Top 10 Odd Monthly Observances, Part One
Black History Month. National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. These are observances we know and frequently celebrate. But what about the little guys, the sometimes strange observances you’ve never heard of? Here’s your chance to adopt an unusual cause for each month of the year with our top 10 list of odd monthly observances, part one.
10. Get Organized Month
The National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) seven years ago declared January “Get Organized Month”, and have been on a mission to help people whip their lives into shape at the start of each new year ever since. The observance is celebrated with workshops and other outreach efforts across the United States.
9. Exotic Vegetables and Starfruit Month
As part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “fruits and vegetables matter” initiative, February has been declared the month for celebrating exotic vegetables and starfruit. The CDC honors its monthly veggies and fruits with info, pictures, and recipes on the Fruit & Vegetable of the Month web site. The fruits and vegetables featured regularly rotate.
8. Deep-Vein Thrombosis Awareness Month
In 2005 the Senate unanimously passed S. Res. 56, declaring March Deep-Vein Thrombosis Awareness Month. The decision to appoint a month for DVT awareness came in memory of journalist David Bloom, who died of a pulmonary embolism while reporting the war in Iraq. As with most health-oriented months you can expect educational initiatives, but you can get a head start by visiting the Coalition to Prevent Deep-Vein Thrombosis web site.
7. National Frog Month
Right in the thick of amphibian breeding season comes Frog Month in April. Now, celebrating National Frog Month may seem a bit silly, but there are a number of ways you can adore all things frog through April. Taking field trips to ponds or swamps to hear frogs sing, building a frog pond, and even playing leap frog are all suggested in this how-to.
6. International Surf Music Month
A coalition of international surf bands declared June International Surf Music Month in 2009. Surf music, a musical genre heavily influenced by local culture and representing the overall experience of surfing, is performed around the world throughout the month.
5. National Panini Month
August is National Panini Month, according to cheese producers Sargento. The observance, already a couple years rich in tradition, pays tribute to delicious grilled sandwiches that originally hail from Italy.
4. Self-Improvement Month
The International Society of Friendship and Good Will observes September as Self-Improvement Month, a time to become self-aware and attempt to better yourself and your life. The society, founded in 1978, has a long list of weekly and monthly observances dedicated to everything from freedom to family, friendship to letter-writing, amateur radio to human rights.
3. National Sausage Month
October marks another simply scrumptious celebration: National Sausage Month, promoted by the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council…which is likely to be a council you’ve never heard of, either. In the past, the council has marked the month with brochures highlighting sausage recipes from around the world.
2. Sweet Potato Awareness Month
The sweet potato is so popular, and apparently in such dire need of awareness, that it has not just one, but two months competing for its attention (the other is February). The aim of November’s Sweet Potato Awareness Month is to teach people the differences between sweet potatoes and yams, since the two are different, despite common confusion.
1. National Tie Month
If you’re a fan of neckties, you’re in luck in December: National Tie Month celebrates the often baffling bit of fabric that completes any man’s business ensemble. With its roots in 17th century neckerchiefs, perhaps the tie’s time in the spotlight has come. It’s also a good time to learn how to tie a tie, something that’s sooner or later mastered by most men.
