In this season for calendars and diaries, shall we flip through the ‘fun days calendar’? Raising a quizzical eyebrow? Even I did, when I first saw it. This datebook, which celebrates frivolity and promotes good-natured fun, is largely unknown in our part of the world. The calendar appears to wield some influence in the West, particularly the United States. Certain days — Dress Up Your Pet Day (January 14) and Embrace Your Geekiness Day (July 13), for example — do occasionally spill over into the calendars of our own people who look to spice up their mundane workaday lives, but a bulk of the days on this calendar comes with an air of freshness.
Does any of these ring a bell? Ditch New Year’s Resolutions Day (January 17). Make Your Dream Come True Day (January 13). Wave All Your Fingers At Your Neighbour Day (February 7). Multiple Personality Day (March 5). Tell A Lie Day (April 4). Name Yourself Day (April 9). Lost Sock Memorial Day (May 9). Flip A Coin Day (June 1). Threading The Needle Day (July 25). Wiggle Your Toes Day (August 6). Be Late For Something Day (September 5). Take Your Teddy To Work Day (October 11). Absurdity Day (November 20). Make Up Your Mind Day (December 31).
The origins
The origins of a vast number of fun days can’t be traced to individuals or groups. Bearing the stamp of anonymity, they have, however, gained steam from the enthusiasm of those who stumbled on them and began to propagate them among their friends.
To give just one instance, Agni Sharman, who has turned making friends on social media into an art, chanced upon World Hello Day (November 21) sometime ago and began, almost immediately, to promote it.
There are, however, days that are region-specific and defy adoption. In my opinion, Step In A Puddle And Splash Your Friends Day (January 11) is one. Imagine someone in Chennai earnestly trying to put it into practice. Not that our landscape is free of puddles. Don’t we know the state of our best roads during the monsoon?
But close to mid-January, well past the time the North-East monsoon held sway, finding a puddle of clean water and a bunch of one’s sporty friends at the same time is not an easy ask.
Forget bothering about how some days can be applied in certain regions. The bigger puzzle is: “How did some of these days come into existence?”
Toothache Day (February 9), Dance Like A Chicken Day (May 14), Frog Jumping Day (May 13), Punch The Clock Day (January 27) and Walk Around Things Day (April 4) are among the ones falling in this category.
Another interesting feature is days with multiple observances. For instance, April 4 is Don’t Go To Work Unless It Is Fun Day as well as Tweed Day. The calendar promotes ideas that are in conflict with one another. On September 13 this year, ‘Positive Thinking’ and ‘Blame Someone Else’ (marked for the first time ‘Friday The Thirteenth’ appears in a year) will be observed!
Such irregularities are pardonable and can continue. But certain days are better struck off the calendar. Be Nasty Day (March 8) is definitely one. And in the Chennai context, probably Kite Flying Day (February 8).
