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Monday is Earth Day, one of those "special" days that kind of fall between holidays -- the kind that you get off work or school for -- and any ordinary day that sadly does not come with a day off. Earth Day was first held in 1970 and was created to raise awareness about the planet we all live on.
We were not being very kind to the planet in the 1960s.
Rachel Carson's book "Silent Spring" got people thinking about what we were doing to the planet, the 1968 photo shot of the earth rising above the moon got many thinking how important it was to protect the planet. So did some major environmental disasters, such as the Cuyahoga River catching fire.
The first Earth Day observance hit a nerve, with 20 million Americans taking part in protests. Earth Day has now expanded to 192 countries.
Other special days are not as special, or as popular as Earth Day.
Parent's Day - The Fourth Sunday in July, was proclaimed by Bill Clinton in 1994.
Children's Day is the Second Sunday in June.
Sibling Day - Was April 10. Yep, I missed it too. Sorry Susan.
Patriot's Day - A big deal in New England, features the running of the Boston Marathon every year on the Third Monday in April. It commemorates the early battles of the Revolutionary War.
Asteroid Day is June 30 - It marks the date in 1908 when a giant asteroid exploded near Podkamennaya Tunguska River in Yeniseysk Governorate, Russia.
Well below holidays, and quasi holidays, come special days. There are hundreds of these.
Take today for instance, April 20.
It is also known as National Look Alike Day.
I have no known doppelganger, so not a day for me.
It's also Volunteer Recognition Day.
As the co-director of the News and Sentinel Half Marathon I would like to thank the hundreds of volunteers that help out each year.
We could not stage the races without you.
Thank you.
It's also National Cheddar Fries Day and National Pineapple Upside-Down Day. To round out the food category today, it is also National Lima Bean Respect Day. I didn't know people were going around disrespecting the bean, but apparently it has been a problem.
It is also National 420 Day. The day was established to promote the legalization of marijuana. It is believed to trace its roots to 1971 and a group of students at San Rafael High School in Marian County, Calif., who gathered each day to smoke the then illegal plant at 4:20 p.m.
These are just examples for today. The website www.nationaldaycalendar.com is devoted to not only listing them but explaining the origin behind them. It might be a good Sunday read for you. Enjoy a snack of nuts while you read through it, since it will be National Chocolate-Covered Cashews Day.