Good evening, welcome to our series sharing Unique Holidays: April 30th, 2022. I would like to ask you to check out the Holidays being celebrated today and let me know which Holiday you most want to celebrate. As for David and Charlie they should have waited until today as they both went and got a Haircut on Thursday which I guess they could still celebrate Hairstyle Appreciation Day couldn’t they? Before you ask no, I didn’t get a haircut even though I need one. How about you?
Hairstyle Appreciation Day celebrates the different styles of hair. Hairstyle Appreciation Day allows us to express our individuality. Each generation of youth creates its own hairstyles. Or hairstyles come back to style that were popular years ago.
This includes among the hairstyles, hair coloring and shaved heads. Even no hair is a hair style. Perhaps the most famous hair style for women was the ” beehive” of the fifties. During the same time period, crew cuts were the cut of choice for the guys. Celebrate today with a new hairstyle. Guys: Make sure to compliment the ladies on how nice their new “hair do” looks.
Today is the day to get out your sax. Or to grab your trombone. Dust off your trumpet. Then, bring the old gang together to play a few songs in celebration of International Jazz Day.
This musical holiday was created by UNESCO to highlight jazz and its role in uniting people around the globe. Artists and jazz enthusiast alike, partake in this Holiday. United Nations Organizations, communities, schools, performing arts organizations, are among the groups to host jazz concerts or educational programs on this Holiday, to promote jazz as a musical genre, and learn about jazz historical roots.
Jazz was born in New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 1800s. If you are a jazz enthusiast, at some point in your life you must take a trip to the birthplace of jazz. From its origin in New Orleans, jazz music spread in popularity across the planet. Jazz has an important international role in art, culture and communications. On International Jazz Day, it is estimated that around a billion people will engage jazz music in some manner, in celebration of jazz and its effect on people and the society.
Movie of the Day: All That Jazz
History and Origin of “International Jazz Day”:
In November 2011, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)officially designated April 30th as International Jazz Day. UNESCO’s Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock is credited with conceiving this Holiday.
National Honesty Day encourages everyone to be honest today, and every day. We honestly believe you try your best to be honest al of the time.
Honesty is a great virtue. As the saying goes, “Honesty is the best policy”. If you want people to believe you when its important, then you need to be open and honest all of the time. We all know about the boy who cried wolf. When a wolf actually appeared, no one believed the boy.
Honesty was instilled in the character of our nation even before its birth. As a child, George Washington who would become our first president. could never tell a lie. President Abraham Lincoln was well known as “Honest Abe”.
Celebrate National Honesty Day in a completely open and honest way.
History and Origin of “National Honesty Day”:
M. Hirsh Goldberg, former press secretary to the Governor of Maryland and author of five books, created National Honesty Day in the early 1990s after spending four years researching and writing The Book of Lies (Morrow). Which has been translated into Japanese, Korean and Chinese.
Goldberg created this Holiday, because he felt that the month of April, which begins with a big day of lying April Fool’s Day, should end on a higher moral note.
Raisins deserve to have their day to dry in the warm sun. That day has arrived because today is National Raisin Day. Why Raisins are so popular, that one advertiser has dancing Raisins in their commercials. Hit songs have been written with Raisins and Grapes in mind. At least one movie has Raisin in its title.
Raisins are popular eaten by themselves as a snack, or as an ingredient in a wide range of culinary recipes. Healthy, nutritious and packed with energy, Raisins are a basic ingredient for Trail Mix. Rasins are in cereals, cookies, muffins and cakes. Sprinkle Raisins in your Salad. Raisins are in both candy and Energy Bars. Raisins are in Puddings, too.
Humans have been drying Grapes in the sun to make Raisins for thousands of years. It is believed the practice started around 2,000B.C. in ancient Egypt and Persia.
While many of us love our Raisins, not too many people have tried their hand at converting a Grape into a Raisin. It’s easier than you think. Why don’t you celebrate National Raisin Day by trying your hand at drying Grapes into Raisins? It makes for a fun Homeschool project, while at home with the kids.
How to Make Raisins:
- Remove the Grapes from the stems.
- Wash the Grapes in cold Water.
- Spread the Grapes out on a clean screen or baking tray.
- Place the screen in the sun when there will be 3-4 sunny, warm, and dry days in a row.
- Turn the Grapes once or twice a day.
- Place dried Raisins in an airtight container or in a baggie until ready to eat.
Song of the Day: “I Heard it Through the Grapevine”
Movie of the Day:“A Raisin in the Sun” (1961)
You can choose to celebrate National Raisin Day in any way you desire but I hope your plan for today will include consumption of Raisins.
Related Holiday Events: National Chocolate Covered Raisin Day
History and Origin of “National Raisin Day”:
We found a reference suggesting this Holiday has been around since the early 1900s. However, we could not confirm the Holiday and we also did not find the creator of this Holiday.
This is referred to as a “National” day. However, we did not find any congressional records or presidential proclamations for this day.
When is National Mahjong or Chinese Mahjong Day?
There are two dates mentioned on the internet:
National Mahjong Day is celebrated on August 1st. This Holiday was established in 2018 by an American website, suggesting National Mahjong Day as a U.S. “National” Holiday.
Chinese Mahjong Day is on April 30th. It is also often referred to as “National Mahjong Day” and it is the older of the two Mahjong Day special events. This Holiday has been around since approximately 2010 – 2015. It also seems to be American in origin.
If you love the game of Mahjong, why not celebrate on both days!?
The game of Mahjong originated in Shanghai, China. There is speculation that the game of Mahjong was created thousands of years ago by Confucius. Over many centuries, Mahjong become popular in many Countries in Asia, including, Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore, to name a few countries. The game of Mahjong arrived in America in the early 1920’s. Mahjong took the country by storm and quickly became the rage.
Mahjong is a 4-player game of strategy but there is a solitary version. While the original version is Chinese, there are other varieties, including Japanese and American. Mahjong has 144 beautifully decorated, domino-like tiles made of Ivory or Bamboo newer, American game pieces are plastic. The tiles are marked in five categories of tiles: simples, winds, Dragons, flowers and seasons.
This day is also referred to as Mah Jong Day, Japanese Mahjong Day and Mah Jongg Day.
Do you like to play games? That’s great, because all you need to do today is find three friends and play Mahjong. As you are playing you are encouraged to teach someone how to play Mahjong.
The History and Origin of National Mahjong Day:
National Mahjong Day was created by Riichi Mahjong Central. Riichi Mahjong Central goal is to increase awareness of Mahjong. Their mission is to “make the world a better place through Mahjong with love and peace”.
Our research did not find or identify an individual or group having created Chinese Mahjong Day which is often called National Mahjong Day.
We did not find any documentation confirming either of these days to be a true “National” Holiday and we found no congressional records or presidential proclamation. Some sources suggest President Obama declared April 30th as a National Day. However, we found no presidential proclamation.
More About Today:
Chinese Mahjong Day – from China Unique
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
