January 26th - Chinese New Year and Backwards Day

HOW I CELEBRATED


I wore my shirt backwards for Backwards Day. Despite it being an official holiday in the Discordian faith, with yesterday's nearly migraine-inducing bout of Opposite Day, I'd had enough with reversing things, so I went simple.

Chinese New Year was a bit of a let down for me. I intended to go and find a restaurant in the area properly celebrating the Year of the Ox, but ended up just coming home with some take-out General Tso's Chicken.

HOW OTHERS MIGHT CELEBRATE

Backwards Day is simple enough, but I bet it comes as a surprise to most people that it actually has an official date like this. Do something backwards, wear your shirt backwards, walk backwards, read a book from end to beginning, something like that.

Chinese New Year has so much going on, and is actually a week-long celebration, though I'm only celebrating the start of multi-day celebrations with this blog. Make some paper lanterns, have a Dragon Dance, visit friends and relatives, blow off some fireworks (if it's legal in your area, I'm not going to put myself at legal risk by telling you to do something illegal), do SOMETHING for it. It's a huge cultural tradition, and can be a lot of fun if you take the time to get into it.

HISTORICAL/CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE

As with all Discordian holidays, I'm at a loss as to the actual significance of Backwards Day to their faith, but I've decided to just not question that sort of thing and go with the flow.

The traditional twelve year cycle of animal-themed years comes from an ancient Buddhist legend stating that those twelve animals (Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Ram, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Boar, and Rat in order from this year through the cycle) that have been granted years recieved that honour as they were the only ones that came when the Buddha called a meeting of all the animals of the world. Or, at least that's what I've read, and I may be wrong.

OFFICIAL THEME SONG

There is in all probability an official tune for this day, though my research hasn't shown its identity. I'm erring on the side of caution in not looking up another one.

FOOTNOTES

-Some Discordians apparently celebrate Backwards Day on January 10th in their reforemd calendar, but in the traditional calendar that was Binary Day, so I went with their traditional dates.

Other Holidays and observances on this date include:
-Australia Day
-Liberation Day in Uganda
-Republic Day in India (one of only three National holidays there)
-National Peanut Brittle Day
-Catholic Feast Days for St. Paula, Timothy & Titus, St. Alberic, and St. Margaret of Hungary

January 14th - Bald Eagle Day

Finally caught up to the regular scheduling today after the server problems happening at Blogger HQ.

HOW I CELEBRATED

My original plans had me going over to the Detroit Zoo to see the bald eagles there, but unfortunately the extreme cold weather made that out of the question, so I just watched a program about them on Animal Planet instead.

HOW OTHERS MIGHT CELEBRATE

If you're Stephen Colbert, you should've visited Stephen Jr. If you didn't... I'm calling you out on it. Yeah, you read that right, I'm calling Stephen Colbert out if he didn't make an effort to visit his adopted bald eagle son for this! Any members of the Colbert Nation who may read this, let him know. I don't blame others for not knowing, but if you're like him and have a bald eagle in your family, you REALLY SHOULD keep track of such things. For everyone else who can, birdwatching for the species would probably be good, and for those who can't, Animal Planet seems like a good option.

HISTORICAL/CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE

It's just another random one I found online.

UNOFFICIAL THEME SONG

Today doesn't get one.

FOOTNOTES

-Stephen Colbert had better read this!

Other Holidays and observances on this date include:
-Tamil New Year
-Pongal in South India
-New Year's Day and the Day of St. Basil the Great in Eastern Orthodox
-Makar Sankranti in India
-Feast of Divina Pastora in Barquisimito, Venezuela
-Feast of the Ass
-National Dress Up Your Pet Day
-National Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day
-Catholic Feast Days for Barba'shmin, Felix of Nola, Macrina the Elder, and St. Sava

January 13th - Poetry Break Day

Finally almost caught up! I'll have today's actual post (the 14th's) up by midnight and will be back on track for tomorrow, w007!

HOW I CELEBRATED

I simply took a break to read poetry for a bit today.

HOW OTHERS MIGHT CELEBRATE

Simply doing the same as I did should suffice.

HISTORICAL/CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE

It's another of the made-up ones that I found online.

UNOFFICIAL THEME SONG

"Poets" by the Tragically Hip seems to fit.

FOOTNOTES

-This is probably the single shortest post that I'll make in this blog.

Other Holidays and observances on this date include:
-St. Knut's Day, a Swedish day ending their Christmas season with the disposal of their Christmas Trees
-Old New Year in various Russophone countries is celebrated on this night
-Make Your Dreams Come True Day
-Rubber Duckie's Birthday (yes... Ernie's toy on Sesame Street...)
-Catholic Feast Day for Hilary of Poitiers

January 3rd - Festival of Sleep Day, Fruitcake Toss Day, and Chocolate Covered-Cherry Day

HOW I CELEBRATED

Didn't I say in the initial post that I would celebrate AT LEAST one holiday for every day of the year? Today I saw three that could be celebrated in a single day, so I celebrated three of them.

For Festival of Sleep Day I had to adjust yesterday's schedule as well. I normally am relatively nocturnal, and go to sleep at around 5:30 or 6:00 in the morning, so in order to properly celebrate the day by taking a nap, I stayed up all night. Like I planned, this left me pretty exhausted, taking not one but two naps today. The first was from about 11:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. and the second, pictured below (yes, we've finally got pictures!) was after I went to my mom's house from about 4:00-6:30 P.M.

Fruitcake Toss Day I had to fudge a little bit I couldn't find an actual fruitcake to toss at Meijer (it's a superstore in the Midwest region of the U.S. for any out-of-area readers), so my mom and I decided that Nature Valley brand Fruit and Nut granola bars would be an acceptable substitute. After dinner, we held a small "fruitcake" throwing contest in the basement. I originally planned to hold it outside, but my mom refused to go out into the cold just to throw a "fruitcake", so the basement it was. The rules were whichever of us threw our acceptable substitute the farthest won in a best-out-of-three contest. My mom won because her "fruitcake" sat at an angle in the first round, thereby making it a smidge farther than mine. The following photos are a dramatic recreation of the manner in which we threw our granola bars.

(My mom's face was removed from the image by request.)

The last of the holidays for today was Chocolate-Covered Cherry Day. This was also the easiest to celebrate since that one just required buying and eating some. Like the "fruitcakes" we were able to get them at Meijer. We each had a couple chocolate-covered cherries shortly after the "Fruitcake Toss".

HOW OTHERS MIGHT CELEBRATE

Festival of Sleep Day: the site that I discovered this holiday's existence on simply said to spend some time specifically sleeping during the day. Whether you sleep in, take a nap, go to sleep early, or just sleep the whole day away, it's pretty easy to celebrate this one.

Fruitcake Toss Day is similarly simple to celebrate. All you need to do is have a fruitcake (or an acceptable substitute) and throw or toss it in some way. A competition like the one my mom and I had is recommended, but if you'd rather just fling it, go ahead. I'd recommend finding somewhere you won't break a window or hit someone, though.

If you need the proper method of celebrating Chocolate-Covered Cherry Day explained, then you just haven't been paying attention. Buying and eating some is the easiest. You could also make them then eat them, but that seems to me like more trouble than it's worth.

HISTORICAL/CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE

My research online hasn't uncovered a specific origin for Festival of Sleep Day, but common sense suggests that since the Holidays are finally over, and due to massive hangovers, many probably don't get around to cleaning up after their New Year's Eve parties until the 2nd, this holiday originally began just as an opportunity to finally rest and recuperate after the stresses and insanity of the Holiday Season.

Although I have not found any evidence to support this online, in one episode of Home Improvement, Wilson gives the Taylors a fruitcake for Christmas and tells them that British farmers would stick a fruitcake on a sleeping bull's horns then wake it from a distance. If the bull flipped it forward, the coming year would bring prosperity to the farmers, if it flipped it backwards, it would be a hard year. Like I said, however, I have found no evidence to support this claim but if it's true, the current Fruitcake Toss Day would be a bastardization of that tradition.

I have no idea why Chocolate-Covered Cherry Day exists. If anyone has any information on its origin, posting it in the comment section would be much appreciated.

UNOFFICIAL THEME SONG

I'm only going to pick a song for one of these three holidays, and since a song springs immediately to mind for Festival of Sleep Day, that's the one I'm going with. The song is "Daysleeper" by R.E.M. (For anyone who understands the mechanics of sleep, their name is a bonus connection to the holiday, for anyone who doesn't... look it up.)

FOOTNOTES

Other holidays/observances for this date:

-The ancient Romans held a festival in honour of the goddess Pax

-The Catholics hold a feast day in honour of St. Geniveve

-Fantasy author J.R.R. Tolkien was born on this day

-Humiliation Day (not what you think)

January 1st - New Year's Day

HOW I CELEBRATED

Naturally, the first post, and the first celebration, for any challenge like this is New Year's Day. Not being much of a drinker, or legal to drink anyway, I have no hang-over to nurse, so today I have spent much of the afternoon watching the traditional Twilight Zone marathon on the SciFi channel. I chose not to take a photo of myself in front of the television as you'd be unlikely to make out what is on the screen anyway, but I have taken a list so far as to what episodes have been on in the interest of providing some sort of minor evidence to my viewing of the marathon.

3:00-3:30 - Night of the Meek
3:30-4:00 - A Game of Pool
4:00-4:30 - Nick of Time
4:30-5:00 - Number 12 Looks Just Like You
5:00-5:30 - Stopover in Quiet Town
5:30-6:00 - The Bewitchin' Pool
6:00-6:30 - Probe 7... Over and Out

Last night had a few of my favourites as well, including "In Praise of Pip" "To Serve Man" and "Five Characters in Search of an Exit". In my estimation, Rod Serling was a genius at choosing episodes for his landmark series.

Sure, watching this marathon isn't much of a celebration, I'll admit, but the year is young, and it is a personal tradition.

Also, for anyone who's wondering, this Holiday challenge is my actual New Year's Resolution (ironically, going through with this would be going against the unofficial tradition of breaking one's New Year's Resolutions. I can look past that, though).

HOW OTHERS MIGHT CELEBRATE

Just like many celebrate New Year's Eve with drinking, watching the ball drop in Times Square on television (or in person), a kiss at midnight, and the first few lines of "Auld Lang Syne", many also celebrate today by nursing a big ol' hangover. With this in mind, I thought I might dicuss with whatever readers I may have amassed so early on in my blogging the cause of hangovers and some good cures for them.

Hangovers tend to be caused by one or more of the following problems: hypoglycemia, dehydration, vitamin B12 deficiency, and/or acetaldehyde intoxication. Taking that into account, a good first step in nursing one would be to drink a bunch of water and take a vitamin B12 pill or two. Give that a while to begin working, and if that doesn't help, then you should definitely have something to eat, and probably some juice as well, to help bring up your blood sugar levels. Fresh air and exercise are also known to help.

As for non-hangover related celebrations, the Catholic Church traditionally has a feast to celebrate Christ's circumcision, it is also the Holy Day of Obligation in Catholicism, the Rose Bowl is usually played on this day in California, the Polar Bear Club in New York has its first dip of the year, the New Year's Concert in Vienna, a New Year's parade is traditionally held in London (England, not Ontario), and I'm sure there are many other traditional celebrations held worldwide as well.

HISTORICAL AND/OR CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE

The most basic bit of cultural significance is obvious for this day as it is the first day of the new year in the Gregorian calendar. Please note, however, that this is not true for all cultures. The Chinese calendar, for example changes to a new year at a different point in the year's cycle than for those of us who are celebrating it today (and yes, the Chinese New Year is on the schedule of holidays for me to celebrate, though I don't plan to celebrate for the whole week, but I digress). Winter Solstice celebrations are another example of the year changing at a different Gregorian date.

The current calendar system wasn't always in place, either. Though the Gregorian calendar was only canonized in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII (whom it is named after), it is simply a reform of the earlier Julian calendar (introduced by Roman emperor Julius Caesar, and in itself a reform of the earlier Roman calendar). It was Aloysius Lilius that proposed the Gregorian reform to the calendar system and introduced the concept of a leap year to even out the length of the years and prevent the time of year at which the year would end from varying too much over the course of a decade or so.

Gregory XIII also set January 1 as the date of the year's change from the traditional Roman (and likely other agrarian cultures') celebration of it near Spring at the beginning of March. While I have not personally researched enough to be certain, I would assume that he changed it as such to coincide better with the birth of Jesus Christ, the savior of the various forms of the Christian religion.

UNOFFICIAL THEME SONG

The obvious choice for most people who listen to popular music would be "New Year's Day" by U2, but my personal choice would be "Happy New Year" (and the subsequent voice mail and reprise) from the musical RENT.

FOOTNOTES

Other occurrances on this date include:
-U.S. Copyright Expiration Day
-The Last Day of Kwanzaa
-Liberation Day in Cuba
EDIT: 50th Anniversary of Cuba's Liberation
-Independance Day in Sudan
-Independance Day in Haiti
-Catholic feast observances for St. Basil, Fulgentius of Ruspe, and Telemachus
-Z Day which is apparently a holiday on which to celebrate the letter 'Z'