On This Day: May 28th … Strange Holidays
Don’t Fry Friday
National Hamburger Day
National Death Busters Day
National Wig Out Day
The National Death Busters Day Countdown Clock will show you the number of days, hours, minutes, and seconds until the next National Death Busters Day. Strange if you ask me. Wait! Please, don’t ask me because I’ll just say it’s strange.
Well, let me get started.
National Wig Out Day
People are encouraged to wear whatever type of hair they’d like today. Different styles and different colors—it’s all possible by picking out the right wig. National Wig Out Day was created in 2006 by sisters Kate and Alice Clark, who convinced residents in their city of Bellingham, Washington, to wear wigs to their jobs on the day of the inaugural celebration. At the end of the day, wig-wearing celebrants gathered downtown for a party. The day caught on and National Wig Out Day spread across the country.
Wigs date back to ancient Egypt, where they were worn by people who had cut their hair short. Kept in place with beeswax and resin, the wigs protected their wearers from the sun. Egyptians weren’t the only ancient peoples to wear wigs; so did Phoenicians, Assyrians, Romans, Greeks, and Jews in ancient Israel. Sometime later they were worn in China, Japan, and Korea.
After the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the fourth and fifth centuries, wigs weren’t used in the West until the sixteenth century. At that time, they were used much as they are today: to improve appearance or cover up hair loss. They also helped to prevent head lice. English royals began wearing wigs in the early seventeenth century. Later in the century, perukes or periwigs—wigs that were at least shoulder-length—came in vogue. These tended to be expensive and elaborate and were worn by those of higher social rank.
In the eighteenth century, men’s wigs were powdered so they looked white or off-white, and were worn for important social occasions. Women tended to not wear wigs. Wigs became smaller, and some became associated with certain professions, being worn by judges and bishops. By the end of the century, wigs were largely only common with older, conservative men, and with ladies presented at court.
Early in the nineteenth century, following the emergence of the United States and a new France, the wearing of wigs as a symbol or social status was largely jettisoned. In general, wigs were not prominent or fashionable in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The development of affordable, synthetic wigs made of modacrylic fiber in the 1960s paved the way for a resurgence of wigs, and ultimately, for a holiday like National Wig Out Day to come about.
If you have a wig, put it on and wig out today!
Don’t Fry Friday
Today is a very important day for you and your skin. It occurs just as the Memorial holiday begins, and at the start of summer. At this time, sunshine is the most intense. People are seeking the sunshine and the great outdoors after a long winter. The purpose of today, is to educate people, and to make them aware of the dangers of overexposure to UVA and UVB rays. These UV rays come from the sun, and from popular tanning booths. They are the primary cause of skin cancer.
Skin cancer is very treatable and curable, if caught early. Unfortunately, early detection does not always occur. If you have even the slightest suspicion, go get checked out by your doctor, immediately.
A little sunshine is good for you. It provides important vitamin D, and sunshine brightens your mood. It’s over exposure that damages your skin, and can result in skin cancer. There’s a better way to get vitamin D, than from the sun. It is readily available as a vitamin supplement in pill form, usually along with Calcium.
Have a safe and happy summer. Follow the motto for skin cancer prevention: ” Slip, Slop, Slap, and Wrap” This means slip on a shirt, slop on the suntan lotion (SPF 30 or higher), slap on a hat, and wrap on the sunglasses. Yes, UV rays can damage your eyes, too. In addition, it is recommended that people stay out of the sun during midday of summer, when these harmful UV rays are the most intense.
Over 3.5 million cases of skin non-melanomas are diagnosed each year. And there are over 76,000 cases of skin melanoma a year, most of which are preventable. Source: American Cancer Society
“Money can’t buy happiness. It can buy chocolate,
which is pretty much the same thing”—Hanako Ishii
National Hamburger Day
Hamburgers are America’s favorite sandwich. What would a Memorial Day, or Fourth of July picnic be without the very American hamburger? So, it only fitting that we have a special day to celebrate our cherished burgers.
Hamburgers are American in origin. However, there is much controversy as to whether Hamburgers were first created in the 19th or the 20th century. We won’t fret over when they were first created. We’ll just savor the flavor.
Have it your way. The best way to cook a hamburger, is grilled on an outdoor grill. You can also cook them indoors on a frying pan. Add your favorite fixings. Cheese is all but a must. Then, there’s lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onions, bacon, and so much more. And don’t forget the condiments. Mustard, ketchup, and relish are the favorites.
On September 2, 2012, the Black Bear Casino Resort in Carlton, Minnesota cooked the world’s largest hamburger at 2,014 pounds. That’s the equivalent of 8,056 Quarter Pounders and get this, the population there is roughly 2,000 today. In 2012 it was listed with 1,016 people.
“I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday, for a hamburger today.”
—Wimpy from the cartoons series “Popeye”.
More Strange Holidays Coming!