January 21st - Hug Day and Squirrel Appreciation Day

HOW I CELEBRATED

I saw only one clear way of celebrating Hug Day: go out in public with a 'Free Hug' sign. At first I went around at the nursing home that my Great Grandma is living in, but since that didn't amount to enough hugs for my liking as a celebration of this holiday, I walked over to the Barnes and Noble at the 7 mile location of St. John's hospital and was able to get a good dozen more hugs there, so I feel I celebrated pretty damn well.

Squirrel Appreciation Day wasn't as easy to celebrate as it would've been were it in a warmer month, but I left out some food for them today. I consider it a real shame that some genius stuck it here in the middle of winter since squirrels are one of my favourite animals, but that's out of my hands. After I post this, I think I'll try to look up a couple Squirrel Girl comic stories online. I'll probably edit links in if I'm able to find any.

HOW OTHERS MIGHT CELEBRATE

Hug everyone who will let you for Hug Day, that's the best way I can think of. Squirrel Appreciation Day is harder here in places where, like around here, it's the middle-of-freakin'-WINTER (as in freeze-your-butt-off winter), but anything to appreciate or recognize squirrels in some small way works.

HISTORICAL/CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE

Hug Day is an official holiday in Discordianism, beyond that, I'm not sure. Squirrel Appreciation Day is one of those made-up holidays.

UNOFFICIAL THEME SONG

I was not able to find or think of a good theme song for either holiday.

FOOTNOTES

Other Holidays and observances today include:

-Flag Day in Quebec

-Wellington Anniversary in New Zealand

-Lady of Altagracia Day in the Dominican Republic

-Granola Bar Day

-Stonewall Jackson's Birthday

-Catholic Feast Days for St. Agnes, Fructuosus, and Meinrad of Einsiedeln