Category: National Observance Days

GivingTuesday2020

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Tomorrow is Giving Tuesday! GivingTuesday was brought to life in 2012 with the idea of encouraging people to do good. In the past eight years, it has “grown into a global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.” source Now, GivingTuesday is an annual event held each year on the Tuesday after the U.S.A. Thanksgiving celebration. This year, it falls on December 1st! It’s held the same day for participating countries. Want to celebrate GivingTuesday? All it takes is kindness; you can give your voice, time, money, goods, and/or advocacy to support the communities, causes, and people in your life. 

Visit the official Giving Tuesday website for more information HERE. 

Wishing You a Happy Thanksgiving!

Debbie Roney Smith on

The United States of America, or at least the area that would become the U.S.A., first called for a national day of thanksgiving to celebrate victory over the British in the Battle of Saratoga in 1777. However, it didn’t officially become a sanctioned holiday until 1863, thanks to the efforts of author Sarah Josepha Hale (you might know her from the poem “Mary Had a Little Lamb”). 

Here’s a fascinating story you can share this year to wow people with the breadth of your knowledge!

Image having 26 elephants worth of extra turkey!!!

In 1953, C.A. Swanson & Sons overestimated demand for Thanksgiving turkey and had over 260 TONS of extra frozen birds. In the end, an employee came up with the idea to order 5,000 aluminum trays, devise a new turkey meal, and use an assembly line of workers to put together the meal on the trays. And thus the first frozen TV tray dinner was created! It was such a hit that the next year, 1954, the company put the TV trays into production and sold 10 million turkey tray dinners. Nowadays, the global frozen food market size is valued at approximately $291.3 billion (as of 2019).

National Day of Mourning is For Honoring

Debbie Roney Smith on

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving as well as the National Day Of Mourning! The Day of Mourning has been observed annually since 1970 on the fourth Thursday in November. This year, 2020, this annual support rally is going to be held the same day as Thanksgiving. The National Day of Mourning rally is organized by the United American Indians of New England (UAINE). The UAINE is an autonomous, Native-based organization focused on confronting racism and fighting for the freedom of people who were imprisoned for political reasons. Their Day of Mourning rallies not only bring new perspectives and fondness for Native American culture but also bring about positive social changes such as revisions on how American history is portrayed.

From the UAINE Facebook Page

To celebrate and observe the National Day of Mourning, consider learning about the various complex, rich cultures of indigenous nations in what is now the United States. Looking for somewhere to start? Visit the First Nations Development Institute website HERE. Or consider using the Native Land Digital interactive map (click here!) to learn more about territory awareness. Or visit the UAINE official website HERE. 

National Parents as Teachers Day

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National Parents as Teachers Day is today. Observed annually on November 8th since 2001, it was originally put forth by The Parents as Teachers Centre in Missouri in the 1970s; Missouri educators had witnessed children starting kindergarten with various levels of school readiness in correlation to their parental involvement. Now, National Parents as Teachers Day recognizes the parent educators as well as the organizations that offer parents’ education services across the country. During this trying time, existing amongst the global pandemic, more parents than ever are fulfilling the role of parent and teacher for their children. Parent educators give parents of young children support and information so all children can learn, grow, and develop to realize their full potential. 

Book Lovers’ Day

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Book Lovers Day has been observed annually on the first Saturday of November which falls on November 7th this year! Additionally, the holiday is celebrated annually on August 9th. Books are so good, they get double the love!

Read some fun facts about reading and books below!

  • Children learn 4-12 thousand new words each year through reading (on average). 
  • One tree can produce approximately 50 books.
  • In the USA, 57 books are purchased per second on average.
  • Reading helps reduce stress, keeps the brain sharp, can aid in sleep, and increases empathy. 

National Stress Awareness Day

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National Stress Awareness Day is run by the International Stress Management Association (ISMA), and is held annually on November 4th. 

So what exactly is stress? Stress is your body’s reaction to pressure from a certain situation or event. It can be a physical, mental, or emotional reaction. It can be incredibly debilitating to deal with any kind of stress on a regular basis. The goal of this annual day of awareness is to raise awareness of stress, its impact, reduce stigma, and promote the importance of well-being and stress reduction for individuals and organizations.

Looking for more information? Try this site to begin your search: CLICK HERE!

Election Day

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Florida was among a number of states that experienced unprecedented pre-Election Day voting, likely a trend caused by COVID-19 and increased public awareness of voting rights and processes. As of Sunday evening, 8.974 million ballots had been counted in Florida, nearly matching the entire 9.5 million votes cast in the entirety of the 2016 presidential election. However, if you were one of those who did not vote by mail or participate in early voting dates, today is the day – Election Day 2020! Remember:

  • Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. 
  • Need help locating your polling place? Visit the FDS Voter Information Lookup. 
  • For everyone’s safety, please wear a mask when voting in person. Additionally, most locations will have hand sanitizer, masks, and gloves available. 
  • Bring current, valid photo identification with a signature. Approved forms of photo identification are: Florida driver’s license; United States passport; debit or credit card; military identification; student identification; more specific allowances listed HERE. 

National Make a Difference Day

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An unofficial secular holiday that’s held annually on the fourth Saturday of October, National Make A Difference Day was founded in 1992 – just shy of three decades worth of service, kindness, and human goodness! It is a day inspired by the now-defunct USA Weekend, although at the time it was the second-largest national newspaper. 1992 was a leap year, so USA Weekend suggested to its readers that they should take the extra day to make a difference by doing something good for their communities or for those in need. Alongside Points of Light, USA Weekend helped sponsor the largest national day of community service for more than twenty years! Now, the ‘national holiday’ is celebrated by those communities, organizations, and individuals who remember the positive changes it fostered while it was actively sponsored and promoted. 

So continue this beautiful, giving day by offering kindness, your time, your services, or donate to those in need near you. Looking for a volunteer event near you? Be sure to try Facebook and other social media sites, as well as look into your local news sources or organizations. Or try one of the sites below:

United Way Volunteer Opportunities Search

AARP’s Create the Good Volunteer Search

Volunteer Match established in 1998

Indigenous Peoples’ Day

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Indigenous Peoples’ Day is an opportunity to celebrate and remember the indigenous populations that protected and cultivated the lands the United States is blessed to have prior to their mass genocide and colonization. According to the United States Census Bureau, in 2010, approximately 5.2 million people in the U.S. identified as Indigenous American and Alaskan Native, either alone or in combination with one or more other races. Currently, there are over 600 Native Nations in the U.S. It is an important day meant to recognize the achievements and contributions indigenous people have and continue to make to improve world issues; for example, many distinct tribes, nations, and peoples’ are working hard for environmental protection.

Indigenous Peoples’ Day has grown to an international level, and now works to promote and protect the rights of the world’s indigenous people. The first International Day of the World’s Indigenous People was observed in Geneva in 1982 by the UN. In the U.S., the following states officially celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day: Alabama, Alaska, District of Columbia, Hawai’i, Idaho, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wisconsin! Want to learn more about Indigenous Peoples’ Day? Explore the brief list of resources below:

Tomorrow is National Love People Day

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Tomorrow is National Love People Day, an annual event meant to spread kindness and love.​ As an official holiday, it gained traction in 2017 when a Chicago-based church took on the task of making this national holiday more impactful and well-known. Lifeline Church undertook this campaign in honor of their founders, Pastors Reggie and London Royal. National Love People Day is meant to bring communities, families, and the world together in the spirit of unconditional love. This is a day dedicated to inspiring and supporting others with the power of unconditional love.

How to Celebrate: 

Help someone else → random acts of kindness epitomizes the spirit behind National Love People Day. Hold open a door, send a card to a long-distance friend, call an elderly relative, donate money to charity – the possibilities are endless!

Express love through the arts → spread the message of National Love People Day by writing a poem, participating in a poetry slam, dance, take photos of the things you love, paint a picture; art is an amazing outlet in these trying times.

Be nice → like random acts of kindness, being nice is often priceless while being hugely impactful. Offer words of support or show empathy to friends/family going through hard times, share a hug, a cup of coffee, a listening ear to someone you do or don’t know; sometimes the stranger wishing you a good day after holding the door open makes all the difference in the world.