Happy Paul Bunyan Day!
I hope we all know at least a little of this American folk hero, lumberjack Paul Bunyan and his trusty blue ox, Babe. Most historians think that the story was passed around campfires for years, first getting published in 1906 near Oscoda, Michigan. Then, in 1914, a logging company decided to use his story for advertising. As his popularity grew, so did the stories
Today, you can celebrate Paul Bunyan Day by
- sharing his stories (it’s folklore, so go ahead and add a little!)
- visiting any of the statues of him scattered across the northern U.S. and Canada
- eating his favorite food, pancakes (or flapjacks)
- watching Disney’s version of his story (it’s a short on “Disney’s American Legends”)
- doing some woodwork yourself
- wearing flannel shirts and boots (it’s definitely the wrong time of the year for this!)
“He cut down cedars,
or perhaps took a cypress or oak.
He let it grow among the trees of the forest,
or planted a pine, and the rain made it grow.”Isaiah 44:14
