“Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun…..”
– from Ode To Autumn by John Keats
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September is a very popular month for declaring unusual “holidays.” September 13, September 16 and September 22 are especially crowded.
And there’s something about hats and the month of September. Not only is this Fall Hat Month, but September 15 is Make a Hat Day AND Felt Hat Day.
September is also
International Square Dancing Month, National Courtesy Month, Self Improvement Month, and
Better Breakfast Month. So by October, we should all be: more fit through dancing; more courteous; and much better people – both outside and in, since we’ll be self-improved and eating better breakfasts.
The First Week in September is International Enthusiasm Week, so it’s an especially good time to embark on all this month’s lofty goals.
Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
September 7 – Labor Day (First Monday in September)
In response to the growing popularity of city and state observances of Labor Day, Senator James Henderson Kyle of South Dakota introduced S. 730 to the 53rd Congress to make Labor Day a legal holiday on the first Monday of September each year. It was approved on June 28, 1894.
AND
September 7 is
“Neither Rain nor Snow Day”
which celebrates the opening of the main New York Post Office building on this day in 1914.
The inscription on the James Farley Post Office in New York City reads:
“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”
This was added to the building by William Mitchell Kendall of the architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White, the building's architects. It’s a translation by Prof. George Herbert Palmer, Harvard University, from an ancient Greek work of Herodotus describing the Persian system of mounted postal carriers c.500 B.C.E.
The quote derives a passage in Herodotus' Histories:
“It is said that as many days as there are in the whole journey, so many are the men and horses that stand along the road, each horse and man at the interval of a day’s journey; and these are stayed neither by snow nor rain nor heat nor darkness from accomplishing their appointed course with all speed.”
—Herodotus, Histories (8.98) (trans. A.D. Godley, 1924)
It has never been adopted by the U.S. Postal Service, which has no official motto.
September 8 – International Literacy Day
Read a book, or even better read one to a child or a shut-in
September 9 – Teddy Bear Day
Hug your teddy, and give one to someone who needs some comforting
September 10 – Swap Ideas Day
Please share any ideas you want to swap in the
Comments below.
September 11 – Patriot Day/National Day of Service and Remembrance, but ALSO
National Make Your Bed Day.
September 12 – Chocolate Milk Shake Day,
National Video Games Day (see also Video Games Day in July)
AND, a day we can all use:
National Encouragement Day
September 13 – Defy Superstition Day: Walk under a black cat or pet a ladder
ALSO on September 13:
Fortune Cookie Day: Anyone else see a conflict with defying superstition here?
Grandparent's Day (first Sunday after Labor Day)
National Kids Take Over the Kitchen Day: scary fun?
National Peanut Day: Only for those who aren’t allergic
National Pet Memorial Day (second Sunday in September):
Break out the photo albums and Kleenex
Uncle Sam Cartoon by Thomas Nast
Positive Thinking Day:
We need more than one of these days!
AND
Uncle Sam Day: In September, 1813, the United States got its nickname, Uncle Sam, when a local newspaper ran a story about Samuel Wilson, a meat packer from Troy, New York, who supplied barrels of beef to the United States Army during the War of 1812. Wilson (1766-1854) stamped the barrels with “U.S.” for United States, but soldiers began referring to the grub as “Uncle Sam’s.” Then in the late 1860s and 1870s, political cartoonist Thomas Nast began popularizing the image of Uncle Sam.
September 14 – National Cream-Filled Donut Day
AND National Boss/Employee Exchange Day
On this day, you and your boss can switch places for the day and see if you can do each other’s jobs. Or you could just eat donuts together!
September 15 – Make a Hat Day, Felt Hat Day AND National Thank You Day
Rumor has it that
Make a Hat Day was started by a preschool teacher. As for
Felt Hat Day, cooler weather is beginning in some parts of the country, so time to take out your felt hat and put away your straw boater. And a day to say “Thank You” fits in nicely with
National Courtesy Month.
September 16 – Trail of Tears Commemoration Day
AND:
Anne Bradstreet Day –
She was the most prominent early North American poet in English and the first female writer in the British American colonies to be published, and a well-known Puritan figure. Anne Bradstreet died on September 16, 1672.
ALSO on September 16:
Collect Rocks Day
Step Family Day
Mayflower Day
Mexican Independence Day
National Play Doh Day
Working Parents Day
September 17 –
Constitution Day/Citizenship Day
According to the Library of Congress: “…..observed each year on September 17 to commemorate the signing of the Constitution on September 17, 1787, and “recognize all who, by coming of age or by naturalization, have become citizens.”
September 18 – National Cheeseburger Day
September 19 –International Talk Like A Pirate Day
September 20 –Oktoberfest begins, date varies
ALSO on September 20:
This year, Oktoberfest is sharing the date with National Punch Day, which celebrates the traditional punch base recipe of five key ingredients, which most punches still use – alcohol, fruit, sugar, water, and spices or tea.
AND:
National Women's Friendship Day - third Sunday in September.
The Kappa Delta Sorority started this day in 1999. So raise your beer stein or punch cup in a toast to the women friends in your life!
September 21 – World Gratitude Day
ALSO on September 21:
The International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by resolution 36/67 of the United Nations General Assembly to coincide with its opening session, which was held annually on the third Tuesday of September. The first Peace Day was observed in September 1982. In 2001, the General Assembly by unanimous vote adopted resolution 55/282, which established 21 September as an annual day of non-violence and cease-fire.The United Nations invites all nations and people to honour a cessation of hostilities during the Day, and to otherwise commemorate the Day through education and public awareness on issues related to peace.
September 22 –
National Centenarian’s Day
National White Chocolate Day
AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Day
American Business Women’s Day
Car Free Day
Dear Diary Day
Elephant Appreciation Day
Hobbit Day
National Ice Cream Cone Day
International Day of Radiant Peace
National Woman Road Warrior Day – Fourth Tuesday in September
National Voter Registration Day – Fourth Tuesday in September
Whew! THAT is a really overcrowded day!
September 23 – Celebrate Bisexuality Day
ALSO on September 23:
National Dogs in Politics Day/Checkers Day
On Sept. 23, 1952, Sen. Richard Nixon of California, running mate of Dwight D.Eisenhower, gave a televised and radio-broadcast address to refute charges he used some of an $18,000 campaign fund for personal use. But the speech earned its nickname when Nixon mentioned one donated item sent to his family as a personal gift, and he had no intention of returning it:
“A man down in Texas heard Pat [Nixon’s wife] on the radio mention the fact that our two youngsters would like to have a dog. And, believe it or not, the day before we left on this campaign trip we got a message from Union Station in Baltimore saying they had a package for us. We went down to get it. You know what it was? It was a little Cocker Spaniel dog in a crate that he’d sent all the way from Texas. Black and white spotted. And our little girl — Tricia, the six-year old — named it Checkers. And you know, the kids, like all kids, love the dog and I just want to say this right now, that regardless of what they say about it, we’re gonna keep it.”
This got such a favorable response that it saved Nixon’s political career.
September 24 – National Cherries Jubilee Day
AND National Punctuation Day
September 25 – National Comic Book Day AND Math Story Telling Day
ALSO on September 25:
Native American Day - In 1989 the South Dakota legislature unanimously passed legislation to proclaim 1990 as the “Year of Reconciliation” for Native Americans and to change Columbus Day to Native American Day.
September 26 – International Rabbit Day - promotes the protection and care of rabbits both domestic and wild. What’s up, Doc? Shouldn’t this be in the spring?
ALSO on September 26:
National Johnny Appleseed Day is the anniversary of John Chapman’s birth, not to be confused with the March 11 Johnny Appleseed Day (? – His traditional date of death was March 18)
September 27 – Crush a Can Day
September 28 – Ask a Stupid Question Day
(I love this one!)
ALSO on September 28:
National Good Neighbor Day
September 29 –
Confucius Day, celebrated with Festivals all across China. This is the date known as the Anniversary of the birth of Confucius, which is also Teacher's Day.
"Our greatest glory is not in never falling,
but in rising every time we fall."
ALSO on September 29:
National Coffee Day –
I know a lot of us will be celebrating this one!
(International Tea Day is December 15)
September 30 –
International Blasphemy Day, encourages openly expressed criticism of religion and blasphemy laws. It was founded in 2009 after a student presented the idea to the Center for Inquiry in Amherst, New York. Ronald Lindsay, president and CEO of the Center for Inquiry said, "We think religious beliefs should be subject to examination and criticism just as political beliefs are, but we have a taboo on religion."
If you have a birthday or other important date in September, I hope it falls on a day that is auspicious for you. And if you know someone who could use a ray of sunshine, send them a silly card celebrating one of these "holidays."
Thanks to 2thanks for technical advice. I hope you think I put it to good use.
http://nationaldaycalendar.com/...
http://www.holidayinsights.com/...
http://www.un.org/...