fun, strange holidays grouped by month

September 21 is Miniature Golf Day

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Miniature Golf Day

Schooner Miniature Golf – Saco, ME

Today is Miniature Golf Day.

The first miniature course was created in 1867 on the grounds of St. Andrews Links in Scotland. Legendary golfer Thomas “Old Tom” Norris laid out the nine-hole course over land that frequently flooded and was riddled with rabbit holes.

The course was designed for the newly-formed St. Andrews Ladies’ Putting Club, made up of wives wishing to play while waiting for their husbands. At the time, women were not allowed on the links.

The remote location kept them out of sight while the miniaturized setup ensured they would have no need to swing a golf club above their shoulders, which was considered unladylike.

In 1919, James W. Barber and Edward H. Wiswell constructed the first course in Pinehurst, NC, with the artificial obstacles and features like fountains, walkways and shrubbery that we recognize as a modern miniature golf course.

Happy Miniature Golf Day!

Copyright 2016 Worldwide Weird Holidays

International Eat an Apple Day

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Today is International Eat an Apple Day,
celebrated on the third Saturday of September.
So, eat an apple.
International Eat an Apple Day

That is all.

Copyright 2016 Worldwide Weird Holidays

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August 25 is Thoughtful Thursday

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thoughtful thursdayToday is Thoughtful Thursday, originated by Lorraine Jara in 1988 as part of Be Kind to Humankind Week.

She created bk2hk.org after hearing about a boating accident near her hometown of Toms River, NJ. Two young men, drowning after their rowboat capsized, were pulled from the water by two young women in another small boat. They had no radio and called out to a passing vessel for help.

According to the story, the pilot said he couldn’t be bothered and continued on his way. One of the men later died. Ms. Jara was moved to act, offering to erect a memorial in the young man’s name. His family demurred, preferring to keep their mourning private.

She decided to establish a site that would encourage everyone to care for each other. Other days are Motorist Consideration Monday, Touch a Heart Tuesday, Willing to Lend a Hand Wednesday, Forgive Your Foe Friday, Speak Kind Words Saturday and Sacrifice Our Wants for Others’ Needs Sunday. Each day is accompanied by an affirmation devised by Ms. Jara.

Happy Thoughtful Thursday. Let’s try to be kind to humankind every day of the year.

Copyright 2016 Worldwide Weird Holidays

August 15 is Taffy Sculpting Day

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taffy sculpting dayToday is Taffy Sculpting Day on the boardwalk in Ocean City, NJ. It is the first competition in the city’s annual Weird Week.

According to organizers, today’s “wacky, but not tacky” contest challenges participants to build a work of art from saltwater taffy. One year, an entrant modeled a Ferris wheel from the candy.

Tuesday is French Fry Sculpting Day. Potato Elvis has been a fan favorite in the past.

“That’s the Way the Cookie Crumbles” Contest takes place on Wednesday. Unsurprisingly, artists’ material consists of a giant cookie.

Can there be any losers when you get to eat your mistakes?

Also on Wednesday is the “Ears Looking at You” Contest, an attempt to revive the dying art of ear wiggling.

Thursday is Paper Clip Sculpting Day. (Note: don’t eat your mistakes.)

On Friday, the Miss and Mister Miscellaneous Pageant welcomes those who’ve always wanted to be in a talent show but missed out or didn’t make the cut. Age groups are 5 and under, 6 to 8, 9 to 12, teens and adults.

Also on Friday, the Little Miss and Little Mister Chaos Pageant invites children from 3 to 5 years old to sit on a stage and make as much noise as they can by banging pots and pans together, with rock music urging them to greater effort. (Pots and pans are provided.)

We’re guessing the creator of that last contest won’t be too popular with parents when their kids want to recreate the fun at home.

Have a Happy Taffy Sculpting Day and a wonderfully Weird Week!

Copyright 2016 Worldwide Weird Holidays