Dwarfism Awareness Month – October, 2021

While International Dwarfism Awareness Day is observed every year on the 25th of October, the entire month of October is Dwarfism Awareness Month. One great way to participate in Dwarfism Awareness Day is by learning more about dwarfism.

In 1957, actor Billy Barty and some of his friends founded an organization for people with dwarfism, called Little People of America (LPA). In 2012, LPA wanted to honor Billy Barty, so they created International Dwarfism Awareness Day, choosing Barty’s birthday (October 25th) as the official date.

Considering the complexity of the topic, I’d rather only list the basics and leave you with a few links to some websites where you can deepen your knowledge.

  1. Dwarfism is a condition characterized by short stature, usually resulting in an adult height of four-feet, 10-inches or shorter. For children, this means being below the height growth curve for their age, which would be less than the 3rd percentile.
  2. The terms usually preferred by people with this condition are “short-statured” or “little person” rather than “​dwarf.” The term “midget” is considered to be offensive by the majority of people.
  3. There are several hundred genetic diseases that can cause dwarfism, but the most frequent ones are listed on this page in alphabetical order.
  4. Achondroplasia makes up 70% of all cases of dwarfism and affects about one of every 25,000 to 30,000 newborns. Achondroplasia is caused by a problem with the gene that allows the body to convert cartilage to bone while growing, especially in the long bones. The word achondroplasia comes from Latin and literally means “without cartilage formation.”.

If you want to learn more, I invite you to explore the following sites:

https://nationaldaycalendar.com/international-dwarfism-awareness-day-october-25/
https://www.lpaonline.org/dwarfism-awareness-month
https://www.verywellhealth.com/how-many-types-of-dwarfism-are-there-2860725
https://www.webmd.com/children/dwarfism-causes-treatments

What is celebrated in September?

I’ve been on hiatus for a while due to health problems, but I haven’t completely abandoned this blog.

This article should have been posted at the beginning of September, so I would like to apologize for its late publication, as the month has already reached its middle.

Regardless, it is still September, and it’s a busy month. Lots of things are being celebrated and/or observed during this second month of Autumn (including my birthday), and I would like to present a brief list of things that have September as their official month.

  • Hunger Action Month – established in 2008 in the USA, with the goal of tackling the hunger crisis across the country, Hunger Action Month is celebrated by helping raise awareness of hunger as a problem that needs to be solved. You can learn more about it here: https://www.feedingamerica.org/take-action/hunger-action-month
  • Friendship Month – started about a decade ago, Friendship Month aims to celebrate everything that is great about friendship. From strengthening current friendships to making new ones, to reaching out to old friends you’ve been meaning to reconnect with for a long time, the ways you can celebrate Friendship Month are numerous. Find out what Friendship Month is all about here: https://www.awarenessdays.com/awareness-days-calendar/oddfellows-friendship-month-2021/
  • Suicide Prevention Month – there is no need to explain why raising awareness and opening the dialogue about suicide is important in today’s society. September is recognized annually as National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. As part of that, Sept. 5-11 is recognized as National Suicide Prevention Week and Sept. 10 as World Suicide Prevention Day. Organizations like the National Alliance of Mental Illness work every year to help raise awareness of the difficulty and pain of those who attempt suicide.

For a longer list of monthly observances for the month of September, I invite you to visit the following sites:

https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/2021/09/
https://nationaldaycalendar.com/september-monthly-observances/

Be An Angel Day, 2021

I want to mention from the very beginning that the name of this holiday (Be An Angel Day) is to be understood metaphorically. According to Christian beliefs, humans and angels are two different species and humans cannot become angels (unless God wills it, which is an entirely different topic of discussion).

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s see what Be An Angel Day is about and why it is relevant. Started by Jayne Howard Feldman in 1993 and popularized on social media over the past years, Be An Angel Day is observed every year on August 22nd. Its aim is to encourage good deeds and kindness to others. I think we can never have too many holidays for promoting kindness. By supporting those in need and inspiring others to kindness, we display a behavior characteristic to angels, here on earth.

Be An Angel Day is very similar to the Random Acts Of Kindness Day. People are encouraged to show kindness and do something nice for their fellow humans and have a positive impact in another person’s life for a day.

There are numerous things you can do to observe / celebrate this day. Helping others with their chores, complimenting family members and/or friends, trying to be more polite, patient and compassionate, forgiving those you hold a grudge against, praying for the wellbeing of others, smiling at people and thanking them for their service (the postman, the cashier at the store, the doorman, the police or security officer etc.), helping the homeless, volunteering to work at a soup kitchen or donating to a charity organization… and the list goes on.

If you need more ideas, check out this list of random acts of kindness:

To learn more about Be An Angel Day, check out these websites:
http://www.holiday-favorites.com/be-an-angel-day/
https://dayfinders.com/be-an-angel-day/
https://nationaltoday.com/be-an-angel-day/
https://happydays365.org/national-be-an-angel-day/national-be-an-angel-day-august-22/

What do you say? Will you take this challenge? Will you act like an angel today?

World Honey Bee Day, 2021

Observed every year on the third Sunday of August, World Honey Bee Day aims to celebrate honey bees, beekeepers, honey lovers, and all blooming things.

On this day, people are invited to recognize the contribution that honey bees make to our everyday lives, and to learn about how we can protect this vital species and provide a supportive environment for it.

Beekeepers to celebrate National Honey Bee Day this weekend

To learn more about World Honey Bee Day and about how you can get involved in spreading awareness about this holiday, please visit the following websites:

https://nationaldaycalendar.com/world-honey-bee-day-third-saturday-in-august/
https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/world-honey-bee-day/
http://www.fao.org/world-bee-day/en/
https://honeylove.org/national-honey-bee-day/

Happy World Honey Bee Day to everyone! 🙂

Tell An Old Joke Day, 2021

According to various websites, listed below, today, July the 24th, is Tell An Old Joke Day. I’ll leave the following links for you to read more about the history and the meaning of this holiday.

https://nationaltoday.com/national-tell-an-old-joke-day/
https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/tell-an-old-joke-day/
http://holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/August/tellajokeday.htm

So, without further ado, here’s an old joke. I hope you enjoy it.

What did the kid in first year at Catholic school say when asked why they kept walking next to the same person at school?
“I was told I’m supposed to walk by Faith!”

Happy Eat Your Vegetables Day, 2021

While Eat Your Vegetables Day is currently celebrated mostly in the USA, I think its message is so important that it should become an international thing.

It is undeniable and scientifically-proven that vegetables and fruits are an essential part of a healthy lifestyle. Thousands of studies conducted in the field of nutrition over the past decades have highlighted the benefits of a plant-based diet.

If you care about your body and want to improve your health, I recommend you increase your intake of fresh, organic vegetables and fruits. To learn more about Eat Your Vegetables Day, please visit the following websites:

https://nationaldaycalendar.com/days-2/national-eat-your-vegetables-day-june-17/
https://nationaltoday.com/national-eat-vegetables-day/
https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/fun/eat-your-vegetables-day
https://nextnationalday.com/national-eat-your-vegetables-day/

Some ideas for celebrating Eat Your Vegetables Day are to include vegetables in all your meals today, and to visit your local farmer’s market and get some locally grown produce. If your schedule doesn’t allow it, plan to do so at your earliest convenience.

International Day of Happiness, 2021

The idea of an International Day of Happiness was introduced to the United Nations back in 2011 by the advisor Jayme Illien, along with the United Nations’ New Economic Paradigm project and “happytalism”, which aim to change the way nations approach economic growth by focusing on “happytalism” over capitalism.

The day was founded in July of 2012 and was first observed in 2013. Its celebration is an acknowledgement of the importance and desirability of happiness in human life, and the need that happiness be incorporated into public policy.

Despite being a challenging concept to define, there is a general consensus that happiness broadly covers two key areas – how people feel in the present moment and how satisfied people are with their lives overall. Consequently, happiness can range from a sudden rush of intense emotion (such as joy or euphoria) to a much calmer and steadier sense of contentment.

For ideas on how to celebrate International Day of Happiness this year, check out the following websites:

https://www.un.org/en/observances/happiness-day
https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/international-day-of-happiness/
https://happinessday.org/
https://www.livehappy.com/practice/happiness-around-world
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Day_of_Happiness

Religious Freedom Day, 2020

On the 16th of January, 1786, soon after the United States of America came into existence as a sovereign nation, the Virginia General Assembly adopted Thomas Jefferson’s landmark Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. This statute then became the basis for what is known today as the First Amendment, which guarantees religious freedom to all people residing in the U.S.A..

Every year since that time, a statement is released on this same day by the president of the United States, officially proclaiming Religious Freedom Day.

Here is this year’s statement, made by president Donald Trump:

For a list of resources about the importance of Religious Freedom Day, check out the following websites:
https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/religious-freedom-day/
https://news.yahoo.com/franklin-graham-importance-national-religious-161755667.html

To find out how you can celebrate Religious Freedom Day, I invite you to browse the following articles:

https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/religious-freedom-day/
https://www.awarenessdays.com/awareness-days-calendar/national-religious-freedom-day-2021/
https://nationaldaycalendar.com/national-religious-freedom-day-january-16/
https://the-armijo-signal.com/20899/current-theme/the-awareness-national-religious-freedom-day-brings/
https://gogateways.org/articles/tag/Religious+Freedom+Day
https://religiousfreedomsunday.com/

Happy Religious Freedom Day, 2020.

Happy 102nd Great Union Day, Romania!

On December the 1th 2020, Romania celebrates its 102nd Great Union Day. This national holiday marks the unification of Transylvania, Bessarabia and Bukovina with the Romanian Kingdom in 1918.

To find out more about Great Union Day, I invite you to read last year’s article: https://lucian-hodoboc.com/happy-101th-anniversary-romania/

If you’re interested in finding out some cool facts about Romania, please watch the following video:

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=976090446105970

Singles Day (11 11), 2020

There’s an unofficial Chinese holiday celebrated every year on the 11th of November (also known as 11 11 or Double 11) called Singles’ Day. It was started by online retailer Alibaba and you can read more about its history by clicking the links in this article. You can also learn about what it means for Chinese commerce here: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-54876524. Its purpose is to celebrate the unattached, which makes it an antithesis to the romantically-involved on Valentine’s Day.

However, seeing how the holiday is not popular anywhere outside of China, I’m not going to talk about it, but rather I want to include a few videos about what it means to be single for a Christian. This is a selection of videos from Evangelicals, Catholics and Orthodox Christians. Enjoy!

Ben Stuart – Love the Single Chapter of Your Life
Steven Furtick – Singleness, sex and self-control
Kim Zember and Jackie Angel – The Right Way to Be Single
Fr. Mike Schmitz – Learning to be Alone
Fr. Josiah Trenham – Orthodox Dating 101