Celebrate Life ~ Our Favorite Weird, Wacky Holidays in August

I walk past the yellow picnic tables, across the enclosed, painted-gray concrete patio in my grandparents’ backyard, and release the latch on the screen door. I push the aluminum door open, hearing the light squeak as I step out into the yard. The sky is the usual vibrant blue of a San Diego summer, and the waterfall splashes into the small goldfish pond.

I scan the perimeter and smile at the colorful orbs dotting the green leafy trees. Walking past the lemons and limes, I head straight for my favorite – the peaches. I reach up into the tree and start testing the fruit, searching for the one that will come off easily into my small palm. I’m finally rewarded as a soft, fuzzy peach separates from its branch. I test it for ripeness with a gentle squeeze, then bring it up to my nose and inhale deeply. It smells sweet, even through the skin.

I brush it lightly with my fingers, then take a bite. The juice spurts into my mouth and down my chin and wrist. I lean over to sprinkle the ground with its nectar instead of my shirt. It tastes delicious as I devour it, and I secretly hope that my grandmother will send us home with a repurposed butter dish full of her homemade peach jam. Any other time I’m a buttered toast purist, but whenever I can, I happily smear my grandmother’s homemade fruity sweetness across my golden brown, buttered to the edges, white bread, take a big bite, and savor it.

It’s been a long time since I had my grandmother’s jam. I just don’t get home often enough, and when I do, my time is chock full of cramming as much into my visit as I can. Several years ago, after begging a few times, she finally gave me the recipe, but I’ve never actually taken the time to make it.

 

 

As it turns out, August is National Peach Month, and it seems like the perfect opportunity to try my hand at making it for the first time. I just need to find some great peaches. Not always the easiest thing in Connecticut.

But here at The Life You Have Imagined, we like to celebrate the big and the small things, and there is a lot to celebrate in August! We consulted NationalDayCalendar.com and created a list of our favorite weird, wacky holidays coming up next month:

 

Favorite Holidays for the Month of August:

 

Family Fun Month

National Peach Month

Romance Awareness Month

National Coffee Month

National Goat Cheese Month

 

 

Favorite Holidays in the 1st Week of August:

 

International Clown Week – August 1-7 (Clowns have gotten a bad rap, but we love them!)

National Bargain Hunting Week – August 1-5

Simplify Your Life Week – August 1- 7

World Breastfeeding Week – August 1-7

 

Favorite Holidays in the 2nd Week of August:

 

National Scrabble Week – August 6-10

National Farmers Market Week – August 7-13 (First week in August)

National Smile Week – Second Week of August

National Apple Week – Second Week of August

Exercise with Your Child Week – August 7-13

Elvis Week – August 8-12

 

Favorite Holidays in the 3rd Week of August:

 

National Resurrect Romance Week – August 14-20 (Second Full Week in August)

National Aviation Week – August 15-21 (Week of Orville Wright’s Birthday August 19)

North American Organic Brewers Week – August 18-21

 

 

Favorite Holidays in the 4th Week of August:

 

Be Kind to Humankind Week – August 25-31

 

Favorite Daily Holidays in August:

 

1st –

• National Raspberry Cream Pie Day
• National Girlfriends Day

2nd –

• National Coloring Book Day
• National Ice Cream Sandwich Day

3rd –

• National Georgia Day
• National Watermelon Day
• India Pale Ale Day

4th –

• National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day
• National Coast Guard Day
• International Beer Day

5th –

• National Oyster Day
• National Jamaican Patty Day

6th –

• National Root Beer Float Day
• National Friendship Day
• National Sisters Day (I have two!)

7th –

• Purple Heart Day
• National Lighthouse Day

 

 

8th –

• National Happiness Happens Day
• National Frozen Custard Day
• National Sneak Some Zucchini Into Your Neighbor’s Porch Day – Say what??
• International Cat Day

9th –

• National Rice Pudding Day
• National Book Lovers Day

10th –

• National Lazy Day
• National S’mores Day

11th –

• National Sons and Daughters Day
• Play in the Sand Day

12th –

• National Vinyl Record Day
• National Bowling Day
• National Garage Sale Day
• World Youth Day

13th –

• National Prosecco Day
• National Filet Mignon Day
• Left-Handers Day (for my mom!)

14th –

• National V-J Day
• National Creamsicle Day

15th –

• National Relaxation Day
• National Lemon Meringue Pie Day

16th –

• National Tell a Joke Day
• National Roller Coaster Day
• National Rum Day

 

 

17th –

• National Nonprofit Day
• National Thrift Shop Day
• National Vanilla Custard Day

18th –

• National Fajita Day
• National Ice Cream Pie Day

19th –

• National Aviation Day
• National Soft Ice Cream Day
• World Humanitarian Day
• World Photo Day

20th –

• National Radio Day
• National Chocolate Pecan Pie Day

21st –

• National Spumoni Day
• National Senior Citizen’s Day

22nd –

• National Tooth Fairy Day
• National Pecan Torte Day

23rd –

• National Ride the Wind Day
• National Sponge Cake Day

24th –

• National Peach Pie Day
• National Waffle Day

 

 

25th –

• National Whiskey Sour Day
• National Kiss and Make Up Day
• National Banana Split Day

26th –

• National Dog Day
• National Women’s Equality Day
• National Cherry Popsicle Day

27th –

• National Pots de Creme Day
• National Just Because Day – Is it really “Just Because” if it’s on its own day??

28th –

• National Cherry Turnover Day
• Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day

29th –

• National Chop Suey Day

30th –

• National Toasted Marshmallow Day
• National Grief Awareness Day

31st –

• National Matchmaker Day
• National Trail Mix Day
• National Eat Outside Day

Which August holidays are your favorite to celebrate?