Weird & Wonderful July Holidays

A rat catching party? Yep, for all you official rat catchers out there you do indeed have a special day devoted to you, and your goodly deeds. This is the day when rat catchers everywhere are recognized for their bravery in ridding communities of that oh so frightening pest known ever so commonly as the RAT.

This date came into being to enhance the fabled story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin and actually has two official dates. Depending on where you reside, and which day you prefer to celebrate it, Rat Catcher's Day can fall on either June 26 or July 22. The reason for this confusion lies in the fact that the Brothers Grimm place June 26 1284 as the day in which the Pied Piper led the rats out of Hamelin, while July 22 1376 is the date Robert Browning voices this momentous occasion as occurring on. If you are a rat catcher, or know an official rat catcher, these are your days to officially celebrate the grandness of this profession.

Now for a little rat catcher trivia. Did you know that Alberta Canada is designated as a rat free province. Yep, it is true. They have official rat catchers out searching for any rat that might manage to find it's way into that province. And don't even consider bringing one in as a pet or your furry little buddy will be quickly, and officially, escorted right back out of the province again. Rats are not welcome in Alberta. So for all the official Alberta rat catchers out there, a tip of the hat, and I sure hope that you have a great Rat Catcher's Day party....Celebrate Rat Catchers Day.

The fourth Sunday in July is officially National Parent's Day and this wonderful day is a day to focus on the family. Families are the very basis of every great nation. They are love, guidance, teaching, learning, laughter and tears. They are the hope for the future and the stones on which past tales are written. Parenting is one of the most important roles that a person can undertake in their lifetime and it is this day which honors, and offers up continued encouragement for those who are, parents.

To celebrate National Parent's Day simply be a theme your party around being a parent. Participate in a day filled with family activities. Spend the day at your local beach, recreational center, or water slide. Have a backyard barbecue or visit a local park for a picnic. Host an annual family game night on this date. Celebrate being a family with a family based party.

Don't forget to hug your kids - it's important.

Cow Appreciation Day is actually an annual event hosted by the Chick-Fil-A Restaurant chain in keeping with their advertising campaign where cows encourage patrons to consume "chikin" instead of beef. Patrons who dress in a full cow costume on Cow Appreciation Day receive a full free combo meal. A full costume is described as a head to toe outfit. For those who arrive in partial cow costume it is at the manager's discretion as to whether or not they will receive free food.

If it seems that folks celebrate Cow Appreciation Day on a different date in July each year, well that is because they do, this wonderful day just so happens to fall on the second Friday in July each year. So HEY! Have a Cow Appreciation Day Party and hug a cow today. Or pop on over to your nearest Chick-Fil-A restaurant on the second Friday in July for and share in their Cow Appreciation Day party....Celebrate Cow Appreciation Day.

On Scarecrow day you might consider hosting a a hoe-down hillbilly type party. If you love getting out into the summer sun to play in the garden this July Holiday falls on the first Sunday of July each and every year. So how do you celebrate Scarecrow Day? You build a scarecrow of course.

The garden plants are up, and will be bearing their rich fruits soon, so the first Sunday in July is the perfect day to erect a scarecrow to help protect your gardens riches. By setting up a Scarecrow, or stuffed human like mannequin in the garden, we hope to trick overhead birds into believing that someone is out working in the garden....Celebrate Scarecrow day.

July 6th is National Fried Chicken Day so if you have a craving for a wing or a drumstick, prepare to celebrate this very unique holiday in true Southern style, and prepare to chow down on some of the best tasting fried chicken that this country has to offer. The simple theme of National Fried Chicken Day is to give people a reason to honor, appreciate, and enjoy the unique history and taste of this traditional Southern feast.

Fried Chicken actually has a very unique and somewhat vital role in history. Back before refrigeration come into existence there were only so many means of keeping meat from going bad before it could be consumed. Meat could be sun dried, or smoked, and in the winter it could be frozen. If you were dealing with a large amount of meat, as of that from a cow or buffalo, then meat preparation could be very time consuming, and even after the meat was treated there was no guarantee that the meat would not spoil in the hot summer sun. The chicken being a small animal, was easy to consume, and when the meat was fried it could actually last for days without spoilage. Fried chicken kept better than other meats....Celebrate National Fried Chicken Day.

It's a busy world, and some people are much busier than others, these are the workaholics of our modern society. These individuals are generally the first to arrive at their work place and often the last to leave it in the evening. They usually take their work home from the office with them, and even when they are simply relaxing at home, their workplace is still within their mind. A holiday to honor these unique individuals has been set aside especially for them, it is July 5th, and it is National Workaholics Day.

So how does a workaholic celebrate Workaholics Day? Well usually he starts this special day off by going to work, but on this day, he just makes his work day a little more rewarding. If you are a workaholic here are 25 ways that you might choose to celebrate Workaholics Day....Celebrate National Workaholics Day.

July 4 1776 the United States of America declared their independence from Great Britain by signing the "Declaration of Independence" This act officially separated the United States from Britain, and made it a country with its own rights, and freedoms.

This date is generally celebrated with ceremonies, parties, sporting events, and fireworks. It is the day that Americans celebrate being a free state with all the rights that this freedom affords each citizen that resides there. It is a day when those Americans who fought for those rights and freedoms are also remembered. Commonly referred to as "Fourth of July Celebrations"....Celebrate Independence Day.

July 1st is Canada's official birthday, so bake up a nice big cake, and celebrate her birthday in true Canadian style. Not sure what that is? Well it just takes a little peek into Canada's rich history to let you know what being a Canadian is all about....

The uniqueness of Canadians and their language begins way back when Canada was first colonized. The first people to lay claim to Canada (other than it's native inhabitants that is) were the English. But it turned out that the English people were not all that interested in colonizing Canada though, it was just too gosh awful cold and barren, so along came the French who began moving their people into the great Canadian wilderness.

Then England got the funny notion that a little critter with a big flat tail that lived within those backwoods was something that they wanted. The Canadian Beaver had a fur coat that made really super duper nice warm hats to wear on cold British evenings and the Brits wanted as many of those hats as they could get. This got France thinking that Canada was really not worth having a great big fight over, so after a few years of squabbling and shooting at each other....Celebrate Canada Day.

When you participate in pleasurable activities like smiling, laughing, exercising or playing, your brain does an amazing thing and releases a little chemical message known as an endorphin.

These endorphins are feel good messages that have the power to actually remove physical and emotional pain. They travel down the spine, and then throughout your body, sending a feeling of well being as they go. These endorphins not only have the ability to relieve pain but they also have the power to make you feel happy.