JULY 31: UNCOMMON INSTRUMENTS AWARENESS DAY
On Uncommon Instrument Awareness day, It’s time for a bit of music appreciation — only of the less-common variety. This unusual holiday motivates everyone to learn about — and try — a new and unusual musical instrument.
Music is integral to a society’s culture. Statues in ancient Cyprus show people playing the lyre. The ancient Cyprians also used animal-shaped rattles that might have been used to keep a beat, scare off evil spirits, or as a toy for young children. The ancient Romans invented the “hydraulis,” which worked when water pressure from a tank forced air up into the keys and pipes. Assistants worked the pumps, while it was played, to keep the water pressure high. Ancient Greeks were used the “auloi,” a pipe made of wood, bone, or metal with a reed inserted at its end to produce sound. In Asia, Buddhists used trumpets made of different materials — like conch shells — to call monks to services. The ancient Egyptians, too, had their own special musical instruments that looked like harps, lutes, and oboes.
Over the years, new and uncommon inventions have increased the wide variety of musical instruments. In the 12th century, a medieval instrument, called the “citole,” resembled a guitar, but was actually the precursor to the violin. In the 19th century, electric instruments started coming around. In the 20th century, the Soviet government sponsored research into “proximity sensors” which resulted in the theremin (named after its inventor), an electric instrument played without being touched. It has since been used in film scores, on television, and occasionally in pop and rock music.
AUGUST 1: NATIONAL PLANNER DAY
On National Planner Day planner lovers celebrate their devotion to these organizational tools, reflecting on how planners can change lives for the better. 2018 was the year National Planner Day launched. Not used to using a planner? National Planner Day can be the boost to starting to use one. Already a planner lover? Then you know its critical role in to stay organized and on track. National Planner Day is the best time to have well-prepared strategies written on a planner — about how to celebrate the day.
Planners have various formats, from digital to paper formats. The function is the same: to help keep track of things in your life. Planning is essential because, without it, life can get overwhelming. A planner serves a similar purpose as a personal assistant, helping you stay organized, focused, and motivated. (However, sadly, it will not bring you coffee.) If you’re not used to using a planner, start small, charting simple daily plans, leading up to more detailed plans for the year ahead. Having plans written down provides satisfaction as one thing is finished. It keeps you motivated to finish the others things on your list.
AUGUST 2: DINOSAURS DAY
Dinosaurs first appeared around 245 million years ago. It’s still a bit of a mystery why and how they became extinct. Dinosaurs Day is the day to remember them —and to note that human beings did not always rule the planet. The earliest known published record of dinosaur remains was in 1820. Dinosaur fossils have been found on all seven continents. The word Dinosauria was coined by Richard Owen, an English anatomist in 1842. The word comes from the Greek word “deinos”—meaning terrible or fearfully great—and “sauros,” meaning reptile or lizard. He applied the term to three animals whose fossilized bones had been found, both larger and with more vertebrae than any found before.
Dinosaurs first appeared at the beginning of the Middle Triassic Epoch, and existed for about 180 million years, going extinct about 66 million years ago at the end of the Cretaceous Period. The period they lived in is called the Mesozoic Era. During this time, there were many changes. Various dinosaur species replaced other species. There were at least 700 species of dinosaurs, and possibly more than 1,000. Some were bipedal — they walked on two legs — some were quadrupedal — they walked on all fours. Some switched back and forth. Some had feathers, others had what was almost body armor. Some ran fast, others were slow. Most were herbivores, but some were carnivores.
At the end of the Cretaceous Period, big biotic changes occurred. Many other animals and plants died at that time. Theories abound as to why dinosaurs died out: disease, heat waves, cold spells, changing sea levels, terrific volcanic activity, the emergence of egg-eating mammals, X-rays from an exploding supernova. One common theory is that an asteroid smashed to earth, spread ash widely, and shifted the earth's climate. All dinosaurs did not die out at the same time. Scientists also believe that some dinosaurs may have evolved into birds.
AUGUST 3: NATIONAL WATERMELON DAY
On National Watermelon Day, we celebrate this ancient berry in a feast of juicy deliciousness.
The watermelon we enjoy today is the result of mutations over the course of a thousand years of cultivation. It — watermelons, that is — all started in Ancient Egypt. Watermelon cultivation began in the Nile Valley as early as the second millennium BC. Paintings of different types of watermelon have been found in ancient Egyptian inscriptions. Watermelon seeds were even found in King Tut’s tomb.
Watermelon seeds were sold to traders passing through the trade routes in the Kalahari Desert in Africa. From there, the cultivation of the watermelon spread across Africa, then onward into Mediterranean countries and other parts of Europe. By the end of the 9th century, watermelon cultivation became common in China and the rest of Asia.
The word “watermelon” first appeared in the English dictionary in 1615. The watermelon is commonly known as a type of melon, but it is not in the genus Cucumis. While the word “watermelon” refers to both the fruit and the plant, to botanists the plant is a “pepo.” The pepo is a berry — a really big berry — with a thick rind and fleshy center. Watermelons produce a juicy, sweet interior flesh ranging from deep red to pink. However, sometimes it comes in orange, yellow, or white. Over 300 varieties of watermelon are available in the US, ranging from red to white, and come in different shapes and sizes. With proper growing conditions, watermelons grow to enormous sizes — 92% of which is water. Around the world, competitions award prizes each year for the largest one. The Guinness Book of World Records lists the heaviest watermelon weighing in at 262 pounds.
AUGUST 4: INTERNATIONAL BEER DAY
Beer: one of the oldest drinks ever known. International Beer Day gives fans worldwide an extra reason to raise a mug to this refreshing beverage. Beer manages to do what politicians have tried to do for centuries: unite people in a common cause for good. With a frosty mug or stein, we relax, sit down and converse. Convivial or not, calm or animated, somehow beer makes it possible to agree to disagree and still walk away friends. Plenty of us have no doubt solved many of the world’s problems over a few pints of beer.
Humans throughout the globe have been fascinated with beer since the first fermeneted grains were accidentally discovered, producing a bubbly aromatic product someone dared to taste, then drink, felt a lovely buzz, smiled, and said, “More, please.” Mankind has been obsessed ever since with perfecting beer recipes and brewing processes.
The oldest evidence of brewing beer dates back to ancient Babylonia and Mesopotamia. Archaeologists have unearthed recipes for beer written on clay tablets in 4300 BC. Ceramic vessels from 3400 BC are still sticky with beer residue. Everyone drank beer in ancient Egypt as part of their everyday diet: pharaohs, peasants, priests, even children. By the Middle Ages, Christian monks introduced the use of hops. Until then, beers were brewed with local additives like dates and olive oils to add flavor. Today’s beers continue to be brewed with hops, herbs, or fruits. Macro, micro, or craft, the art of brewing beer today employs age-old techniques carefully perfected over centuries and millennium.
Jesse Avshalomov founded International Beer Day back in 2007. His reasons?
· Gather with friends and enjoy the taste of beer
· Celebrate those responsible for brewing and serving beer
· Unite the world under the banner of beer by celebrating beers of all nations together on a single day
AUGUST 5: NATIONAL MUSTARD DAY
Ground from the seeds of the mustard plant, mustard is one of America’s favorite condiments. We can all celebrate this versatile topping on National Mustard Day. The National Mustard Museum (yes, there is one) started the observance and celebrates the day every first Saturday in August. Of course, you don’t have to go to the museum to take part. On your own you can try out as many mustards as possible: the standard yellow American style, French Dijon mustard, Bavarian sweet mustard, tangy beer mustard!
Mustard has been in the world for centuries. Believed to have originated in ancient Egypt, it was used for medicinal purposes as well as for a spice. The Greeks and Romans followed suit, using mustard for both flavoring and as an herbal remedy, a cure for a range of ailments, from snakebites to hysteria.
Next stop, Northern France, where it was cultivated by monks. The word “mustard” is derived from the word “mosto” or “grape muss,” a type of unfermented wine the monks mixed with mustard seeds. Monasteries started producing large amounts of mustard in the 9th century. It turned into quite a money-maker. Dijon, France, is the home of prepared mustard, or modern mustard as we know it, created in the 13th century. Pope John XXII of Avignon, who loved mustard, created a special post of Grand Moustardier du Pape or the Grand Mustard-Maker, to which he appointed his nephew.
At the beginning of the 19th century, mustard became an industrial-level food. The British were the first mustard millers, finely milling mustard into a powder. In 1904, the modern yellow mustard was introduced in Rochester, NY, paired with the classic American hot dog.
Depending on the kind of mustard, flavors and color vary. There’s white or yellow mustard known as Sinapis hirta. Brown or Indian mustard comes from Brassica juncea. And black mustard comes from Brassica nigra. The mustard seed can be used in cooking, too: whole, ground, cracked, or bruised. When mixed with liquids such as water, lemon juice, or broth, mustard produces different textures and flavors. As a paste, it is used as a sauce or even a marinade. And then there are dry rubs for roasts, chicken, or chops, made by mixing mustard with other seasoning.
AUGUST 6: WIGGLE YOUR TOES DAY
National Wiggle Your Toes Day, simply put, is a fun day for showing off your nether digits. Let your toes breathe in open sandals and indulge in some public wiggling adventures on this day. Toes simply don’t get the attention they deserve. After all, they’re responsible for helping us stand straight, provide gripping, and help make walking effortless. National Wiggle Your Toes Day offers us the chance to show off our toes, encouraging us to give our feet (and toes) a little extra attention. Go ahead: indulge in a pedicure to celebrate!
There seems to be no real information on who, how, or when National Wiggle Your Toes Day came into existence. Well, surprise, surprise. What we do know is that the easiest way to celebrate the day is by simply letting your “ten little piggies” see the light of day. The poem, “Ten Little Piggies” nursery rhyme dates back to 1728 when it was first featured in a medley known as “The Nurses’ Song.” The first full version was published in London in 1760.
So, take a walk in the fresh grass and give your phalanges a little vacation. Another thing naked toes like to do is dangle in the water. Take them for a swim. Afterward, give them a gentle massage. Can’t reach them? That’s what friends and spouses are for.