It’s the second of the month and that means we look at what the Awareness Months, Weeks and Days are.
First there is Independence Day. In America we celebrate Independence Day on the 4th of July. However independence is a popular theme for the month of July. The following countries all celebrate their Independence Days this month: Keti Koti in Surinam, Belarus, Phillipines, Algeria, Venezuela, Argentina, South Sudan, Bahamas, Revolution Day in Egypt, Maldives, and Vanuatu (Vanuatu is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanuatu )
I did not find very many health awareness months. Let me know if I have left any out.
Hemochromatosis Screening, International Group B strep, Eye Injury Prevention, International Women with Alopecia, Juvenile Arthritis, National Cleft & Craniofacial
Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) Education & Awareness Week is July 18-25.
World Hepatitis Day is on the 28th of July
Foods are a big thing, especially during National Grilling Month (also National Picnic Month) and not surprisingly the foods on the menu each have their own “awareness” month. I’m not quite sure why food needs us to be aware of it, but here is a list of foods we celebrate this month:
Blueberries, Lasagna, Baked Beans, Horseradish, Hot dog, Ice Cream, Pickle, Garlic, Nectarine, Berries, California Wild King Salmon, Chicken Wings, Chocolate, and Caviar.
National Wheelchair Beautification Day http://www.caremedicalsource.com/blog/celebrate-national-wheelchair-beautification-month/ This is a cool thing.
National Pet Fire Safety Day http://www.akc.org/press_center/article.cfm?article_id=3907
On this day in 1962, the Civil Rights Act was signed by Lyndon B. Johnson which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race.
Flitch Day also known as bringing home the bacon. http://marriage.about.com/od/customstraditions/qt/flitchday.htm – “As far back as 1104 in Dunmow Priory, England, monks offered a side of bacon (flitch) to any married couple proving a year and a day after their wedding that they had lived in harmony and fidelity for the past year and had not wished they were single again.”
Now for what I consider the more unusual.
World UFO Day http://www.worldufoday.com/
Pandemonium Day http://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/pandemonium-day/
“Chaos, madness and unexpected surprises abound on Pandemonium Day, when nothing can be predicted and everything can go wrong. Embrace the pandemonium, and do something crazy!”
International Cherry Pit Spitting Day http://holidayscentral.com/calendar/july/international-cherry-pit-spitting-day – “July 7th is International Cherry Pit Spitting Day. If you think you can break the world record, you will have to spit your pit farther than 100 feet 4 inches.”
International Town Criers Day http://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/town-crier-day/ – “Town Crier Day celebrates the historical role of the town crier by encouraging people to take up the role of the town crier in their town or city.”
Shark Awareness Day – http://www.divephotoguide.com/underwater-photography-scuba-ocean-news/official_shark_awareness_day/ I find this unusual because if you’re swimming in shark-infested waters, it seems to me that you should be aware of them at all times. Oh wait. This day is dedicated to shark appreciation and conservation.
These days will get their own posts: Moon Day (Space Exploration Day), Ratcatcher’s Day, 4th of July, Embrace Your Geekness Day, Nelson Mandela International Day, Uncommon Instruments Awareness Day
A few significant birthdays: Thurgood Marshall, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Stephen Foster (the songwriter that gave us over 200 songs including Oh! Susanna, Camptown Races, Swanee River and so forth), Josiah Wedgwood, Henry David Thoreau, Woody Guthrie, Rembrandt, Joshua Reynolds, Edgar Degas, Ernest Hemingway, Alexandre Dumas, and George Bernard Shaw.
Health Resources
Hemochromatosis www.hemochromatosis.org
International Group B strep http://www.drum.amedd.army.mil/news/2010/0710/Strep_Awareness.htm
Eye Injury Prevention http://www.foh.dhhs.gov/Public/NYCU/eyeinjury.asp
International Women with Alopecia http://blog.puravidabracelets.com/2013/07/23/july-is-international-alopecia-in-women-month/
Juvenile Arthritis http://www.curearthritis.org/juvenile-arthritis-awareness-month/
National Cleft & Craniofacial http://www.nccapm.org/
Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) http://www.sleepassociation.org/index.php?p=rlsawarenessweek
World Hepatitis Day http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/WorldHepDay.htm
Food – just because it’s one of my favorites: Blueberries www.blueberry.org
I always support library days and it is Read an Almanac Month: www.libraryhq.com/calendar.html
General Lists of July Days
For a list of daily observances in July go to: http://www.butlerwebs.com/holidays/july.htm
http://womeninbusiness.about.com/od/diversityeventcalendars/a/nat-month-july.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_commemorative_months#July
http://www.buzzfeed.com/samimain/july-is-national-month-5pfv
You can find a complete listing of famous people born in July at: http://www.saidwhat.co.uk/quotes/month/7
~lisa
Rainbow Hill Meanders 