, the first operators were all boys, and while we’re not huge fans of the phrase ‘boys will be boys’ in modern parlance, it was definitely something that was well believed back in the early days of the telephone. Boys who were put in the position of telephone operators exhibited a basic lack of patience and behaviors that included pranks and cussing, which just wouldn’t do for the people who were supposed to be the friendly voice of a telephone operator.
So it was that Emma M Nutt came to join the New England Telephone Company, and whose cultured, gentle voice set the standard for what an operator was supposed to sound like. She was a true rock star at what she did too, working a 54-hour week at a rate of $10 a month and memorizing every number in the New England Telephone Company directory. She then went on to work for the company for between 33 and 37 years, ultimately retiring. For a few years, she even worked alongside her sister Stella Nutt, creating the first sister pair of operators in history too!
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