Monday: National Velociraptor Awareness Day
For those of you who are huge fans of the “Jurassic Park” and “Jurassic World” movies, today’s national holiday is well-worth the celebration. The velociraptor is by far one of the coolest and most popular dinosaurs. National Velociraptor Awareness Day allows us to admire what the velociraptor once was, and how it lives on through the big screen. According to nationaltoday.com, this creature roamed the earth 70 million years ago at the end of the Cretaceous period. Recent research has found that they had feathers and wings contrary to their depiction on the big screen. They would’ve most likely resembled the appearance of a turkey. Nationaltoday.com also notes that the velociraptor was officially named in 1924 by Henry Fairfield Osborn, who was the president of the American Museum of Natural History. Fun fact: The Latin origins of the name velociraptor is rooted in the word velox- meaning “swift” and –raptor meaning “plunderer.” So grab your bucket of popcorn and an ice cold soda and sit down and watch a dinosaur movie like “Jurassic Park” to celebrate this national holiday! April 18 is also Easter Monday, Adult Autism Awareness Day and National Animal Crackers Day.
Tuesday: National Garlic Day
April 19 is National Garlic Day! This national holiday celebrates the holy grail of ingredients. Even the Egyptians agreed with the statement that garlic makes every dish better, as they used to worship garlic as a god and used it as a form of currency, according to nationaltoday.com. Similarly, the Greeks used to believe that garlic could give strength to athletes and warriors, as well as keep the evil eye away and protect maidens from evil nymphs. Today, garlic is a common household item across the world as a popular additive to almost any meal. Go to any restaurant and you can find garlic bread beside pasta dishes, minced garlic added to salsa, full cloves of garlic mixed into alfredo sauce and much more. When it comes to using garlic in cooking, the opportunities are endless. In addition to cooking, garlic also has many beneficial health properties. According to healthline.com, garlic contains manganese, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, selenium, fiber, calcium, copper and more in addition to only having 4.5 calories per clove. Garlic is also well-known for boosting your immune system, allowing you to help fight off the common cold. Additionally, it can help reduce your blood pressure, improve cholesterol levels and improve bone health. What isn’t there to love about garlic? Celebrate today with your favorite dish containing garlic! You won’t feel guilty eating it after reading all those health benefits. April 19 is also Wear Pajamas to Work Day.
Wednesday: National Look-Alike Day
Today is National Look-Alike Day! This national holiday is aligning with one of the most popular trends on TikTok recently, which involves showcasing who your celebrity doppelganger is. Users of the app use a filter that shapeshifts them into a photo of their choice, merging themselves onto the chosen celebrity that they have been told or think they look like. Here is one example of how the trend is done. Even if you don’t have TikTok to participate in the fun and entertaining trend, you could always take doppelganger quizzes on websites such as BuzzFeed! Or, you never know who you’ll run into at school or out in public. It just may be your very own look-alike! You can even ask your friends who they think you look like to make for an intriguing, fun conversation. April 20 is also National Cheddar Fries Day, National Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Day and National Banana Day.
Thursday: National Tea Day
April 21 is National Tea Day! Tea is a common household beverage both nationally and internationally. Thousands of people drink tea daily, allowing them to choose from many different delicious varieties and flavors such as earl grey, English breakfast, matcha, chai and green tea, among many more. Drinking tea is very popular in the UK. Afternoon Tea, which was introduced in Britain in the early 1840s to satisfy hunger between meals before dinner, is a popular activity across the pond. Today, it is more of an occasional indulgence, or occurs to celebrate an event such as a birthday or baby shower among friends. Just like coffee, it can be made to your liking, either hot or cold, with sugar or another sweetener and even a milk or creamer of your choice. According to nationaltoday.com, this national holiday was founded on Queen Elizabeth’s birthday to help future generations of tea drinkers understand and appreciate the history and diverse presence that tea holds across the world. Take the time today to remove your favorite, most beloved teacup off the shelf and indulge yourself in a hot, steaming cup of your favorite kind of tea. April 21 is also National Bulldogs Are Beautiful Day, National Kindergarten Day and National High Five Day.
Friday: Earth Day
Today is Earth Day! According to nationaltoday.com, Earth Day has been celebrated for the past 50 years by billions of people across the globe. This holiday is meant to spread awareness about keeping our environment clean and healthy. The first Earth Day was held in 1970, and since then people in over 141 countries have been fighting for environmental justice amidst the pressing climate change issues we are facing. Simple steps can be made to live a more environmentally-friendly and green lifestyle, such as recycling, composting, repurposing and more. Environmental justice efforts have been so prominent that in 2019 the “Green New Deal” was presented to the U.S. Congress to push for 100% renewable, zero-emission energy. One way to stay up to date with the climate change issue is by reading the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports that are released. By joining environmental advocacy and justice movements or groups, you can help make a difference in spreading awareness on the importance of keeping our planet healthy. Always be sure to keep in mind though, that these efforts should not just be carried out on Earth Day. Environmental awareness should be of the utmost importance year round, as climate change and our increasingly polluted planet cannot be fixed in just one day! April 22 is also the Day of Silence and National Jelly Bean Day.
All holidays were found on nationaltoday.com. Be sure to keep up to date with our regularly featured holidays featured both on our Instagram @themainecampus and website.
