JUNE 19: WORLD SAUNTERING DAY
Saunter: to walk in a slow, relaxed manner, without hurry or effort. Every year, World Sauntering Day, sometimes also known as International Sauntering Day, celebrates this manner of mobility. Its purpose is to remind people to slow down and enjoy life rather than rush through it.
Slow down. In fact, try moseying. Stroll. Amble. Meander. Those who saunter don’t hurry. They absorb the wonders of nature and contemplate the weather. Destination: we’ll see when we get there. Time? There’s no schedule. And what better place to saunter than Rockwood Park or the Rockefeller Preserve? Saunter Central.
W.T. Rabe created World Sauntering Day in 1979, inspired in opposition to the growing popularity of jogging. The idea behind the day was to encourage people to slow down and appreciate the world around them.
JUNE 20: NATIONAL VANILLA MILKSHAKE DAY
Though National Vanilla Milkshake Day celebrates the frothy beverage made with vanilla ice cream, vanilla, and milk, it wasn’t always that way. The word “milkshake” first showed up in 1885 as a drink for grown-ups: a mixture of cream, eggs, and whiskey. Almost a generation later, milkshakes had become “wholesome drinks made with chocolate, strawberry or vanilla syrups.” But no ice cream anywhere in the recipe. And no blenders—the drink mixer didn’t come along until 1911. Want a milkshake, shake it yourself! In the early 1900s, a scoop of ice cream became a standard request, and by the 1930s, the milkshake as we know it had spread countrywide.
Stephen Poplawski invented the electric blender in 1922, for the direct purpose of mixing beverages like malts and milkshakes. Milkshake migrated from soda fountain to the home and more and more restaurants added milkshakes to their menus. Today, the milkshake is a staple at many restaurants and ice cream parlors. It all started with vanilla, but has expanded to a range of flavors. Vanilla, however, is still the classic choice.
JUNE 21: INTERNATIONAL T-SHIRT DAY
Every year on the first day of summer, International T-Shirt Day celebrates, well, that should be rather obvious. The theme of the day: Wear their favorite t-shirt. Popular all around the world, the t-shirt dates back to 1898. Laborers would cut their union suits in half to stay cool during the heat of the summer. The US Navy made it official in 1913 by issuing the t-shirt as an undershirt. 1920: F. Scott Fitzgerald coins the term t-shirt by including it as a piece of wardrobe in This Side of Paradise. Still, it remained a hidden piece of apparel until Marlon Brando and James Dean came along. Suddenly, the t-shirt was a fashion statement. Even then, many people considered wearing a t-shirt as wild and rebellious. In the 1950s, slogans and Disney characters helped create the graphic t-shirt. In the 1970s, t-shirts with slogans were worn as a statement, especially for protesting the Vietnam War.
Today t-shirts are worn for a slew of reasons: sheer comfort, versatility, and — as custom t-shirts — to show unity or advertise a cause. They can also be bought at concerts and sporting events. Some of the best-selling designs include INY, Superman, Rolling Stones, and Hard Rock Café.
JUNE 22: NATIONAL ONION RINGS DAY
Have a craving for all things deep-fried? National Onion Ring Day is the holiday for you! It’s unclear when onion rings first came about, but an onion ring-like recipe appeared in an 1802 cookbook, and another surfaced in a New York newspaper in 1910. Texas-based restaurant chain Kirbys Pig Stand claims a big part in onion rings’ creation, and fast food restaurant A&W helped them reach widespread popularity. There is still an ongoing debate over who deserves credit for the snack’s creation, and cooks also still argue about how to best prepare and serve onion rings for the most flavorful results. Some onion rings are even made from an onion paste, as opposed to an onion ring itself! This style of preparation can make it easier to eat the rings without accidentally yanking the onion out of the fried batter. However onion rings first came to be — and however you prefer yours prepared — they’re now a beloved snack across the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, Ireland, South Africa, some regions of Asia, and other corners of the world. They’ve also inspired countless spin-off snacks, like blooming onions and Funyun chips. So, no matter how you like them, grab a fried onion snack for National Onion Rings Day!
JUNE 23: PINK FLAMINGO DAY
Pink Flamingo Day is a fun way to appreciate the pink flamingos used as garden decor. They are a staple icon in pop culture and are popular among working-class homeowners. The pink flamingo was designed in 1957 by Don Featherstone from photos in “National Geographic.” It was one of the first projects he worked on at Union Products in Leominster, Massachusetts. He was a sculptor fresh out of art school hired by the company to create 3D plastic lawn and garden ornaments. He named the first pink flamingo Diego, and his design won him the Ig Nobel Prize for Art in 1996. He died at 79, only a few hours before Pink Flamingo Day.
The meaning of the pink flamingo has changed somewhat over the years. It was considered at one time a symbol of bad taste. In 1972, a director called John Waters released the movie entitled “Pink Flamingos.” It became infamous for its outrageousness featuring a drag queen and carrying the tagline “An exercise in poor taste.” By 1980, avant-garde galleries seized on the concept and started to display flamingo-themed installations. Baby boomers could be seen carrying pink flamingos across Europe in their backpacks. They also kayaked with them through the wilderness.
Around the 1990s, the plastic pink version became popular as housewarming gifts. The pink flamingo has different meanings to different people. It represents an influential part of popular culture. It has become a symbol for showing a sense of humor, crossing boundaries, and for those daring to be different.
JUNE 24: INTERNATIONAL FAIRY DAY
Fantasy, imagination, and a little bit of pixie dust come together in honor of International Fairy Day. These tiny supernatural creatures have captivated myth and legend for generations. Today the wee folks’ stories perpetuate animated stories, miniature garden displays, and children’s books. The idea behind International Fairy Day is to celebrate mythical creatures such as fairies, and to use their tales to teach valuable lessons to the children.
Fairies are mythical creatures said to possess magical powers. Having different origin stories from different parts of the world, there are different versions hailing from different places to describe the existence of fairies. Some call them the children of Eve, some call them fallen angels, and some consider them the sisters of elves. As far as Peter Pan goes, legend has it that the first laugh of a baby broke into several pieces and became the source of the existence of fairies and demons.
JUNE 25: COLOR TV DAY
Color TV Day marks the birth of color television and its role in our culture since its inception. It will come as no shock to Kendalites that, though most of us take color television for granted these days, this wasn’t always the case. Black-and-white TV was the first and only television programs until the middle of the 20th century, when color television began.
The first successful experiments with color TV were conducted in 1928 by Scottish inventor John Logie Baird. It wasn't until mid-century that commercial broadcasts began in America. Following the tremendous success of black-and-white broadcasting in the US, CBS researchers, under the direction of Peter Goldmark, approved a heavy and massive mechanical television system in 1950, with the first color transmission taking place in June of the following year. From then on, watching movies and shows has never been more vivid or entertaining!
Because of the expense of color television sets and the limited quantity of color television material available, black and white television sets remained popular until the mid-1960s. Color television quickly gained popularity in the US and eventually expanded around the globe. Europeans awaited the solidification of American standards, then introduced the color format in 1967, which was eventually adopted worldwide. In 1972, sales of color television sets in the US overtook black-and-white sets for the first time.