Unusual and Wacky Holidays: Fun Article Ideas
by Amy O'Quinn
July is almost here! Everyone is looking forward to July 4th and the parades, picnics, and fireworks this special day brings. However, Independence Day is not the only celebratory date on the calendar. For example, will you indulge your sweet tooth on Chocolate Day on the 7th? How about lick a lollipop and savor the sweetness on National Lollipop Day on the 20th? Or will you promenade your peace lily down city streets or gallivant your gloxinia around the block in honor of ‘Take Your Houseplants for a Walk Day’ on July 27th? Seriously! There really is such a day, and believe it or not, there are many more holidays, just as weird and wacky, all through the year! And these unusual days can provide a nice change of pace for generating article ideas for print or online publications. The ideas are truly endless.
Why Use Whimsy?
Many publications and websites work off seasonal or monthly themes, so why not try to incorporate some of these interesting and whimsical holidays into your submission plans? When you are stuck for ideas, browsing the monthly crazy holiday calendars might give you the spark of inspiration you need to start writing. Even if you don’t plan to submit information about the holiday itself, it may provide direction for a related non-fiction piece or an idea for a fictional story.
Unusual Holiday Samplings
As I was looking through the list of unusual holidays at www.brownielocks.com/month2.html, I discovered some gems. Here is a sampling from each month:
January:
3rd-J.R.R. Tolkien Day (This could tie into the perpetual Hobbit and Lord of the Rings craze).
8th-Bubble Bath Day 2nd Monday-National Clean Off Your Desk Day
February:
1st- G.I. Joe Day
9th-National Stop Bullying Day
Last Saturday-International Sword Swallowers Day
March:
2nd-Dr. Seuss Day
14th- Pi Day (3.14)
20th-National Agriculture Day
April:
3rd-Pony Express Day
15th-World Art Day (DaVinci’s birthday)
23rd-Talk Like Shakespeare Day
May:
First Saturday-Kentucky Derby Day
13th-Frog Jumping Day
24th-Morse Code Day
June:
5th-Hot Air Balloon Day
Saturday closest to the 15th-World Juggling Day
First Friday after Father’s Day-Take Your Dog to Work Day
July:
6th-World Kiss Day
Third Saturday-National Hot Dog Day
Fourth Saturday-National Day of the Cowboy
August:
4th-National Chocolate Chip Day
13th-International Left Hander’s Day
30th-National Toasted Marshmallow Day
September:
7th-Salami Day
18th-Air Force Day
19th-Talk Like a Pirate Day
October:
6th-Mad Hatter Day
21st-Reptile Awareness Day
31st-National Knock-Knock Joke Day
November:
2nd Sunday-International Tongue Twister Day
18th-Mickey Mouse Day
21st-World Television Day
December:
8th-Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day
17th-Wright Brothers Day
28th-Pledge of Allegiance Day
There are other sites where you can find unusual and crazy holidays. However, I really like the Brownie Locks site (referenced above), because not only are holidays listed by individual dates, there are also references to monthly and weekly events and observances as well. Plus, the site validates each entry and provides links to the ‘official’ website of each holiday if it is available.
Pick A Date
Of course, there are more than a few ridiculous or absurd days on the monthly calendars, but that’s the fun of research! You never know what might inspire your creative juices or lead you down a few bunny trails where you might discover a great topic. So go ahead, pick a date on the calendar. Do a little digging. It could be the starting point of YOUR next story or article!
*Article originally appeared on The Work Writer's Club website HERE.