It's the Most Eccentric Time of the Year: Unusual Holidays -- January

Everyone knows about the big holidays beginning with New Years Day and going on throughout the year to Valentine's Day, Easter, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving and finally to Christmas Day. There are many other holidays we celebrate such as Martin Luther King Day, Groundhog Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day and many more. We have days to honor mothers, fathers, veterans, presidents and others. These are all noted on the calendar lest we forget that all important Columbus Day card.

But what about all those blank days that get no special notation on the calendar? Many of those days do indeed have holidays associated with them and, while their official status may be a little dubious, there are still many who celebrate these somewhat offbeat holidays. Some of them are just silly, others are weird and wacky, and many are just highly specialized days that most people are unaware of. A few dates even have more than one holiday to call its own.

Let's take a look at a few of these unusual days and the odd things that some folks celebrate. We will begin quite logically in January, the first month of the year.

January 2
Run it Up the Flagpole to See if Anyone Salutes Day is the first holiday after New Years Day. This holiday that celebrates creativity and new designs is an appropriate choice for January 2nd, the day after all those new resolutions are supposed to go into full effect. It encourages people to be creative and try new things.

January 3
Three days into the new year we have three special days to commemorate. First there is Festival of Sleep Day. Though there never seems to have been an actual Festival of Sleep, this day seems to be meant to celebrate it. Maybe everyone at the festival dozed off and forgot to record the festival in the history books.

The second celebration for today is Fruitcake Toss Day. This is the day that gives you something to do with all those fruitcakes you received over the Christmas Holiday. The more creative participants will try to find interesting ways or unusual places to toss their fruitcake.

Finally, January 3rd is also Humiliation Day. Some believe this is a day to recognize the negative effects that humiliation has on a person while other believes it is the perfect day to humiliate your best friend in public (in a good natured way, of course). However you choose to celebrate humiliation day, just be sure it doesn't backfire and end up humiliating you!

January 4
How is this for a piece of trivial information? January 4th is Trivia Day! This particular holiday was almost certainly created by online e-card marketers looking for an excuse to give people for sending more e-cards, but it still happens to be one of the most fun concepts for a holiday out there. If you love games like Trivia Pursuit or television shows like Jeopardy!, this will definitely be a holiday you should enjoy.

January 7
If you like digging around in the dirt, January 7th is the day for you. Old Rock Day celebrates old rocks in all forms -- fossils, gemstones, gigantic boulders, tiny pebbles on the beach, that pet rock stored in the bottom box in the dusty corner of the basement... you get the idea! Kids love this day and if you happen to be a closet paleontologist, then you probably do as well!

January 8
After spending a day digging up the backyard looking for rocks, what better way to celebrate the next day than with Bubble Bath Day! January 8th also happens to be Male Watchers Day. I suppose the truly adventurous could try and combine the two holidays by enjoying a bubble bath somewhere with a view of a lot of men, but to keep the bubble bath relaxing it might be best to be sure it is not a two-way viewing.

January 10
January 10th is Peculiar People Day, a day to celebrate the peculiar people in your life or perhaps your own peculiarity.Everyone is special and it is our unique peculiarities that make us that way. This day honors those of who are the most... um... special. Some of the peculiar people who are honored this day may be those who too enthusiastically celebrate the other holiday that comes every January 10th...

Houseplant Appreciation Day, which was created by The Gardener's Network website to remind people to take care of their houseplants and recognize the benefits of having houseplants. It was not intended as a reason to take your begonia to dinner or treat that poinsettia left over from Christmas to a cruise to the Bahamas.

January 12
Another day with two celebrations, January 12th is both Feast of Fabulous Wild Men Day and National Pharmacists Day. Is there a connection between the two? Who can say? But rest assured that on this day, treating your local pharmacist to a feast is completely appropriate on this day, assuming he is also a fabulous wild man as well.

January 13
January 13th has the distinction of being one of a handful of days with three holidays associated with it, though only two are celebrated in January every year. Blame Someone Else Day is the first Friday the 13th in the year, so which month it is celebrated in depends on which month that day falls in. The other two holidays, International Skeptics Day and Make Your Dreams Come True Day are celebrated each year on this day. Some people are skeptical about the date for International Skeptics Day however and believe it is actually October 13th. Hmmm...

January 14
As we near the midpoint of January we have Dress Up Your Pet Day. Pretty self-explanatory, I guess. Some pets love it. Some pets hate it. Just be sure you understand you do increase your pet's likelihood of ending up in an embarrassing internet photo if you choose to participate!

January 15
National Hat Day is celebrated on the 15th each January, so if you loaned your hat to your pet for Dress Up Your Pet Day, be sure to get it back. Since the weather getting colder, January is the perfect time to celebrate hats, which when worn will help keep your body heat contained in your body rather than steaming out the top of your heads. Oh the wonderful world of hats! No wonder we have a day to pay tribute to them!

January 16
I have nothing to say about National Nothing Day. In fact, I have probably already said too much.

January 17
By the 17th of the month you have probably started to realize how hopeless keeping those New Years resolutions will be. Fortunately, today is Ditch New Years Resolutions Day, so go ahead and have that donut, smoke that cigarette and pour me one of those drinks while you are at. There's always next year, right?

January 19
Smell that? It's freshly popped popcorn -- the perfect way to celebrate National Popcorn Day! This day may have started as part of the celebration for the Superbowl, but it gained a life of its on somewhere along the line and now is celebrated every January 19th. So pop a big bowl at home or head out the the local theater to enjoy popcorn on this wonderfully delicious special day!

January 20
Another double holiday, January 20th offers National Buttercrunch Day for those who saved room for after National Popcorn Day. Those who may be dieting or who might have a special place in their hearts for penguins can opt instead to celebrate Penguin Appreciation Day. If you like, of course, you can celebrate both. However, it is not recommended to show your appreciation for penguins by giving them buttercrunch.

January 21
Once again revelers are offered two holidays to choose from, but this is definitely a day that would be best when combined. Why not make National Hugging Day and Squirrel Appreciation Day into -- National Hug a Squirrel Day? Okay, okay... maybe it is not the best idea ever, but it would sure make for some interesting YouTube videos!

January 23
Another triple threat holiday, not only is January 23 National Pie Day and National Handwriting Day, it is also Measure Your Feet Day! Seems a little disorganized at first, but I have the perfect suggestion for celebrating... Wake up early and measure your feet, have a piece of Mom's apple pie then write her a note thanking her for the pie and letting her know how much your feet have grown since last year! You didn't forget to let her know last year, did you?

January 24
Beer Can Appreciation Day and Compliment Day both fall on January 24. Ladies, don't you think it is time to tell your husbands how unique and special that beer can collection is? And gentlemen, maybe we should compliment the ladies for putting up with our beer can collections? Maybe if it were collectible cans instead of just a pile of crumpled empty Budweisers...

January 25
It's Opposite Day! Or should I say it is not Opposite Day? I am already confused! If you are concerned about any of these holidays being official, this is one you can rest easy about. Even SpongeBob SquarePants celebrates Opposite Day! You should, too! Um, I mean... you shouldn't either... neither? Aaaaarrrggghhhhhhh!!!!!

January 27
Chocolate lovers have been waiting for this day... it is Chocolate Cake Day! So have a big slice of that delicious treat for breakfast and get a nice sugar rush going before heading to work where you can celebrate today's other holiday... Punch the Clock Day! I am not exactly sure about why we are supposed to celebrate having to go to work on a day when we should be allowed to just lounge around eating chocoalte cake all day, but at least it is a good way to get ready for tomorrow...

January 28
Today is Fun at Work Day! Woohoo! It is also National Kazoo Day, so I think we all know what we have to do! That's right. Grab your kazoo and let's strike up the all-kazoo band!

January 29
We get two pseudo-national holidays today. First, it is National Puzzle Day. I am not really clear on whether it only refers to puzzles that you solve such as crossword puzzles or if it also includes puzzles you put together such as jigsaw puzzles. But since it isn't exactly a government sanctioned holiday, I suppose you can choose to celebrate however you like without fear of being barred from the National Puzzle Day Parade.

But let's not forget that equally important and slightly more delicious second holiday celebrated nationally today -- National Corn Chip Day! Frito lovers rejoice! Today is your day. So open a fresh bag of the chili cheese flavor and pull out that 1000 piece puzzle you have been planning to work on.

January 30
"Hi! We cannot come to the phone right now. We are busy celebrating National Inane Answering Message Day. So at the tone, please leave your inane message and we will get back to you... well, actually, we probably want bother. Happy messaging!"

January 31
On the last day of January, some of those peculiar people from January 10th probably celebrate Backward Day, a day celebrated by doing everything backward. Revelers may wear their clothes backward, write backward, read backward, talk backward or walk backward. Hopefully no one gets carried away and tries to drive backward or fly an airplane backward!

For those not wishing to reverse their primary direction for a day, there is still reason to celebrate as January 31 is also Inspire Your Heart with Art Day. This holiday is meant to observe the beauty and creativity of art and the effect it has on us as humans. It is a great day to visit and support your local art museum.

Other January Holidays You May Not Know...
National Bird Day (January 5), Bean Day (January 6), Cuddle Up Day (also January 6 so you might want to lay off the beans if you plan to cuddle...), Play God Day (January 9), Step in a Puddle and Splash Your Friend's Day (January 11), Thesaurus Day (January 18), Winnie the Pooh Day (also January 18 which is Pooh's creator A.A. Milne's birthday), National Blonde Brownie Day (January 22),