JULY 10: TEDDY BEARS’ PICNIC DAY
It's time to gather your (or, anyway, someone’s) teddy bear and prepare for a picnic on Teddy Bear Picnic Day, a holiday that’s been around since the early 1900s, when first created to celebrate the joy of spending quality time with friends and family. It's an opportunity for people of all ages to come together, share stories and enjoy a delicious meal outdoors.
The words “teddy bear” invokes a warm fuzzy feeling in our minds and hearts. The humble childhood companion has worn many hats since its inception, from being a cuddly playmate to a collector’s item.
The teddy bear came to be due to a hunting trip back in 1902. The then President Theodore Roosevelt refused to shoot a bear tied to a tree, saying it would be unsportsmanlike. That inspired toymakers to make and sell stuffed toy bears with the moniker ”Teddy Bear.” Since then the teddy bear has become an integral part of people’s lives across the world and age groups. This led to the song “The Teddy Bears’ Picnic” in the 1900s. The melody was written by John W. Bratton and, many years later, Jimmy Kennedy, an Irish songwriter, added lyrics. And thus was born Teddy Bear Picnic Day, a chance to celebrate the simple and small pleasures of a picnic with these stuffed animals.
JULY 11: MAKE YOUR OWN SUNDAE DAY
Entering the hottest days of summer, we look to cool off in many ways. The pool or the beach is tops on our list. But, right behind in popularity is consuming copious amounts of ice cream. As a result, it’s only fitting that we celebrate more than a few ice cream holidays. On July 11, we have Make You Own Sundae Day. So, if you are an ice cream lover, today is a day for you to create your own version of this delectable treat. Kendal provides the basic platform (and in so many flavors!). You see to the garnishing.
Some say the history of this beloved dessert goes all the way back to 1904, created in Ithaca, New York. However, Twin Rivers, Wisconsin, claims that its own Edward Berners served the first ice cream sundae in 1881. There were ordinances in place that prohibited the sale of ice cream soda (believe it or not!); so, Berners came up with a compromise to serve this in a dish minus the soda. Ithaca or Twin Rivers? Who cares? Whoever came up with the idea, ever since then sundaes have been a classic treat with endless variations and combinations to make them uniquely delicious. Whether you like yours topped with nuts or marshmallows, hot fudge, caramel sauce, gummi bears, pretzels, or any other delectable addition, there's something special about celebrating this day by, not only enjoying the treat, but stirring those creative juices of yours and creating an ice cream sundae to fit your own idea of the incredibly delicious. Oh, yeah, and then consuming said art project with gusto!
JULY 12: PAPER BAG DAY
This day marks the invention of the paper bag, a staple in almost every American household. Paper bags are not only useful for carrying groceries and other items, but they can also be used as decorations and even fashion accessories. Today, millions of people — and even local governments — choose to switch to paper bags as the widespread use of plastic and its harmful effects on the environment raises alarm bells. There are many ways paper bags help fight against environmental pollution and climate change. Paper is biodegradable, which makes preferable to plastic, which isn’t. Paper bags are also made of renewable (ergo recyclable) raw materials. And they can be quite durable, (except when soggy), and now have a more upmarket aesthetic appeal thanks to high-end brands popularizing minimal and sustainable packaging. That’s for you folks out there who worry about your paper bags having a more upmarket aesthetic.
So, really, what isn’t to love about paper bags?!
The paper bag can be traced back to American school teacher-turned-priest-turned-inventor Francis Wolle. In 1852, he invented and patented the first paper-bag-making machine, after which he and his brother founded the Union Bag and Paper Company. In 1871, Margaret E. Knight refined Wolle’s design by inventing a machine to produce paper bags with flat boxy bottoms — the template for today’s foldable paper bags — earning her the prestigious title of “Mother of the Grocery Bag.” In 1883, Charles Stillwell tweaked Knight’s design, adding pleated sides o make it easier to carry, fold, and store. He invented the machine to produce it, and in 1912, Walter Deubener added a cord to reinforce the bags and handles for ease of carry. Ta da! The final product! We have many to thank—and that’s why we have Paper Bag Day!
JULY 13: FOOL’S PARADISE DAY
We celebrate Fool’s Paradise Day as a day to forget the worst sides of reality and embrace the fantasy world of our thoughts, and to normalize this practice and assert the importance of having a happy place to go to when things get dark and out of hand. A fool’s paradise is a made-up world we imagine, a world where we can find eternal happiness. While people might make fun of such thoughts as childish and naive, Fool’s Paradise Day is a day to embrace such a paradise and try to find happiness amid all the tension and pressure of the real world.
Being happy is an important necessity. Happiness is an emotion; it is a state of mind filled with contentment and satisfaction. We don’t usually believe that true happiness can ever be achieved. Life seems to be one long ride chasing the elusive entity called “happiness.” If reality is something that slows us down on our journey towards happiness, then there is a cheat we can use to feel a temporary euphoria. We can train our minds to find happiness in our thoughts. That is the origin of the “fool’s paradise.” In our quest to find true happiness, we can rest in our own thoughts as we define the parameters of our own happiness. With our imagination, we can create a paradise in our thoughts. Take a day off to create such a world inside your mind and enjoy some time pondering your adventure in that fantasy land.
This special day seems a bit like an oxymoron. How can a fool reach, or experience, Paradise? And, how could a place be Paradise if fools inhabit the place? Who cares? Just enjoy!
JULY 14: PANDEMONIUM DAY
Be prepared for some crazy and inane goings-on today. It is Pandemonium Day, a time of sheer bedlam and utter chaos. If ever there was a wild and whacky, unorganized day, today is that day. Everyone has a day like this once in a while. Today is a day when all sorts of unexpected things occur. It’s a time when everything is happening at the same time, and at a very fast pace. But go ahead and celebrate and embrace Pandemonium Day! Don’t let today, or any other day shake you up. If Pandemonium prevails, just go with the flow in a calm, cool manner. Sanity will return soon enough . . . we hope.
The word “pandemonium” first appeared in the 17th century, in John Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost, which retells the biblical story of Adam and Eve and their temptation by Satan. It’s a hybrid of the Greek word “pan,” meaning “all,” and the Latin word “daemonium,” meaning “demon.” In Paradise Lost, Pandemonium is the capital of Hell, where all the demons live. These days, however, it doesn’t have such scary connotations — pandemonium stands for all things chaotic, disorganized, and unpredictable. If you feel like you’re stuck in a rut and your life is too orderly, scheduled, boring, and predictable, this is a great day for you to throw the rule book out the window! The great thing about Pandemonium Day is it tells us to go ahead. Keep in mind that even though it is alright to go crazy and wild on Pandemonium Day, it shouldn’t cross boundaries. You can bend laws, as long as it doesn’t mess up someone else’s life. The point is to not allow others to dictate how you are going to celebrate your uniqueness.
Note: Today is also STEVE FISHLER’S FINAL DAY DAY. Somehow that just seems to fit. Co-incidence? Hmmmm . . .
JULY 15: NATIONAL RESPECT CANADA DAY
Hey, guys, give Canada a break—it’s having a really hard summer! Canada, often known as the Great White North, is a beautiful country with much to be proud of. It is ranked sixth in terms of entrepreneurship and seventh in terms of the ease with which you can start a new firm. Canadian law enforcement makes it one of the safest places to live in the world. Many world-famous musicians, singers, and actors have come from Canada. Not to mention its breathtaking nature: the spectacular vistas of gorgeous lakes and snow-capped mountains. For all this and more, we have National Respect Canada Day. (And, for the day, just forget about all that smoke. They’re coping.)
Really quickie Canadian history: The Vikings’ forefathers were the first foreigners to experience Canada after the Inuit crossed. Eric the Red’s son, Leif, discovered North America during a trip around 1000 AD. Jacques Cartier, a French explorer, claimed Canada in 1534 and named it New France. New France became a British province in 1759, but efforts to anglicize 70,000 French Canadians were overly ambitious. The Confederation of Canada was formed, but dissatisfaction with British authority and rebellions demanding an elected assembly resulted in the formation of a unified Dominion of Canada in 1867. During both World Wars, Canadian forces fought alongside the British. Canada was left in a position of relative strength at the close of World War II, and its standard of life surged. Finally, with the Canada Act 1982 — with the patriation of Canada's constitution from the United Kingdom, concurrent with the creation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms — Canada established complete sovereignty as an independent country.
JULY 16: NATIONAL ICE CREAM DAY
In 1984, President Reagan created National Ice Cream Day as the third Sunday in July to commemorate a treat enjoyed by over 90% of the US population. Americans still lead the world in ice cream consumption: 23 gallons a year.
There’s no known inventor of ice cream. But it’s history is as rich as gelato. Alexander the Great, in 4th century BCE, adored ice and snow flavored with nectar and honey. And the Bible indicates that King Solomon enjoyed iced drinks during the harvest season. During the Roman Empire, the great Caesar (of veni, vidi, vici fame) would send people to gather mountain snow (of veni eat, vici fame), just to cover it in fruit and juices. Or was it Marco Polo, who returned from the Far East with a recipe for what we now know as sherbet? That recipe developed into what we now know as ice cream, once called ‘‘Cream Ice.” Three hundred years later, in 1660, the Italian Francesco Procopio Dei Coltelli perfected his grandfather’s machine that produced top-quality gelato, and presented the general public with ice cream in his Paris cafe. The recipe blended milk, butter, eggs, and cream.
A guest of Governor William Bladen, provides the first mention of ice cream in the US in a letter written in Maryland in 1744. The New York Gazette, on May 12, 1777, printed the first advertisement for ice cream. Following the American Revolution, ice cream became super popular in the new USA. Since then there has been the steady progress: introduction of ice cream parlors, home machines, ice cream vans, ice cream floats, sundaes, and well-known brands such as ‘‘Ben and Jerry’s’’ and ‘‘Haagen-Dazs.” The effect of ice cream on society is so great that the brain of an ice cream lover has been likened to that of an addict. When the brain wants ice cream, it reacts like a passionate fanatic. Think lunch and dinner time at Kendal.