I decided to talk about celebrations in July because I will be celebrating my birthday this month, as well as Independence Day. I like to say, “when the fireworks show happens before the 4th of July, it’s all for me!” You see, my birthday is on July 3.
Let’s look at some U.S. celebrations that happen in each month that you may or may not know about. I am sure that I will learn something new today. Thanks to Time and Date for providing the details you may not have known about these annual celebrations. Thanks to Google Gemini for highlighting the monthly celebrations.
January
In case you didn’t know, January is Human Trafficking Prevention Month. Of course, everyone knows about New Year’s Day. However, did you know about Orthodox New Year’s Day? This is from the Gregorian calendar and appears near the middle of the month.
What about Epiphany, or Three Kings’ Day in January? Epiphany is celebrated by people from the U.S. Virgin Islands to remember their culture and heritage.
What about Orthodox Christmas Day in January? This comes from the Gregorian calendar, and it coincides with December 25, which is the public holiday for Christmas on the Julian calendar.
Do you celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day? This is a public holiday that celebrates a great civil rights leader. Drop a comment below if you celebrate any other days in January.
February
In case you didn’t know, February is Black History Month. Groundhog Day is also in February, and although it is not a public holiday, it is a day that is observed by many Americans as they patiently wait to see if Punxsutawney Phil will see his shadow!
Do you watch the Superbowl in February? This is not a public holiday either, but you would think it is with all of the attention it gets! I used to watch the Superbowl, but as time went on, I lost interest. However, I may tune in sometimes if I have nothing else to do. What about Valentine’s Day? Some people say this is a day created by florists and other stores to sell flowers, candy, and other gifts. Some people call February the Month of Love because of Valentine’s Day. I wonder how many people know the history of Valentine’s Day. Drop a comment and let me know your thoughts about this day.
Presidents Day is a public holiday in February. It was originally created to celebrate the first U.S. President George Washington, but at some point, people decided to celebrate ALL of the U.S. Presidents on this day. Presidents Day is also celebrated as Washington’s Birthday.
Do you celebrate Lunar New Year? It is also called Chinese New Year on the Chinese calendar. What about Ash Wednesday? Many Christian Americans celebrate Ash Wednesday as the first day of Lent, and it comes after Shrove Tuesday. Drop a comment below if you celebrate any other days in February.
March
In case you didn’t know, March is Women’s History Month. Do you participate in the Read Across America Day? This is news to me, but it seems to be something everyone should participate in. Students, teachers, and parents promote reading on the “first school day closest to March 2, which is Dr. Seuss’ birthday! Very cool! Comment below if you know who Dr Seuss is. Have you read any of his books, or seen any of the movies? I think I have read and seen all of them.
Has your employer ever recognized you on Employee Appreciation Day? If not, you should suggest it. I did work for a company that celebrated its employees. Do you live where Daylight Savings Time is recognized? If so, you know that Daylight Savings Time starts in March. Time to Spring the time forward by an hour and lose some sleep.
Christians celebrate Palm Sunday in March, a week before Resurrection Sunday. Later in the month, do you celebrate your doctor(s) on Doctor’s Day? I did not know this was a thing, but I am glad that it is. Drop a comment below if you celebrate any other days in March.
April
In case you didn’t know, April is Earth Month, and Autism Awareness Month. Jews celebrate Passover for a week, and it starts and ends in April, followed by Good Friday, and then Easter Sunday and Easter Monday. Christians call Easter Sunday, Resurrection Sunday. Did you know that Thomas Jefferson’s birthday is also celebrated in April?
There is also a day that nearly everyone working looks forward to, or not. Can you guess what it is? That’s right! It’s Tax Day! Many people wait until April only when they are not expecting a refund. What about Administrative Professionals Day? Are admins ever celebrated in April?
Have you ever been to the Boston Marathon in April? I used to think about running in a marathon, but that dream has died due to my health issues. Now it hurts just to walk. However, I still try to exercise my body to keep it from getting stiff. Lord knows, I do not want it to stop working altogether!
Do you know any librarians? Do you celebrate them on National Library Workers’ Day in October? Now that I know about it, perhaps I will visit my local library to thank the librarians. They are important to people who still like to read books. Yes, those people do still exist. My 20-year-old granddaughter just got 25 books from the library to read over the summer. Haven’t you heard? Reading is fundamental. Drop a comment below if you celebrate any other days in April.
May
In case you didn’t know, May is Mental Health Awareness Month. It is also the month of the Kentucky Derby. When I was young, I remember this being a highly publicized and celebrated event. I used to watch it on TV. These days, Cinco De Mayo is celebrated more, even though the Kentucky Derby has been around for more than 150 years! Then again, Cinco de Mayo has been celebrated for more than 160 years.
In my opinion, as a mom myself, the best holiday in May is Mother’s Day. My children are adults now, but I still remember all of the presents they made in school. As adults, they still try to surprise me. Do you have any Mother’s Day memories that stand out, either as a mom, or for a mom? Let us know in the comments below.
Christians celebrate the day of Pentecost, which is 50 days after Resurrection Sunday, or Easter as some people call it. Did you know that there is a National Missing Children’s Day in May? It is a day to make people aware of the problems with child abductions. That was news to me. However, the public holiday Memorial Day is well known. It is set aside to remember people who died while serving in the military. I think some people also use it to remember any of their loved ones who have passed. Drop a comment below if you celebrate any other days in May.
June
In case you didn’t know, June is Pride Month, and the Army has a birthday in June. Flag Day is also celebrated in June. Juneteenth became a public holiday in 2021. Do you know what Juneteenth represents? It was when the remaining slaves in Texas were freed because of Union soldiers enforcing the Emancipation Proclamation in 1865. As an African American, we celebrate our freedom on Juneteenth. Texas calls it Emancipation Day. Father’s Day is also celebrated in June. This is the most important holiday for dads. Drop a comment below if you celebrate any other days in June.
July
In case you didn’t know, July is National Picnic Month. I was hoping to change that to Cookout Month, but apparently, that is unofficially celebrated in May. In any case, the most important celebration in July for me is my birthday, as I mentioned at the beginning of this blog. The very next day is Independence Day, so there is a lot of celebrating happening in the first week of July.
Even though we have Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, children can celebrate with their parents on Parent’s Day in July, in case they missed the opportunities in May and June. Drop a comment below if you celebrate any other days in July.
August
In case you didn’t know, August is Black Business Month. Owning a black business myself, I am excited about and thankful for this celebration. It gives us an opportunity to boost sales for our business over 31 days. Being a senior myself, I am also excited for Senior Citizen Day in August. Some stores also offer Senior discounts on a weekly basis. I love that even more! I’m going 3 for 3. Women’s Equality Day is also celebrated in August. Looking beyond myself, in 2021, people in Illinois started celebrating Barak Obama Day in August. If I were in Illinois, I would love to join in that celebration! Did you know that the Coast Guard celebrates a birthday in August1/ Drop a comment below if you celebrate any other days in August.
September
In case you didn’t know, September is National Recovery Month and World Alzheimer’s Month. Everyone knows about Labor Day, but did you know that it is rooted in the American Labor Movement? It’s a day to celebrate workers, typically with a cookout and swimming before the pools close.
Do you know what Patriot Day is? The day we remember the people who were injured or died during the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Some people refer to that day as 9/11. I was calling it 9/11, but Patriot Day is a better name.
Do you celebrate National Grandparents Day? I don’t have any grandparents left, but I am overjoyed when my grandbabies celebrate me. This is not a public holiday, but it really should be.
Did you know that the Air Force has a birthday in September? That was news to me! Drop a comment below if you celebrate any other days in September.
October
In case you didn’t know, October is National Family History Month. It is good to know your family history, so the U.S. Senate decided in 2001 to set aside a month to remind people to learn more about their heritage, work on their family tree, and share stories of their ancestors. Ancestry.com probably sees a spike in sales around this time.
Child Health Day is also observed in October. I think it would be better to have a month to encourage people to focus on the health of children. Children need 24-hour care until they can take care of themselves as adults. Maybe if we focused more on child health, children would take better care of themselves when they become adults and leave their parents’ nest.
Have you ever been to the Chicago Marathon in October? I asked about the Boston Marathon earlier. If you have been to both, or any other marathons, drop a comment and share your experience.
Columbus Day is a public holiday celebrated in October to remember Christopher Columbus when he made it to America, or the Americas. However, it is a federal holiday that is celebrated in only 28 of the 50 states. This is likely because people used to say he discovered America, but there were people already here, so all he did was arrive here and make his arrival public.
Did you know that the Navy has a birthday in October? That was news to me! I am excited to learn about the birth of the U.S. Armed Forces. I thought there were only 5 branches of the military, but I am learning there are more. Drop a comment and let me know what the other branches are.
I was surprised to learn about White Cane Safety Day in October. It is a day to remember the importance of the white cane used by blind and visually impaired people. It is also set aside to celebrate those people who have achieved greatness despite their struggles.
Do you have a boss that you celebrate on Boss’s Day in October? I try to be the kind of boss that my employees want to celebrate at any given time of the year. What about Sweetest Day? While Valentine’s Day is more widely recognized and celebrated, Sweetest Day started in Cleveland, OH in 1921 by candy makers. It is a day for people to show kindness, love, and appreciation to family members, friends, and mates with cards and candy.
Of course, I cannot move away from October without mentioning Halloween. I no longer celebrate Halloween, but I know it is a big deal for a lot of people. Since growing my faith to a deeper level, I started celebrating All Saints Day instead of All Hallows Eve. However, not the same way as Catholics. Drop a comment below if you celebrate any other days in October.
November
In case you didn’t know, November is National Native American Heritage Month. Are you familiar with Native American history? There are a lot of people in this category who have made great contributions to society, including life-saving medicines. I encourage you to do some research into this rich history.
November is called the month of thanksgiving. People, including myself, like to emphasize 30 days of thanksgiving in November. However, this is an activity we all need to practice every day of the year. I am reminded of the song “Every Day is a Day of Thanksgiving.” The song reminds us to “take some time to glorify the Lord today.”
I mentioned All Saints Day, which is the day after Halloween. While Catholics use this day to celebrate the saints they always honor with statues, I am a Christian who celebrates the saints who are alive today and making a difference with spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. These saints are not elevated as being perfect, but they are celebrated and encouraged as being a worker in the ministry, building God’s Kingdom. Drop a comment if I confused you, or if you want to learn more about All Saint’s Day.
I did not know there was a marathon in New York City (NYC) in November. I knew about the Boston Marathon and the Chicago Marathon, but I am not sure I have heard of the NYC Marathon. If you have ever been to, or participated in, the MYC Marathon, or any other marathon, drop us a comment and tell us about your experience. I want to live the dream through your eyes.
Do you remember Daylight Savings Time that started in March? Well, it ends in November. Time to Fall the time back by an hour and gain some sleep. You might need this for election day. Are you a voter? If you are new to voting, the U.S. Presidential Election happens every four years. The next one will be in 2028, if we survive until then. I am always saying, “Come on Jesus! This world is crazy!” I also say that I am not leaving this world until Jesus comes back. It pains me to think about what would happen to my family members if I died before the rapture…
Did you know the Marine Corp celebrates their birthday in November? I need to add all of these military birthdays to my calendar so I can celebrate the people who serve in the armed forces. We celebrate Veterans Day in November to honor those who have been discharged from the military, but I want to celebrate those who are still active.
And now we have come to the best day in November, Thanksgiving. My family likes to gather at one of our houses with the host cooking the meat and making the dessert, and everyone else bringing sides. We almost always eat too much. The food is just too good! Do you celebrate Thanksgiving? Drop us a comment with your best, or worst, Thanksgiving story. Black Friday and Cyber Monday follow Thanksgiving to offer crazy deals to Christmas shoppers.
I mentioned Barak Obama Day being celebrated in Illinois in August. Well, some people in Alabama celebrate it in November. Drop a comment below if you celebrate any other days in November.
December
In case you didn’t know, December is Universal Human Rights Month. This seems appropriate for the Christmas season. Everyone seems to be just a little nicer during the holidays. For me, I try to be nice every day. It is hard to do sometimes. There are some people in the world who do not care how nice you are. They are just determined to be negative, so I pray for them and their souls. Only God can turn it around for them.
I was surprised to learn that Rosa Parks Day is only celebrated in Alabama and Ohio. Rosa Parks is called the mother of the civil rights movement because she sat down to stand up for civil rights during a time of segregation. Her refusal to give up her seat on a public bus led to the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which led to integration of the public bus system a year later.
Giving Tuesday happens in December and reminds people that giving is better than receiving. It is a perfect time for non-profits to launch fundraising campaigns. I can imagine that volunteerism increases on this day as well.
Did you know that the National Guard celebrates its birthday in December? I have an older brother who served in the Army in the 1980s, and a younger brother who served in the National Guard and was sent to Kuwait. My older brother went to Germany and was discharged before Desert Storm was launched during the Gulf War. My younger brother made it back from Kuwait after a year and was later discharged due to his health.
I am sure everyone knows about Christmas Eve and Christmas Day that are celebrated in December. Christians know that Jesus was not actually born in December, but since this is a public holiday that allows people to be off from work, why not use it to celebrate Jesus? Of course, we should celebrate Him every day, but we can go all out to give Him glory on Christmas. I believe that the Christmas season causes people to be nicer because we also celebrate Jesus during this time. When we show love towards one another, God is glorified. Do you celebrate Christmas? Drop us a comment with your best, or worst, Christmas story.
New Year’s Eve is the very last day of December, and the very last day of the year. Many people bring in the new year by starting with a New Year’s Eve celebration. Some churches have a Watch Night Service to bring in the new year. Have you ever attended a Watch Night Service or something similar on New Year’s Eve? I love the fellowships at a Watch Night Service. Drop a comment below and tell us about your December celebrations.
For more details about these holidays and more, visit the Time and Day website at https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/2026. I hope you learned something new today! Comment below about any holidays you celebrate that are not public.
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