Parkview Healthcare Facility's Parkview Outlook August 2015 | Page 3

Weird August Holidays
Imagine a month with no holidays—no national holidays with parades and picnics, no family holidays with bouquets for
Mom or ties for Dad, no holidays for sweethearts with cards and candy. Can you imagine not having a single holiday to
celebrate with friends and loved ones? Well, that’s August for you. Not a holiday in the entire month. We decided to
find some special days to commemorate. They may be weird or obscure or just plain silly, but who cares?
National Mustard Day—August 2. Founded by Jill Stengstock in 1988, the National Mustard Museum
became the official sponsor of this holiday in 1991. The purpose of this holiday is simple: to e xplore,
celebrate, and honor one of the world’s oldest and most widely used condiments. Mustard is made
from the seeds of the mustard plant. They can be used whole, ground, or cracked and mixed with
water, salt, lemon juice, and other flavorings or spices to create a paste or sauce. Mustard can also
be used dry as a pickling spice or ingredient in salad dressings or other recipes. Mustard is used
throughout the world and is popular in the cuisines of Asia, Africa, India, the Mediterranean, Europe,
and the Americas.
Friendship Day. Originating in the United States in the early 1920s, this holiday was a promotion developed by the
greeting card producers’ national association. It was popular in the early days and then died out until Joyce Hall, founder of Hallmark Greeting Cards, lobbied Congress to make it a national holiday. Ultimately she was successful, and the
first Sunday in August was declared Friendship Day by the United States Congress in 1935. Celebration of the holiday
waned in the United States in the 1940s but was kept alive in Asia. Through the years, different organizations have
declared various dates for the celebration of Friendship Day. The World Friendship Crusade suggested July 30 in 1958,
and the General Assembly of the United Nations officially made that the date of International Friendship Day in 2011.
The United States, however, has held fast to the August celebration as a time to honor the importance of friendship in
our lives.
National Dollar Day- August 8. It’s the day in 1786 when the Continental Congress adopted the dollar as the official
United States currency, replacing the British pound. Silver dollars, the first dollar coins issued, were not actually minted
until 1794. The first paper dollars were not issued until Congress chartered the First Bank
of the United States 1811 and authorized it to print paper bank notes. Dollar coins minted
in recent years are about the size of a quarter, and for this reason, most people rarely use
them. In fact, in 2012, officials from the U.S. Mint said that most of the 2.4 billion dollar
coins minted in the past five years were no longer in circulation. While the dollar doesn’t
buy as much today as it did back in 1786, it’s still worth celebrating. U.S. currency is
among the most stable in the world.
National Book Lovers Day—August 9. While the origin of this holiday is unknown, its purpose is clear: to celebrate
books and the love of reading! Print books, of course, but digital versions—ebooks—are just as vital to our enjoyment of
the written word. August 9 is the perfect day to start the new novel you’ve been meaning to read all summer, or reread
an old favorite. If you haven’t already, now is the perfect time to give an e-reader a try.
August 10 is the official Lazy Day. Relax, kick back, and well, be lazy. It’s a day made for putting off whatever it is you
think you should do until later— much later. This is not a holiday that should take too much planning. Simply locate a
comfy spot and have something cool to drink on hand.
National Aviation Day—August 19. The birthday of Orville Wright, was designated National Aviation
Day by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1939. Orville Wright piloted the Wright Flyer, the first
successful aircraft with steering controls that he and his brother Wilbur built. Aviation Day is a
federal observance but not a public holiday like Memorial Day or Independence Day.
National Senior Citizens Day—August 21. National Senior Citizens Day was proclaimed by President Ronald Reagan in
1988. He encouraged everyone to value older people and show appreciation for the contributions they’ve made to
home, family, and society in general. In his proclamation, President Reagan said, “For all they have achieved throughout life and for all they continue to accomplish, we owe older citizens our thanks and a heartfelt salute. We can best
demonstrate our gratitude and esteem by making sure that our communities are good places in which to mature and
grow older.”