May 31 is Speak In Complete Sentences Day. Here is the challenge: speak in complete sentences all day. That means no fragments and no run on sentences. While you’re at it, speak in complete words too. Slang words and local dialects can be quite fun for a while, but not today.
“He who loves a pure heart and whose speech is gracious
will have the king for his friend.”Proverbs 22:11
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May 30 is My Bucket’s Got a Hole In It Day. As I see it, you have three options:
Fix the bucket.
If you need help, check out Hank William’s original song, this version by Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis, or this song that will make all your friends hate you (I’m serious. I already hate me for thinking about it!).
Personally, I hope you choose option number three!“You will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.”Isaiah 58:12b
On May 29, 1453, Constantinople fell. Ottoman invaders under Sultan Mehmed II succeeded against the Byzantine defenders under Emperor Constantine XI Palaiologos after a siege of several weeks. Many intellectuals fled Constantinople at this time, and most ended up (eventually) in Italy. Many historians consider this date to be the official end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the Renaissance.
Of course, I doubt anyone held an end of the Middle Ages party, but there’s no reason we can’t! There’s plenty of medieval recipes to try, costumes to wear, and movies to watch.
“There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven.”Ecclesiastes 3:1
*This U.S. holiday is celebrated every year on the last Monday in May.
Memorial Day (originally Decoration Day) began shortly after the Civil War as way to honor those who died in the fighting. Today we celebrate all soldiers who have died in the line of duty.
Tradition holds that the flag be raised fully at dawn and then immediately lowered to half mast to honor the fallen. At noon local time, the flag should then be raised to remind the living to make their sacrifices worthwhile.
In 2012 Memorial Day is generally considered the first holiday of summer. As you’re enjoying the barbecues and camp-outs, take a moment to remember the sacrifices made over the past two and a half centuries by members of the military trying to keep the U.S. safe.
On the subject of memorials:
“[Joshua] said to them, “’Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.’”
Joshua 4:5-7
Sunscreen Day is celebrated every May 27 to remind everyone of the importance of sun protection. With the publicity going on right now about tanorexia, this Memorial Day weekend seems like a great time to remember the risks involved in tans and sunburns. So, if you’re headed outside today, make sure to grab your sunscreen and don’t forget to reapply after a few hours!
“From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets,
the name of the Lord is to be praised.”Psalm 113:3
National Paper Airplane Day celebrates that favorite classroom activity, memo delivery system, and boredom buster . . . the paper airplane!
Some people go crazy creating special designs, measuring distance traveled, and checking airtime. If that’s you, more power to you. Post a picture in a comment because I’d love to see it. However, you can still participate in Paper Airplane Day with just a couple of basic folds. You can find directions for folding a basic plane (and my current favorite) here.
I haven’t been able to find any information on who created this holiday or why they chose May 25, but a paper airplane contest seems like a great barbecue activity during this Memorial Day weekend.
Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
make music to our God on the harp.
He covers the sky with clouds;
he supplies the earth with rain
and makes grass grow on the hills.Psalm 147:7-8
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“A towel, it says, is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have.”
- A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Towel Day was first celebrated in 2001, two weeks after Douglas Adams’ death at age 49. Today, the celebration has gone global with participants worldwide (check here for a partial list of activities). There’s only one requirement for today: carry/wear a towel. Of course, lots of people also celebrate by reading a book by Adams, watching the Hitchiker’s movie, having a party, or just saying geeky quotes all day long!
The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.
There is no speech or language
where their voice is not heard.Psalm 19:1-3
Most Towel Day participants may also want to join in for International Geek Pride Day. Thirty-five years ago today (May 25, 2012) “Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope” was first released. International Geek Pride Day celebrates Star Wars and all things “geeky” (you can check here for celebration ideas!).
May 24 is Scavenger Hunt Day! Now, you could do a scavenger hunt inside or online, but it’s May and (at least here) the weather is gorgeous, so I propose going outside.
Among scavenger hunt’s I’ve gone on, there’s definitely a standout favorite. On an elementary school field trip we all spent the night on the U.S.S. Lexington near Corpus Christi, Texas. In the evening, we spread across the ship on a huge scavenger hunt for a couple of hours, climbing up and down ladders all over the place. Amazing!
In addition, if you’ve never heard of this, you need to. I didn’t know anything about it until yesterday, and I feel like I’ve missed out. Maybe I need to visit the University of Chicago!
“God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.”
Acts 17:27
“Find a penny,
Pick it up,
And all the day
You’ll have good luck!”
May 23 celebrates that amazing penny. It’s only worth one cent, but to those who think they’ve got a lucky penny . . . it’s priceless!
Do you pick up a penny just when it’s tails or just heads?
Do you even bother to pick up something as small as a penny?
And if you do have a “lucky penny,” where do you keep it? I’ve heard that it’s only lucky if you place it in your right shoe . . . or maybe it’s your left pocket . . . or maybe it’s just in your car’s console. What do you think?
“Dishonest money dwindles away,
but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow.”Proverbs 13:11
No one seems to know who started Buy a Musical Instrument Day, but I bet it was a music store.
Of course, I love instruments, and, if I had the money, I’d be celebrating this day year round. Currently, in my house there is
a basic keyboard,Lest you think I’m totally crazy, most of those were gifts, almost all were used, and all are old, except for the almost 4 year old keyboard, which seems rather new in comparison.
So, even if you can’t buy a musical instrument today, take a little while and play one. It’s worth it.
Correction: We also have a harmonica!
