Guess who: a golden furred bear who wears a red crop shirt and loves eating honey more than anything else. That’s right, it’s the one and only Winnie-the-Pooh! January 18 is marked as Winnie the Pooh Day as it is the birth anniversary of the fictional bear’s creator, A.A. Milne. The Winnie-the-Pooh books were created in 1926 and this silly old bear has been entertaining us ever since.
Milne’s lovable Pooh Bear, as he is so often called, got his name “Winnie the Pooh”, from a stuffed teddy bear owned by his son, Christopher Robin, who, incidentally is the little boy in the book. In fact, many of Pooh’s friends — Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore, Kanga and Roo — were a part of Christopher’s toy collection. Owl, Rabbit and Gopher were the exceptions, as they were created and later added by Milne.
Christopher named his toy bear “Winnie” after a Canadian black bear he would often see at the London Zoo and the name “Pooh” came from a swan they met while on vacation.
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Friends like these
Pooh and his friends live together in Hundred Acre Wood, which is inspired by Ashdown Forest in East Sussex, England. How about we get to know a little bit more about Winnie and his friends?
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Winnie the Pooh: A loyal friend to his neighbours in the Hundred Acre Wood, Pooh is always willing to lend a helping hand. Let’s not forget his incredible love for eating honey, which often gets him into trouble.
Piglet: Piglet may be small in size but this little pig has the biggest heart in the Hundred Acre Wood. This soft-spoken, steady friend’s generosity leads him to some large adventures. He is also Pooh’s best friend besides Christopher Robin.
Tigger: A boisterous and exuberant tiger, Tigger is wonderful and one-of-a-kind. He eagerly shares his enthusiasm with others, whether they want him to or not.
Eeyore: Gloomy Eeyore, is a donkey,and not a fan of much, other than eating thistles, but his loyalty wins the hearts of his friends every time he loses his tail.
Kanga and Roo: Kanga is a warm, protective mother to little Roo. Her hands are full with her young son, a wild adventurer who is eager to go everywhere and try everything.
Rabbit: Rabbit is often the self-appointed leader of the Hundred Acre Wood. He can be stubborn when his routine is interrupted, but Rabbit is always ready to hop into action whenever his friends are in need.
Owl: Owl is considered a bit of a know-it-all, though his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood always seek his advice. Unfortunately, he often misses the mark.
Christopher Robin: Christopher Robin shares his many adventures with his closest friend Winnie the Pooh. Everyone looks up to him for advice and help in times of need.
A day of fun and frolic
Here are some ideas on how to celebrate the cuddly bear and his friends.
Back to the beginning: A classic way to spend the day is by reading some classic Winnie-the-Pooh stories or perhaps watch the ever thrilling movies such as “The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh”, “The Tigger Movie”, “Piglet’s Big Movie”, “Pooh’s Heffalump Movie” or even the latest live action movie “Christopher Robin”.
Out and about: Winnie the Pooh Day is the perfect opportunity to get outside for some fun. How about inviting friends over, packing a picnic basket with some yummy treats (perhaps with honey too) and setting off to a park or a nice quiet green space.
A friendly game of Pooh-sticks: This is a game Pooh and his friends love to play, and you can too! All you need is to find a bridge that goes over a stream, sticks and friends (the more the merrier!).
How do you play it, though? It’s simple, you and each of your friends choose a stick, check which way the stream is flowing and face the stream upstream. Make sure everyone is standing on the side facing upstream. On the count of three everyone must drop their stick into the water. Quickly cross over to other side of the bridge and see whose stick emerges from under the bridge first.