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Funky Holidays for October
Sneak a peek at November
October… Sure, there's Columbus Day and Halloween, but there's so much more
to celebrate! It's Autumn…one of my favorite seasons. Throughout much of the
country, the leaves are changing color and Mother Nature's paintbox splashes the
countryside with the vibrant reds, forest greens, tweedy browns, and brilliant
golds of autumn. Yeah, yeah…but what about the fun stuff, you ask? Invite your
friends to a Painting Party! Grab a paintbrush and paint your house, the town,
the garage, your faces, or whatever. Remember…if you feed them, they will
come!
October is…
- Adopt-a-Shelter Dog Month - Calling all dog lovers…there's no
greater gift than friendship, and no better friend than a loyal dog. Treck
on over to your local shelter and once you've made your choice, invite your
friends over to celebrate the pitter-patter of furry little feet!
Pooper-scoopers for everyone! For information : ASPCA, Public Affairs Dept.,
424 E. 92ndSt., New York, NY 10128. (212) 876-7700. press@aspca.org. www.aspca.org.
- Eat Country Ham Month & National Pork Month - The custom of
curing ham was started back in the 1700s in Virginia and Americans have been
curing and eating country ham ever since. The National Pork Producers
Council also places special emphasis this month on Pork, The Other White
Meat®. Yee-haw! If these ain't an excuse to ham it up, nuthin' is! Invite
everyone over dressed in their country best, throw a hoe down, and go hog
wild! For information: pork@nppc.org. www.nppc.org.
- National Toilet Tank Repair Month - Honest, according to Chase,
this is for real. You may laugh now, but where would you be without your
trusty fit-for-flushing toilet? Handle-jiggling and down the crapper, that's
where! Once your toilet's properly tuned, gather up family and friends and
invite them over for a symbolic "Flush Your Cares
National Pasta Month - What more can I say? A spaghetti dinner seems
warranted.
National Popcorn Poppin’ Month - Save the leftovers for
your Christmas tree! For information, contact The Popcorn Institute, 401 N.
Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611-4267. (312) 644-6610.
http://www.popcorn.com
National Roller Skating Month
- I haven’t been roller skating since I was in my 20s. And I won’t tell you
when that was! This is a "celebration recognizing the health benefits and
recreational enjoyment of this long loved pastime." They are sure up to
date, because inline skating is also part of this month-long event. For
information:
http://www.rollerskating.com
National Sarcastics Awareness Month - Chases says,
"to help people everywhere understand the positive and negative aspects
of sarcasm." I say, what? On the other hand, a great reason for a
"roast."
Other Holidays
October 1
National Bake and
Decorate Month - October kicks off fall and holiday baking season.
National Go on a Field
Trip Month - Not just for the kids anymore. Zoo or museum, take a bus
for the fun of it. Make sure to stay with your "trip buddy".
National Chili Month
- If you celebrate, be prepared for fireworks…
"Kung Fu" TV Premiere: Anniversary - Who could forget
David Carradine's starring role as Kwai Chang Caine, exiled martial arts
master turned cowboy? (Lots of us!) The show ran for three years and followed
with later movie versions and sequel syndication. Hey, (or make that "hi-YAA!")
- here's an idea: make tonight the perfect night for a Kung Fu delight! Eat
Chinese take-out and rent the movie.
UN: International Day of Older Persons - This day was established by
the UN General Assembly in 1990 in its appeal for contributions to the Trust
Fund for Aging, which supports projects in developing countries. Go ahead -
take an older person to lunch! Recognize and celebrate the richness and wisdom
of their contributions to your life. For information: UN, Dept. of Public
Info., Public Inquiries Unit, Rm. GA-57, New York, NY 10017. (212) 963-4475. inquiries@un.org.
Disney World Opened - Disney opened its second
theme park in Orlando, FL. Grab your mouse ears and dance on down to your
video store to rent some of their classic flicks. Sounds like a party to me!
Vladimir Horowitz's Birthday - 1904. Who was he? One of the world's
greatest pianists! The library's full of his CDs - get a little cuture in your
life (and while you're at it, share it with some friends.)
Maris Hits His 61st Home Run - 1961. Roger Maris's homer broke Babe
Ruth's record for the most home runs in a season and held until Sept. 8, 1998,
when Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals hit his 62nd homer. Batting
practice, anyone?
Babe Calls His Shot? Anniversary - It was 1932. In the fifth inning of
game three of the World Series, with a count of two balls and two strikes and
with hostile Cubs fans shouting epithets at him, Babe Ruth pointed to the
center field bleachers in Chicago’s Wrigley Field and followed up by hitting
a soaring home run high above the very spot to which he had just
gestured."
World Vegetarian Day
- Invite friends over for a vegetarian dinner and spout the wisdom of not
eating anything with a face. For information:
North American Vegetarian Society.
October
1 & 2
Oktoberfest - Ach du lieber! Celebrated in various locations
throughout the country this weekend and throughout the month with German
music, polkas, food, and parades, Oktoberfest is the perfect time to get a
group together, sling back a couple of German brewskis, kick up your heels,
and party your lederhosen off!
October 3
Fire Prevention Week - This is a good time to check your smoke
detectors and run through fire drill procedures. To add a little excitement,
hold a family fire drill - at midnight, topped off by a midnight snack, of
course.
October 5
"Monty Python's Flying Circus" TV Premier - Who says the
Brits don't have a sense of humor? US debut in 1974 of the BBC series, which
originated in 1969. These comedy skits are still wacky and can be viewed from
time to time on public network stations. Invite a group over to watch and
heckle. Check your TV listings or rent one of their four movies.
October 7
Anniversary of "The Frank Sinatra Show" TV Premiere -
In 1950 old "Blue Eyes" debuted his musical variety show. Grab a
couple of Sinatra's old hits, do some lip-syncing, and spend the day
"your way!"
October 8
Rona Barrett's Birthday - 1936. Gossip columnist. It's a tough job,
but somebody's gotta do it. In Rona's honor, invite the gang over for snacks
and gossip about all the people who refused the invitation.
R. L. Stine's Birthday - 1943. Author of the Goosebump series of
books for children. (Grown-ups find them scary, too!) Have a Monster Party and
invite your friends to dress up as their favorite scary characters and tell
ghost stories. After all, ghouls just wanna have fun!
October 13
Paul Simon's Birthday - 1941. Born in Newark, NJ, this
singer-songwriter performed with Art Garfunkel and is noted for such great
hits as "The Sounds of Silence," "Mrs. Robinson," and his
solo album "Graceland." Get out the oldies and have a Sing Along.
October 14
Be Bald and Be Free Day - As the saying goes, "bald is
beautiful", so if you're bald, flip your lid. "This is the day to go
shiny and be proud!" If you normally wear a toupe or hat, invite family
and friends for the great unveiling. For information: Thomas or Ruth Roy,
Wellcat Holidays, PO Box 774, Labanon, PA. (717) 279-0184. wellcat@supernet.com. www.wellcat.com.
Birthday of Dwight David Eisenhower - Born in Denison, TX in 1890,
Eisenhower was a 5-star general, served as supreme commander of the Allied
forces in western Europe during WWII, and went on to serve two terms as the
34th president of the US. He was the first president to become baptized after
taking office. He died in Washington, DC on March 28, 1969. In memory of this
American hero, have a "We Like Ike Party", have everyone dress in
post-war fashions and bomber jackets, and spin a few of those old 50's tunes.
October 15
"I Love Lucy" TV Premiere Anniversary - Debuting in 1951,
this wildly popular sitcom was the first to be filmed in front of a live
audience and starred the zany antics of real-life husband and wife duo,
Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. The fun lives on in syndication. Invite friends
over to watch the show and act out your favorite Lucy show moments. There are
lots!
National Grouch Day - Chases says, "honor a grouch; all grouches
deserve a day to be recognized."
October 16
Sweetest Day - Another holiday made up by the big greeting card and
flower companies, but any excuse for candy, flowers, and gifts is okay by me!
Gather round your friends (or just your sweetheart) and make it a sweet
evening to remember!
October 20
Bela Lugosi's Birthday - 1882-1956 Born Bela Ferenc Denzso Blasko in Lugos, Hungary, he was best known for his
role as Count Dracula in Dracula. Like you need an excuse to dress up as
Dracula in October! If you go around biting people on the neck, use ketchup in
a plastic squeeze bottle for special fx.
October 22
Timothy Leary's Birthday - 1920-1996. Born Timothy Francis Leary in
Springfield, MA, this Harvard prof. became an icon of the '60s counterculture
movement. He was kicked out of Harvard for giving an hallucinogenic drug to
one of his students and continued to advocate the use of LSD for spiritual and
political freedom as well as recreational use. While we're not suggesting a
drug party, what a great time to have a groovy '60s shindig…love beads,
psychedelic lights, funky music...and plenty of munchies. Far out, man!
Robert Rauschenberg's Birthday - 1925
- 2008. This noted artist is
famous for, among other artwork, massive dimensional collages, some even made
of pieces of airplanes, autoparts, etc. Get creative - invite everyone over
and have a Garage Wall Decorating Party.
October 24
Mother-in-Law Day - "Traditionally, the fourth Sunday in
October is the occasion to honor mothers-in-law for their contribution to the
success of families and for their good humor in enduring bad jokes." Come
on - be a sport. Invite the whole family over for dinner and pamper your
mother-in-law a little. After all, if it wasn't for her, whose clothes would
you be picking up?
October 27
"Walt Disney" TV Premiere Anniversary - 1954 marked the
entry of the first ABC series to break the Nielsen's Top 20 and the first
prime-time anthology children's series. This longest-running primetime
series was known by a variety of titles, including "Disneyland,"
"Walt Disney Presents," "Walt Disney's WonderfulWorld of
Color" (when color was introduced), "The Wonderful World of
Disney," "The Disney Sunday Movie," and "The Magical
World of Disney." Have a Disney Theme Party and have guests dress up as
one of their favorite Disney characters. Invite lots of guests, because with
over 50 classic movies, there's lots of characters from which to choose.
October 29
Birthday of Kate Jackson - Born in 1948 in Birmingham, AL, Kate's
claim to fame is portraying one of the original angels on the hit TV series,
"Charlie's Angels". Have a "Charlie's Angels" party in
her honor and dress up like your favorite angel.
October 29
Frankenstein Friday - "This holiday has been designed to
honor and celebrate the "mother" and "father" of
Frankenstein, Mary Shelley and Boris Karloff." Each year it's
celebrated a little differently, from Torch Lighting Ceremonies to filmfests.
This year's activities will be themed around a major motion picture release
from Universal Studios. While you're waiting to see the new flick, rent the
original "Frankenstein" and scare the pants off your favorite
little monsters!
Holidays courtesy of Chase’s
Calendar of Events; published by Contemporary Books, Chicago, Ill.
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