Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Idea Starters for Writers: Calendar Days—February's Crazy Holidays & Special Occasions

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson


It’s time again for Calendar Days. These are just fun to read. They’re also a great way to jumpstart our creativity when looking for ideas for articles and blog posts. They’re also a fun writing prompt idea. 
In addition, calendar days are great conversation starters for social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, especially when two contrasting holidays fall on the same date. Here are some that tickled my funny bone this month:

February 1 is both Dump Your Significant Jerk Day and Change Your Password Day. I’d definitely link those together. Doesn’t it strike you a little ironic that February 13 is both Desperation Day and Madly in Love with Me Day? February 17 is My Way Day so it only makes sense it would also be Random Acts of Kindness Day—would you kindly accede to my way of doing things? Finally, February 26 is Tell a Fairy Tale Day and Personal Chef Day. If I told you I had a personal chef that would be a whopper of a fairy tale.

February Holidays, Special Days & Downright Crazy Days

February is:
Bake for Family Fun Month
National Black History Month
Library Lovers Month
An Affair to Remember Month
Grapefruit Month
Bird Feeding Month
Hot Breakfast Month
Cherry Month
American Heart Month

Weekly Celebrations
Week 1:
Women’s Heart Week
Children’s Authors and Illustrators Week
Just Say No to PowerPoint Week
International Networking Week
International Friendship Week

Week 2:
Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week
Have a Heart for a Chained Dog Week
Risk Awareness Week
Love Makes the World Go Round; But, Laughter Keeps us From Getting Dizzy Week
Jell-O Week

Week 3:
Brotherhood/Sisterhood Week
Build a Better Trade Show Image Week
National Engineers Week
National Justice for Animals Week
National Entrepreneurship Week
Texas Cowboy Poetry Week

Week 4:
National Secondhand Wardrobe Week
Peace Corps Week
National Eating Disorders Awareness Week

Daily Celebrations
February 1
Car Insurance Day
Dump Your Significant Jerk Day
Serpent Day
Change Your Password Day
G.I. Joe Day
Baked Alaska Day
Freedom Day
Robinson Crusoe Day
Spunky Old Broads Day
Decorating with Candy Day

February 2
Groundhog Day
Sled Dog Day
Marmot Day
Hedgehog Day
World Play Your Ukulele Day
Crepe Day

February 3
Carrot Cake Day
Four Chaplains Memorial Day
The Day the Music Died

February 4
Homemade Soup Day
USO Day
Stuffed Mushroom Day
Facebook’s Birthday
Liberace Day
Quaker Day
World Cancer Day
Thank a Mailman Day

February 5
Nutella Day
Bubble Gum Day
Doodle Day
Chocolate Fondue Day
Weatherman’s Day
Western Monarch Butterfly Day

February 6
Lame Duck Day
Lace Day
Frozen Yogurt Day
Take Your Child to the Library Day

February 7
Send a Card to a Friend Day
Popcorn Day
Wave All Your Fingers at Your Neighbors Day
Eday (math)
Ballet Day

February 8
Laugh and Get Rich Day
Chinese New Year
Molasses Bar Day
Clean Out Your Computer Day
Boy Scout Anniversary Day
Opera Day
Kite Flying Day

February 9
Toothache Day
Read in the Bathtub Day
Extraterrestrial Day
Stop bullying Day

February 10
Umbrella Day
Plimsoll Day

February 11
Don’t Cry Over Spilled Milk Day
National Inventors Day
White Shirt Day
Get Out Your Guitar Day
Pro Sports Wives Day
Be Electric Day
Satisfied Staying Single Day
Make a Friend’s Day

February 12
Lincoln’s Birthday
Lost Penny Day
Paul Bunyan Day
Safety Pup Day
Darwin Day
Plum Pudding Day

February 13
World Radio Day
World Whale Day
Desperation Day
Madly in Love with me Day
Get a Different Name Day
Employee Legal Awareness Day

February 14
Library Lovers Day
International Book Giving Day
National Have a Heart Day
Cream-filled Chocolates Day
Pet Theft Awareness Day
Valentines Day
National Organ Donor Day
Ferris Wheel Day

February 15
Susan B. Anthony Day
National Gumdrop Day
National Hippo Day
Remember the Maine Day

February 16
National Almond Day
Do a Grouch a Favor Day
Presidents Day
Innovation Day

February 17
My Way Day
Champion Crab Races Day
National PTA Founders Day
Digital Learning Day
Random Acts of Kindness Day

February 18
Pluto Day
Ice Cream for Breakfast Day
Cow Milked While Flying in an Airplane Day
Battery Day

February 19
Chocolate Mint Day
Lashes Day

February 20
Cherry Pie Day
Hoodie Hoo Day
World Day for Social Justice
Love Your Pet Day

February 21
Sticky Bun Day
Information Architecture Day
Single Tasking Day
International Mother Language Day

February 22
George Washington’s Birthday
Be humble Day
Walking the Dog Day
Cook a Sweet Potato Day
International World Thinking Day

February 23
National Dog Biscuit Day
Play Tennis Day
Banana Bread Day
Curling is Cool Day
Iwo Jima Day
Diesel Engine Day

February 24
Tortilla Chip Day
National Cupcake Day (Canada)
Inconvenience Yourself Day

February 25
Clam Chowder Day
Chili Day
Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day
Chocolate-covered Peanuts Day

February 26
World Pistachio Day
Personal Chef Day
Bacon Day
For Pete’s Sake Day
Levi Strauss Day
Tell a Fairy Tale Day

February 27
International Polar Bear Day
World Sword Swallowers Day
Day of Action
N Brainer Day
Strawberry Day

February 28
Chocolate Soufflé Day
National Tooth Fairy Day
Rare Disease Day
Public Sleeping Day
Floral Design Day

February 29
Leap Year Day
Rare Disease Day
International Underlings Day
Bachelor’s Day


Now let's do a little brainstorming for next month. What are some of your favorite days from the list and how do you propose using them?

Don't forget to join the conversation!
Blessings,

Edie

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7 comments:

  1. My blog is about the "yielded heart" so I am researching the Four Chaplains Memorial Day. Did you know that they were the four chaplains who died in WWII on the ship SS Dorchester?They helped all the soldier board life boats and gave up their own life jackets when the supply ran out. They joined arms, said a pray and sang hymns to their God as the ship disappeared in the ocean.

    Thank you, Edie, for giving me this idea.

    Chris writing from a yielded heart at http://www.christinemalkemes.com

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    1. Christine, I love that story. There have been several movies and books about the event. It really sums up what our military men and women are willing to sacrifice. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts! Blessings, E

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  2. Thanks for the great ideas, Edie. Love this post.

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  3. Thanks for your return to the Calendar Days. I share them with our First Draft Society & they always ignite a return to finger-keyboard connections for us. I plan to use this "play your ukulele day" to grab my uke and see I can find new on there.

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    1. "Cow Milked While Flying in an Airplane Day"? Who makes up this stuff? It could make for an interesting story though.

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  4. chocolate mint day??? there's a chocolate mint day?!?!?!? oh i'll definitely be celebrating that!!
    i've always known George Washington's birthday is the 22dn, and as i'm writing a blog post on women's fiction to post that day, makes me wonder about a women's fiction story for Martha. ooohhh, the wheels are spinning now... (and i thought i didn't write historicals.... LOL )
    oh, and there's one mo' special day—MY birthday! shared with Mr. Lincoln!

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