Welcome to our series sharing Unique Holidays: June 3rd, 2022. I would like to ask you to check out the holidays being celebrated today and to ask you to let me know which holiday you most want to celebrate and why. As for Charlie and I being in the hotel still we can’t celebrate much of anything. But its okay because one day things will change.
Chinese Dragon Boat Festival – date varies
Chinese Dragon Boat Festival is the 5 fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese Lunar calendar
Dates: June 14, 2021; June 3, 2022; June 22, 2023; June 10, 2024; May 31, 2025; June 19, 2026; June 9, 2027
The Chinese Dragon Boat Festival is an ancient event, celebrating patriotism and sacrifice. The Chinese Dragon Boat Festival dates back thousands of years. The Chinese Dragon Boat Festival commemorates Qu Yuan, an ancient Chinese patriotic poet. The Chinese Dragon Boat Festival has its roots in the worship of Dragons.
Traditionally on this holiday, people paddle out onto the Water in Canoe-like boats, to search for the body of Qu Yuan who drowned (343-278 B.C.). Qu Yuan body was never found. The Dragon race is the most important tradition of the celebration. Over the years, Chinese Dragon Boat Festival evolved into the competitive sport of Dragon Boat Racing.
People celebrate this day in a number of other ways:
- On this Holiday people eat Sticky Rice Dumplings called “Zongzi”.
- People perform health related customs, including taking long walks.
- Hanging Mugwort and Calmus
- Drinking Realgar Wine
- Writing spells
- Wearing Perfume pouches
Chinese Dragon Boat Festival is also called Duanu or Tuen Ng Festival
In addition to being celebrated in China, Chinese Dragon Boat Festival is popular in Chinese communities in other Countries.
The History and Origin of Chinese Dragon Boat Festival:
The Chinese Dragon Boat Festival dates back thousands of years.
National Doughnut Day always the first Friday in June
National Doughnut Day honors the Salvation Army “Lassies” of WWI. National Doughnut Day is also used as a fund raiser for needy causes of the Salvation Army.
The original Salvation Army Doughnut was first served by the Salvation Army in 1917. During WWI, Salvation Army “lassies” were sent to the front lines of Europe. These brave volunteers made home cooked foods, and provided a morale boost to the troops. Often, the doughnuts were cooked in Oil inside the of the metal helmet of an American soldier. The American Infantrymen were commonly called Doughboys. Salvation Army lassies were the only women outside of Military personnel allowed to visit the front lines. Lt. Colonel Helen Purviance is considered the Salvation Army’s “first doughnut girl”.
On National Doughnut Day, look to see if your local Doughnut Shop, or other organizations, are offering free donuts to solicit donations for the Salvation Army or for another needy cause. If you find a company doing this then I would like to ask you to be generous when donating.
The official dictionary spelling of the term is “Doughnut”, and is most often seen in print. The word “Doughnut” is often shortened to “Donut”. Both spellings have been around for a long time. While “Doughnut” arrived first, “donut” has been around since the 1800s. If you see the term National Donut Day, it’s the same holiday.
The origin of the term “Doughboy”:
The term “Doughboy” was popular in referring to U.S. Army infantryman during World War I. American foot soldiers were occasionally called Doughboys during the Civil War. The earliest references to the term, comes from the U.S-Mexican war.
See The Origin of the Doughboy
The History and Origin of National Doughnut Day:
National Doughnut Day was established in 1938 by the Chicago Salvation Army to raise much-needed funds during the Great Depression, and to honor the work of World War I Salvation Army volunteers who prepared doughnuts and other foods for thousands of soldiers.
We did not find any documentation confirming this to be a “National” holiday and we found no congressional records or presidential proclamation. However, given the importance of this holiday, we believe it warrants the “National” title.
Pedal power to the people. People have been riding bikes for hundreds of years and bicyclists all over the world are taking to the roads and bike paths in Urban or Rural areas today, to celebrate and enjoy World Bicycle Day. Millions, make that billions, of people around the world ride bikes for healthy exercise, or for transportation.
Bicycling is healthy and enjoyable. Depending upon how you participate, bike riding is both a lifelong hobby and a sport. Cycling is a healthy activity. Aside from competitive racing, biking offers a moderate level of exercise that most healthy people can partake in. Biking is a low impact exercise, and is easy on your knees and other joints. Biking on a regular basis, helps you to live healthier and longer. Riding a bicycle is relaxing, and can help reduce stress. It’s a great feeling to be out in the Country, breathing the fresh air, while taking in the sights on a bike along a pond, or a wooded trail.
Bicycles are an important means of transportation around the world. People in Cities all over the U.S., find it quicker and easier to use a bike, to maneuver around endless traffic jams with ease. Riding your bike to school may not be as common as it once was, but many kids still ride bikes to school in warm Weather. Millions of Citizens in less wealthy Countries, often find bikes are the only affordable means of transportation.
Along your bike route, whether it is to work, school, or recreational, you are choosing an environmentally friendly means of transportation. The only fuel you use is pedal power, which is a sustainable, “green” energy source.
It’s easy and enjoyable to celebrate World Bicycle Day. Just hop on your bike and hit the open road. Rather, hit the open bike path! If you are just getting back on your bike for the first time in a while, I’m sure you’ll agree with other returning bicyclists who say getting back on their bikes is “pure joy”!
Here are things you can do today:
- Ride your bike to work everywhere you go.
- Hold a community or company bike hike.
- Encourage your family and friends to ride a bike today. Most towns rent bikes now.
- Contact Government agencies at all levels, encouraging them to build and improve bike paths in your City.
- Take a bike safety course.
- Treat yourself to a new bike.
The History and Origin of World Bicycle Day:
World Bicycle Day was created in 2018 by the United Nations who did so, to promote the use of bicycles for health benefits, and to recognize the importance of bikes as environmentally friendly means of transportation.
Related Holidays:
Repeat Day (I said “Repeat Day”)
Repeat Day is an opportunity to do things over and over again
Hopefully you will choose to repeat things you enjoy doing not only today but everyday. Pick a wide array of foods, snacks, and activities, and repeat them today. As a matter of fact, it’s perfectly okay to repeat them over and over again. It’s also perfectly okay to avoid dong things you don’t like today as well. It’s a certainty that you will not enjoy distasteful things the second time around.
History and Origin of Repeat Day:
We discovered no substantial information about the origin of this day. We can only speculate that it was created by someone who enjoyed doing something and then thought “Hey, I’d like to do that again!”
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
