As we’ve done in previous months, we’re going to look at the special days and holidays of this month.  As usual, this is not a complete list — those can be found elsewhere.  But I guarantee you will not find another list like this one.  This is not a mere list, because we add our own unique commentary and analysis.  In other words, we try to make it more fun.  And you are welcome to add to the discussion in the comments section.

Let’s get started with the month-long celebrations and observances in July:

• National Blueberry Month — Ah, food is a good way to get things started!  While just a blueberry by itself may not be too exciting, you can eat blueberry cobbler with vanilla ice cream together for this celebration.
• National Ice Cream Month — Speaking of ice cream… This is a joyous celebration, indeed!  And it lasts the whole month!  So obviously you should eat as much ice cream as possible.  And remember, diets don’t apply during holidays.  🙂
• National Hot Dog Month — Another food!  I’m liking July’s holidays, so far.  🙂  Hot dogs don’t get much hype and attention among adults, but they are still good.  You can boil them for a while, or microwave them if you’re in a hurry, but the best way is to grill them until they get burnt on the outside.  It’s also quite acceptable (and tasty) to cover your hot dog in chili or cheese dip (or both).
• National Anti-Boredom Month — I don’t ever get bored, because I always have stuff to do.  🙂  But for those who occasionally feel bored, let me make a few suggestions.  First, you should visit this blog every day, to keep up with all the new, original randomness.  And you should browse through the archives here (including the comments, which add to the “community” feel).  This blog has been going for over two years, and there’s a lot of funny stuff here.  If you get tired of reading, notice the food-related celebrations this month.  I don’t ever get bored with eating!  And if you get full, play some video games — they’re a lot of fun, plus they sharpen your brain and reflexes and coordination.
• Unlucky Month for weddings — What?  Don’t be ridiculous.  There’s no need for superstitions and curses and saying something is unlucky.  Weddings, like life, are what you make them to be.  And if something goes wrong during the wedding or the preparation, don’t get all surprised, because it happens to everyone.
• National Baked Bean Month — Ah, beans, the musical fruit.  I’ve also heard that beans are good for your heart…  🙂
• National Picnic Month — Picnics are a good time.  I don’t often hear of people going on picnics these days, because everyone is so busy, but it sure makes for a great break if you take it during lunch on a work day.  I like going out to the Arkansas River, at Toad Suck Park, as well as a few other places.  But it seems like every time my wife and I go on a picnic, it’s really windy that day.
• National Recreation Month — With all the food holidays crammed into July, it’s a good time for an emphasis on recreation.  You may think of recreation as playing sports or going on a hiking / camping type trip, and those things are part of it.  But the official definition says, “Refreshment of one’s mind or body after work through activity that amuses or stimulates; play.”  So that could include video games, too.  🙂

Now let’s look at the week-long observations / celebrations:

• July 15-21 — Hug Week — This is self-explanatory.

There should be more good weekly celebrations.  I could think of some things.  But I’ll get into that another time.  Now we’ll continue on to the individual day holidays / observations / celebrations:

• 1 Creative Ice Cream Flavors Day — There’s a lot of potential with this day!  My favorite blend (at the moment) is sweet cream ice cream with crumbled Oreos and graham cracker crumbs in it (from Cold Stone Creamery).  Mmm…  Since this holiday is just one day, you might have to sample several different creative flavors.
• 1 International Joke Day — On this day, you tell jokes all day.  This is especially fun during what are normally serious business meetings.  To get things started, I’ll tell a joke:  At Sunday School they were teaching how God created everything, including human beings.  Little Johnny, a child in the Kindergarten class, seemed especially intent when they told him how Eve was created out of one of Adam’s ribs.  Later in the week his mother noticed him lying down as though he were ill, and said, Johnny what is the matter?  Little Johnny responded, “I have a pain in my side.  I think I’m going to have a wife.”
• 2 I Forgot Day — I don’t know what this holiday is supposed to be about (and I’m not going to research it), so let’s look at it this way: this day, you can use “I forgot” as a valid excuse.  Like if someone doesn’t like practical jokes, you can cover their desk with foil or put a mudhole in their cubicle, and then just say you forgot they don’t like practical jokes.
• 2 World UFO Day — Why do UFOs get a holiday?  It hasn’t even been definitively proven that they exist!
• 3 Compliment Your Mirror Day — Why would you compliment your mirror?  Perhaps this is someone’s not-so-subtle attempt at creating a holiday where you can compliment yourself as you look in the mirror.  But I’m not complimenting my mirror — I think it has a grudge against me, because it always makes me look worse than I really do.
• 3 Disobedience Day — This could easily be taken too far, so keep it under control.  That is, don’t do anything illegal.  You may be thinking this takes all the fun out of it, but there are still options.  For example, I’m thinking this day I’ll disobey the teachings of health experts about eating healthy.
• 3 Stay out of the Sun Day — That means you can’t even walk in to work from your car, so you’ll just have to stay home.  Even if it’s cloudy, you have to stay home, because the sun’s UV rays go through clouds.  You’ll have to find ways to entertain yourself and pass the time inside, like by playing video games, eating, and sleeping.  🙂

Well, this list is getting long, so I’m going to continue it in the next post.   Click here to search for the other entries for July.