Author: Lisa Mungovan

A man was camping in California, when he dropped his sunglasses in a pit toilet. He must have really loved them, because he reached so deep into all the poop and pee to try to get them back, that he fell in. He was stuck inside for 15 minutes before firefighters could rescue him.

Practically everything you buy, has a barcode label on it. That block of lines, identifies what’s in the package, and how much it costs. Happy Barcode Day! It’s also World Refrigeration Day. Before refrigerators, people used ice houses, with snow or ice blocks that stayed cold under sawdust. Caves also kept things cool.

It’s Chocolate Pudding Day! I wish I had a whole lake full of chocolate pudding. Since it’s also Canoe Day, I’d get in a canoe and paddle around, splashing everyone with pudding! It’s Coconut Day as well, so my imaginary lake has coconut palm trees growing around it. It’s fun to imagine weird things!

Have you ever spotted a catfish, hanging out on the bottom of a creek? They’ve been around since the late Cretaceous period, 100,000,000 years ago. Many catfish are nocturnal, meaning active at night. Most have barbels that look like whiskers, and none of them have scales! Now you’ve learned something, for Global Catfish Day.

Imagine life in 1964. The rock and roll band named the Beatles had become an international sensation. And if you were watching them on television, it would probably have been in black and white! It wasn’t until 1965 that color TV became widely available. Celebrate Color TV Day and Global Beatles Day today!

Today is Handshake Day. Make up a secret handshake to use with your friends, and another for your parents. Practice a nice firm handshake, that will impress new people you meet. Shake your hands in the air to dry them, instead of using paper towels. Just don’t stick your hands in a milkshake!

It’s Leon Day! That’s Noel, spelled backwards, because Christmas is exactly 6 months away. Some people who make their own Christmas ornaments or gifts, get started on them now. I’d rather celebrate Strawberry Parfait Day, with a creamy, strawberry-ey, delicious layered dessert. A blue-white-and-red popsicle would also be great, for Bomb Pop Day!

A heatwave is baking much of Europe, so people must take extra care to prevent heat stroke. Stay cool by dressing in lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothes. Wear a wide-brimmed hat, stay in the shade, and take frequent breaks in the water or an air-conditioned space. Most importantly, stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water.

People used to write on parchment, which was made from animal skins. Today is Parchment Day, but it’s meant to celebrate plant-based parchment paper in the kitchen. Line your pans and cookie sheets with parchment paper, for non-sticky, easy-clean baking. You can also use it to wrap your sandwiches instead of plastic baggies.

It’s Celebration Of The Senses Day. Use your sense of sight to study your fingerprints closely, then use your sense of touch to feel the rough surface of a sidewalk. Smell some fresh coffee, and taste how bitter it is. Then listen to your mom say, “Stop drinking my coffee!”