Something to Celebrate

There's always something to celebrate in our household beginning October 11 but in addition to our family's birthday's and anniversaries, check out the following reasons to commemorate this week:

Monday, October 10  --  Indigenous People's Day (also World Mental Health Day, Canadian Thanksgiving, World Homeless Day, National Handbag Day -- my personal favorite day of the year!)

Appreciating and paying respect to the unique heritage and culture of those whose origins are native to the Americas, Indigenous Peoples’ Day offers the opportunity to honor, learn, celebrate and raise awareness.

History of Indigenous Peoples’ Day

Honoring Native American people throughout the United States, Indigenous Peoples’ Day was first officially celebrated in the US in 2021, when US President Joe Biden became the first president to formally recognize the day. However, the idea for the day goes back much further.

In 1977, the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland sponsored the International Conference on Discrimination Against Indigenous Populations in the Americas. Part of the purpose was to begin celebrating Indigenous Peoples’ Day, particularly with the idea of replacing the adoration and glorification of Christopher Columbus with recognition and acknowledgement of the native peoples of the land.

Columbus Day, which is an American holiday, falls on the second Monday of October in the United States, has been less revered in recent years. This is likely due to the fact that the indigenous peoples of the time had their lands and lives taken away from them by the settlers from Europe, and the American people are becoming more aware of the way history has been written only from the perspective of the white person.

In exchange for Columbus Day, many people in the United States have begun the celebration of Indigenous Peoples Day instead. Coinciding with the 500th anniversary of the arrival of Christopher Columbus on American soil, a celebration of Indigenous Peoples’ Day was organized on October 12, 1992 in Berkeley, California. Many other cities and towns have accepted and implemented something similar in their communities, including places such as Los Angeles, California and Washington, DC.

At least twelve of the United States do not celebrate Columbus Day, and the state of South Dakota celebrates Native American Day instead. Tribal governments in Oklahoma have also made declarations regarding the celebration of Native American Day.

How to Celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day

A wide spectrum of ways for Americans to celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day can be discovered and created. Consider implementing some of these ideas in honor of the day, or come up with some of your own clever ideas:

Attend an Indigenous Peoples’ Day Event

Those who have a family history as a Native American or other indigenous people should certainly take this time to celebrate their heritage! And those who don’t can definitely take the opportunity to support and enjoy learning more.

For people who live in certain places where the populations of indigenous peoples groups are strong, like Arizona, California, Oklahoma, South Dakota and many other states, it is likely that some exciting events, educational programs and celebrations will be on the calendar! Join in on a parade, learn a native craft, or listen to a lecture on history.

Even better, brush up on current events of the indigenous peoples in the local area to see what ways it is possible to learn more about their plight, make a donation or even act as an advocate to raise awareness in the community.

Re-Learn United States History

With the recognition that history over the first 200 years of the United States was written from the perspective of the white person, perhaps National Indigenous Peoples’ Day would be a time, especially for white Americans, to consider a different perspective. Get beyond what was taught in school and get educated on how the story actually happened before the territory of what is now the United States was settled.

Tuesday, October 11  --  Our 30th Wedding Anniversary / Our Niece's Birthday /  National Coming out Day (It is also National Sausage Pizza Day and Ada Lovelace Day - look it up; it's pretty interesting)  

For time out of mind members of the LGBTQ community have had to hide in fear for their livelihood and their lives. A constant fear of being rejected by friends and loved ones, as well as the community of which they are a part, has led to many of them remaining in the proverbial closet.

This means living a half-life at best, and hiding who you are from those who should be nearest and dearest to you. National Coming Out Day challenges this ancient standard, and encourages LGBTQ people everywhere to stand proud and claim who they are, and thus reclaim their lives and sense of pride.

Learn about National Coming Out Day

National Coming Out Day is not just a day that has been designed to help people feel comfortable about coming out about their sexuality. It is also a day that is designed to applaud people for their bravery, as well as help create awareness of the struggles and difficulties those in the LGBTQ community experience.

Even if you are heterosexual, you can use this day as an opportunity to let people in the LGBTQ community know that you support them and that you are proud of them. It is a day of unity and respect.

History of National Coming Out Day

It all started at… well… let’s be honest it all started pretty much at the dawn of time. Throughout the world people and cultures everywhere have had LGBTQ people in their midst, and in many of them they were openly accepted and embraced as natural, or even sacred people in their cultures. In the last couple hundred years the majority of the world’s leading cultures began to villainize them, growing worse with every passing year.

But in the last few decades all that has begun to change, courageous members of the LGBTQ community fought and worked to help gain their rightful place in the world, accepted as just another person rather than some kind of monster or dangerous pervert. Really, the battle they fight is for something much simpler, the ability to have a safe and normal life enjoying the same liberty as their more socially accepted neighbors.

National Coming Out Day was created by Rob Eichberg and Jean O’Leary as a result of the 500,000 person March on Washington DC for Lesbian and Gay Rights. The experience was enough to vitalize them and lead them to establish this holiday, which encourages all LGBTQ people and their allies to stand proud of who they are and to fight for a more equal tomorrow.

Every year there is a different theme, and so we definitely recommend taking a look at the theme for the current year when it is released. Some of the different themes that there have been include Talk About It, It’s a Family Affair, and Coming Out Still Matters. There are also a lot of events that go on throughout the world. You should be able to find out about the events that are taking place in your local area should you wish to join in with any of them.

How to celebrate National Coming Out Day

Throughout the world, there are celebrations being held of LGBTQ people everywhere coming out of the closet and loudly and proudly proclaiming who they are and standing side by side with their allies for a more equal and accepting tomorrow. You can get involved by joining them or by volunteering with local groups and organizations working to raise awareness and support the challenges faced by LGBTQ people in a world still struggling to accept them.

If you have been worried about coming out to your parents or loved ones for quite some time, National Coming Out Day could give you the push you need to do so. It gives you a good lead into the conversation. You can explain a bit about the day, and use this to help you tell people about your sexuality. You can also use National Coming Out Day to provide support to someone who needs it. If you know that someone is going to be using this day to have a difficult chat about their sexuality with someone, then make sure you offer them words of support and that you are there to support them.

A lot of people in the LGBTQ community who have already come out use this day to share their stories with people. If you feel comfortable, you can take to social media and share the story of how you came out about your sexuality. This can help people to feel like they are not alone and it can give people the support they need on a day like this. It can help to hear about the experiences other people have gone through when you are facing the same sort of situation yourself.

You can also use this date to raise awareness about the struggles that people in the LGBTQ community face. Whether it is bullying and discrimination or difficulties in the workplace or problems with their inner confidence, there are many things that LGBTQ members go through. A lot of people are not aware of these issues, and so you can use National Coming Out Day to try and change this. There are going to be a lot of infographics, videos, and other pieces of inspiring and insightful content available, so make the most of this and share it with your followers.

Wednesday, October 12  --  Coach's 55th birthday / National Emergency Nurses Day (also National Pulled Pork Day, Bring your Teddy Bear to Work & School Day, International Top Spinning Day and World Arthritis Day)

Promoted and sponsored by the Emergency Nurses Association and having originated in Australia back in 1989, National Emergency Nurses Day is now an international celebration, intended to honor the hard work and dedication of emergency nurses all around the world. Why do emergency nurses warrant special appreciation? Well, quite simply, because they make a huge difference to sick, injured, and even dying people every single day, offering vital assistance and support.

Nursing as a profession requires a special level of compassion and nurses working in hospital emergency wards face numerous difficulties during their working life, yet still, return every day to provide crucial care for those who need it the most. A special focus is placed on National Emergency Nurses Day, which forms one part of a wider celebration, called Emergency Nurses Week. Various events are held around the world, in order to give thanks and show support for those who choose to work in this essential profession.

Learn about National Emergency Nurses Day

As the name indicates, National Emergency Nurses Day is a day to appreciate all of the hard work that is done by those working in this profession. After all, it takes a special kind of person to work in this profession. You need to be able to take decisive action, think quickly, and have a strong stomach. Emergency nurses work in critical care emergency facilities, assisting doctors, and working with other emergency medical professionals to help people that are in severe pain and experiencing trauma that is potentially life-threatening.

Emergency nurses work as part of a team with other healthcare professionals, including other nurses and physicians, in order to advise patients, perform minor medical operations, use medical equipment, administer medicine, plan long-term care needs, monitor health conditions, and provide care. They also advise a patient’s family on the illness, as well as assisting with continued care after the individual’s hospital day.

When you consider their typical day-to-day duties, it is not hard to see that we have a lot to be thankful for when it comes to the work of emergency nurses all around the world, and so it is only right that we have National Emergency Nurses Day so that we can celebrate all of the work that they do and show our appreciation.

When it comes to allergic reactions, accidents, and other urgent medical care requirements, emergency rooms tend to be the first line of defense. Emergency nurses need to work quickly to make sure the patient’s needs are assessed and that their care is prioritized. Their first aim is to stabilize the patient. Once they have done this, they are able to diagnose the problem and start working on a plan to bring the patient back to health. It is a high-pressure job and there is a lot on the line. These incredible individuals are patient, calm under pressure, compassionate, and they boast exceptional critical-thinking skills.

History of National Emergency Nurses Day

National Emergency Nurses Day has been going strong for many years now. In fact, it first started in 1989, and it has been honored ever since. It was established by the Emergency Nurses Association, and it is part of Emergency Nurses Week. It is deemed as an opportunity for us to shine a light on and appreciate the outstanding commitment of emergency nursing professionals from around the globe.

Emergency Nurses Week came about in 2001, giving the Emergency Nurses Association the opportunity to really show the contributions that emergency nursing professionals make, and National Emergency Nurses Day is arguably the most significant date from this important week.

Speaking about this important day, the president of the Emergency Nurses Association, Patti Kunz Howard, PhD, RN, CEN, CPEN, TCRN, NE-BC, FAEN, FAAN, said the following:

“We give an unsurpassed level of dedication and commitment to our patients. We give countless hours to our departments with all our focus and energy to improving our patients’ outcomes. We utilize our skills and knowledge to save lives. To my colleagues across the world, thank you for your selfless work in helping those that need your help the most. Today, we recognize your contributions that make a difference in your community.”

In order to thoroughly understand National Emergency Nurses Day, we should shed a little bit of light on the Emergency Nurses Association itself. This was founded in 1970 and it is known as the premier professional nursing association that is dedicated to leadership, innovation, research, education, and advocacy for the purpose of defining the future of emergency nursing.

There are more than 44,000 members of the association across the globe. The Emergency Nurses Association advocates for a number of important things, including patient safety, as well as guiding emergency healthcare public policy and developing industry-leading practice guidelines and standards. So, it is a pretty big deal!

How to celebrate National Emergency Nurses Day

There are a number of different ways that you can celebrate National Emergency Nurses Day. If you know someone who is an emergency nurse, you can use this day in order to make them aware of how much you appreciate all of their hard work and all of the effort that they put in. You could send them a greeting card, thanking them for their work.

Or, you could send them a small gift, such as a box of chocolates or something that you have handmade yourself? If you do not know any emergency nurses personally, you may want to consider making a trip to your local hospital and delivering some baked goods or something else that is going to put a smile on everyone’s faces, letting them know just how much you appreciate everything they do.

A lot of people also use National Emergency Nurses Day as an opportunity to fundraise for their local hospitals and medical centers. There are plenty of different ways that you can fundraise. You could decide to host an event. Fun runs and bake sales are very popular here, but you can get as creative as you like. So long as you have an idea that gets everyone involved and raises awareness, you have a winning recipe.

You don’t need to host an event in order to fundraise, though. There are many other things that you can do! For example, you may decide to do a bungee jump or skydive and get people to sponsor you, or you may sell a product online and donate some of the proceeds to your local hospital? The choice is yours!

We also recommend spending a bit of time on National Emergency Nurses Day learning more about the role of emergency nurses and why they are so critical. You can read up on the daily duties of emergency nurses, as well as the education and qualifications that are required to make it in this position.

You can also read up on some amazing tales of emergency nurses who have helped to save lives. Browse around on social media and you are bound to find a lot of fascinating information and heartwarming stories floating around during this week, so you can share these with your followers to raise awareness.

Thursday, October 13  --  KJ's 23rd Birthday / National Train Your Brain Day (also National M&M Day, World Sight Day, Disaster Day, National No Bra Day -- another personal favorite!)

Every day, humans have one particular “muscle” that can’t be taken away from them. It shapes everything they do and informs the details about how they experience the world around them.

In actuality, this isn’t really an actual muscle at all, but it is easily more powerful than even the strongest muscle in the body! The mind can make people sick, or make them well. It can drive them to see deception and paranoia in the actions of others, or simply allow them to perceive other humans just trying to get along in life.

National Train Your Brain Day recognizes the power of the mind, and how training it to be positive can change human lives as a whole.

History of National Train Your Brain Day

National Train Your Brain Day was created to bring attention to, and celebrate, the incredible power of the mind. Whether one chooses to look at the ‘power of the mind’ as being the ability to come up with creative new things, solve math equations, and design towering skyscrapers, or as the ability to change the way people feel and think about themselves and others, it’s undeniable that a mind is a powerful tool and weapon. 

Every day people are actively training their minds, teaching them how to react to situations, telling them what they are capable of, and even deciding how to interpret the feelings and actions of others.

With its ability to have such a profound effect on their lives, people should certainly be taking the time to hone and sharpen their brains every day. Thoughts and patterns can become ingrained in the mind, so choosing what and how to think is of vital importance for those who want to have the best and most positively lived the life they can. 

National Train Your Brain Day is a perfect reminder that how the brain feels, what it thinks, and how it reacts to the world are all choices that can be adjusted. This is the ideal day to try to train your brain to make the best out of it all! 

How to Celebrate National Train Your Brain Day

Although this is a great day to find the motivation to get started, training your brain is something that needs to be done on a regular basis by creating new habits. Consider these ideas to implement for National Train Your Brain Day that will make improvements on your mind that can carry you far into a better future:

Work at Training Your Brain

Keeping the brain healthy can come through all sorts of different exercises. The most important thing is to keep the “muscle” of the mind agile with various activities. Try out these interesting ways to improve the way the mind works:

• Crossword Puzzles. Even just spending ten minutes on a word puzzle can help to boost memory and concentration, and even stave off the possibility of mental memory disorders or dementia. Fort those who aren’t big fans of the crossword variety, Sudoku puzzles and word searches have been known to offer a similar effect.
• Learn a Word a Day. Choose a calendar or just pick up the dictionary and try to learn a new word each day throughout the year. It will expand the language centers of the brain–and it will just make you seem smarter to friends and coworkers!
• Study a Foreign Language. Evidence has shown that learning a foreign language can help improve various thinking and memory centers as well as executive function, with the possibility of actually increasing the volume and density of the grey matter and white matter in the brain.
• Get to Bed Early. People often don’t realize that their brains will function better when they have enough sleep. Even just going to bed 15 minutes earlier than usual can have an extremely positive impact on the performance of the brain. So, turn off that tv, put the phone away, and Train Your Brain to get to sleep earlier for the positive effects it will have on life.

Learn Some Fun Facts About the Brain

When sharing the celebration of National Train Your Brain Day with friends, remember these tidbits of information to share. This will help them see the benefits of the day and give the brain the respect it so deserves: 

• It is estimated that the average brain thinks between 60,000 and 80,000 thoughts every day.
• An adult human brain weighs only about 3 pounds.
• Approximately 75% of the brain is made up of water–so don’t forget to stay hydrated for National Train Your Brain Day (and all of the other days too!)
• The human brain is composed of approximately one hundred billion neurons.

Train Your Brain to Have a Great Day!

National Train Your Brain Day is best celebrated by starting the path to a brighter and healthier future, and it starts off by deciding what kind of day you’re going to have. When you wake up, decide how it will be best to face the day.

Don’t make the mistake of setting yourself up for failure, remembering that it isn’t beneficial to decide based on the actions of others or what life is going to bring to us that day. But it is certainly possible to choose how to react to it.

View situations that could be frustrating as opportunities that bring with them excitement to tackle. Finding that someone else is mean could instead be seen in the light of them having a bad day and choosing to feel bad for them without it affecting you personally.

The mind is capable of turning almost any limitation or situation into a positive, and it all starts with the choice to do so. So use this day to Train Your Brain to think positive!

Friday, October 14  --  National Dessert Day (also National Boss's Day, World Egg Day, World Standards Day and Vet Nurse Day)

So, What is more fun than making dinner or lunch? Dessert. It can be made with all things that are sweet and juicy or tart and sour and can come out in ways that are warm and soft, flavorful and crunchy, but it’s always delicious. You can indulge dessert with a range of chocolates, candy, or pastries, cakes, and cupcakes, and what about tarts and pies? Preparing them can make the wait for them all the sweeter, or you can grab a pudding or two on the go just to make the day that much brighter. National Dessert Day is your excuse to indulge in your favorite treats.

Learn about National Dessert Day

Are you a starter or a dessert person? If you fall into the latter category, you are going to love National Dessert Day. This day provides us with the perfect excuse to let our sweet tooth take over. You can indulge in as many desserts as you wish, and no one can tell you to do otherwise! What could be better? From pastries and cakes to chocolates and mousses; there is a dessert for everyone. What’s your favorite?

If you do a little bit of digging online, you will see that there are some interesting facts and statistics about desserts and the most popular choices. Of course, you have probably heard of tiramisu, which is the world’s most famous Italian dessert. What about Sacher cake, from Austria, or Baklava, from Greece and the Middle East? Research different cultures and try new desserts on this day!

History of National Dessert Day

The origin of the word dessert comes from the French “desservir,” a word which here means “to clear the table.” This, of course, referenced the dish that came after the clearing of the main dishes served as part of the meal. The earliest references to the term dessert being used are in the 1600’s and arrived at the same time as the concept of serving a meal in courses, letting each part of the meal be its own experience.

While it may seem like a no-brainer now, the idea of serving a sweet repast following the main meal wasn’t something that was always done. Those masters of decadence, the French, were known to serve a sweet wine as an aperitif, and it didn’t take long before the concept of sweet followings to the main dish became commonplace.

The birth of the sugar and honey trade helped to bolster the idea of dessert as it became easier to obtain sweeteners, though for a long time it was still known as a lush decadence reserved for the wealthy.

How to Celebrate National Dessert Day

National Dessert Day encourages us to celebrate by selecting our favorite delicacies and indulging in them, while also exploring the ever-growing number of options we have to experience in the world of sweets. There are so many to choose from cakes, pies, fried dough, chocolate, tarts, candy, jellied desserts, and pastries; it’s all about choosing how you make them and what to make, and maybe even where to make it?

Dessert can happen at home with family, or you can pick them up from your local store, and there’s always grandma’s house? The only important question on National Dessert Day is “What is your favorite dessert, and how would you like it?” Maybe there’s an old family recipe or something that the bakery down the street made fresh that morning. Whatever you decide, National Dessert Day is your opportunity to indulge in your favorite treats and maybe relive some old memories while doing so.

From rich chocolate to sweet strawberries, there are many desserts you can make on this day. How about Sticky Toffee Pudding? This is a British classic. For those that are unaware, Sticky Toffee Pudding is a delicious moist sponge cake that is made with finely chopped dates. The star of the show is, of course, the toffee sauce that is poured over the top.

If you fancy something a bit more modern, how about Green Tea-Coated Chocolate Mousse? Green tea is a massive hit in desserts at the moment. The Strawberry Cobbler is another dessert worth a mention. For something spectacular, serve it with cream cheese and warm vanilla seed custard. It is warm, comforting, and will melt in your mouth.

Or, what about Sicilian Lemon Tart? The balance between the sweetness and tartness in this dessert is spot on. We could go on, and on, and on, and on… after all, there are so many delicious and mouth-watering desserts out there! All you need to do is a quick search on the Internet and you are going to find plenty of exciting recipes to try on this day.

Another fun way to celebrate National Dessert Day is by watching Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. When you think of sweet treats and chocolate, this is often the first thing that comes to mind. It is a great film, and it is something that all of the family can watch. So, prepare your dessert, whether it be an ice cream sundae or a comforting apple pie, and get yourself comfortable in front of the television so that you and the family can enjoy a good movie night together. What could be better?

If you are really feeling adventurous, you may want to try making your own dessert invention on National Dessert Day. After all, the best recipes out there usually started as a bit of trial and error. Get plenty of different baking ingredients in and have fun experimenting with different flavors.

You could even turn this into a bit of a bake-off competition with your family or friends. You can all have your own ‘workstation’ and then you can try everyone’s desserts to see who is crowned the winner. It’s always fun to do something a little bit different with your loved ones, isn’t it?