Welcome, to our series sharing Unique Holidays: April 9th, 2022. I would like to ask you to take a look at the Holidays being celebrated today and let me know which Holiday you most want to celebrate and why. As for Charlie and me we think we will name ourselves. Would you like to join us and pick out a new name for yourself or someone you know?
Name Yourself Day is your chance to give yourself whatever name you’d like. For a day. If you like your name, then don’t change your name for just today but if you don’t like your name, use today to select a new name.
Participating in Name Yourself Day is easy. Give it a try. Change your first, or middle, or last name. Or change them all. Give yourself a cool and catchy nickname. Once you’ve selected your name, you’ve gotta communicate it to all of your friends. This could prove to be the hard part. Remember it will take time for your new name to catch on.
= Name Yourself Day is not the same as Middle Name Pride Day.
National Name Yourself Day, April 9th, is a day to celebrate reinvention by trying on a new name for size. Studies show there’s a link between someone’s name and their personalities. Social Scientists call this phenomenon the Dorian Gray effect, named after Oscar Wilde’s novel “The Picture of Dorian Gray,” referring to internal factors that can shape people. In the novel, Dorian Gray remains youthful and beautiful, but his portrait takes on a more hideous appearance. Outside the story, factors such as personality, self-perception, and social outlook can influence an individual, though probably not as drastic as Dorian’s condition.
HISTORY OF NATIONAL NAME YOURSELF DAY
A lot of care goes into a name, and Cultures show appreciation in different ways. Native Americans held names in high regard, Certain tribes conducted naming ceremonies as a rite of passage, choosing names based on Nature, Animals, Weather and Plant life. Names were often chosen based on the features of the baby, including gender and birth position. This name changed with adulthood as they experienced events in their lives. New names would be chosen to mark accomplishments, often attached to personal and sacred meanings.
Puritans named their children after idealistic concepts. In the Seventeenth Century, Puritan names like Steadfast-on-high, Obedience, Prudence, and Temperance weren’t uncommon, and they often had Religious connotations. This was done in hopes children would take on the meaning of their names and become upstanding Citizens that contributed positively to Society. Some Puritan names were practically full sentences, filled with hyphens as if to make a hopeful life as clear as possible.
By the middle of the Twentieth Century, the rise of Movie Stars brought about American Society to reflect on what they watched. Babies were named after famous actors and actresses including Ava, Audrey, Bette, Cary, Charlie, and Clark. Names became less about ideals and more about the attraction of the celebrity, showing a shift towards a Pop-Culture driven mindset.
Today, names themselves are revered in much the same way as the past. People are still named after Celebrities and famous on-screen characters, but many take a more naturalistic or original approach. They choose names outside of the box. As the world modernizes and comes to understand the idea of the self-better, identity is also seen as an evolution.
HOW TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL NAME YOURSELF DAY
- =Does work seem monotonous? Change your name to one you’ve always liked and ask your coworkers to refer to you by your new name. Visit a Coffee Shop and give them your new name. See how the change feels when they call you by that name. Maybe you’ll like it, or perhaps it’ll give you a new respect for your birth name.
- Choose your favorite actor, or character from a movie or book. Then take their name and their persona out for a spin. Challenge friends to a game and see who pulls off the best impression and who can stay in character the longest. This is a great acting exercise.
- Invite a friend to celebrate National Name Yourself Day and create a name for each other. Perhaps it’ll be something deep and meaningful that reveals something about their true character. Or it could be something comical that will cause people to look at them strangely when they hear they hear the name.
5 FACTS ABOUT NATIONAL NAME YOURSELF DAY
- The rarest name “Neveah” is Heaven spelled backward is one of the rarest names.
- Based on research, girls with androgynous names fare better in Math and Science fields.
- Boys with traditionally girl names have a higher chance of becoming rebels with behavioral problems because of judgment from their school peers.
- Ivy League names including Eleanor, Peter, Simon, and Anna are names that have a high likelihood of attending top universities.
- =A German study found people with traditionally unappealing names have a high likelihood of becoming smokers.
WHY NAME YOURSELF DAY IS IMPORTANT
- Knowing your identity is= a game, but it can be so much more. Giving yourself a new name can become a form of expression that allows you to explore parts of your personality. If you’re too timid, a new name could allow you to embrace being more outgoing. If you’re too much of an extrovert, you can try being more pensive with a studious name.
- After a while, many become stuck and no longer look for anything new about themselves. The truth about life is that things are always changing, and we are too. Reinventing gives us an opportunity to grow and become better versions of ourselves. While recognizing positive things about our personalities.
- There are so many things that we don’t have control over, even our name. More than likely, your parents picked out your name, and your opinion was left completely out. Today gives you the opportunity to rewrite history and see what it’s like on the other side
Winston Churchill Day celebrates the Holiday he was made an honorary US Citizen. On this day in 1963, then President John F. Kennedy proclaimed Winston Churchill an honorary Citizen. Unfortunately, Winston Churchill was not present to receive the proclamation in person. There have only been a handful of people to be accorded this honor.
What does it take to become an honorary US Citizen? You have to have made extraordinary accomplishments or contributions in your life. Then a law must be drafted and voted upon by the U.S. Senate.
HISTORY OF NATIONAL WINSTON CHURCHILL DAY
There’s much to be said about the half-American, all-grit English treasure that is Winston Churchill. Winston Churchill was born to a wealthy American mother and grandson to a Duke, Churchill was born into greatness. Winston Churchill’s early years, however, proved to be difficult, struggling with academia and his studies. Winston Churchill’s teacher’s called him “unpunctual and careless.” However, as he grew older, Churchill excelled in History and began writing Poetry that was published in school magazines.
After repeated insisting by his father, Churchill began preparation for a Military career and graduated from the Royal Military Academy in 1894. In his early 20s from 1895 to 1900, Churchill saw combat in Cuba, India, Sudan, and South Africa, was mentioned in dispatches and recommended for a decoration, earned four Campaign Medals and the Spanish Order of Military Merit, wrote five books, established himself as a popular War Correspondent and lecturer, gained international fame as an escaped Prisoner of War, and was elected to a seat in Parliament, all before his twenty-sixth birthday.
Winston Churchill would later lead Britain into victory during the second World War under his command as Prime Minister. As a celebrated Politician, Army Officer, and Writer, it’s hard to even determine which he had been the most impactful to. With a Nobel Prize in Literature, numerous medals of honor and an undeniable impact on the world we live in today, we choose this day to honor a man who didn’t just achieve greatness, he personified it.
HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL WINSTON CHURCHILL DAY
- Binge-watch your favorite British TV shows including Love “The Great British Bake Off,” or “Doctor Who”?
- No matter your obvious or not so obvious Nationality, there are bound to be some Brits hiding in the woodpile of your genetic code. Bring them out and show them off proudly.
- Dress up in a tux, a top hat, and a cane and remember, always have a Cigar handy and a ready list of quotes like: “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak,” “Kites rise highest against the wind,” and “Never Never Never give in” which will turn you into Winston Churchill for the day.
5 FUN FACTS ABOUT WINSTON CHURCHILL
- Did you know Churchill almost didn’t go to military school? But third time’s the charm they say, and that’s how many times it took Churchill to pass the entrance exams for the Royal Military College at Sandhurst.
- The first use of the acronym OMG was in a letter to Winston Churchill.
- Winston Churchill had a sensitive side and was regularly moved to tears in Parliament.
- Winston Churchill was accident prone and among many injuries, Churchill suffered a Concussion, a ruptured Kidney, and Winston Churchill nearly drowned in a Swiss lake. He also fell off several horses, dislocated his shoulder, and was hit by a car.
- Winston Churchill took 60 bottles of Alcohol with him when he set out for the Boer War.
WHY NATIONAL WINSTON CHURCHILL DAY IS IMPORTANT
- “Keep calm and carry on” Winston Churchill did not utter these famous words. But he’s perhaps the person most linked to those words today. Now we use this slogan to promote a wide range of services and ideals.
- Winston Churchill is the best of the British. From pop to royalty, Americans still seem to love all things England, including Winson Churchill’s who is an honorary citizen.
- Winston Churchill reminds us that there’s some good in the world and he set such a good example for all of us, not just the British people. Courageous, tenacious, erudite, and indomitable, Winston Churchill was everything we needed in a leader when fascism was taking over the world. Winston Churchill was an honorable statesman, orator, and leader who rallied the world to the cause of freedom. Winston Churchill’s strong will created the world we inherited, and that’s worth remembering and celebrating.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
