According to Chase's Calendar of Events, which keeps track of odd things, this Saturday is "Get a Different Name Day." It's a day when we may change our names to whatever we wish...and have the right to expect colleagues, family and friends to so address us.
So if you want to change your name to Ghengis Khan, Saturday's a good day to do it.
Also coming soon are "Love Week," "Heart Failure Awareness Week," and something called "Man Day." Who in the world comes up with these wacky holidays? Not the President or Congress, that's for sure.
No, it's people like Tom Roy of Lebanon, Pennsylvania. He thought up -- and even copyrighted -- about 80 special days, including the aforementioned "Get a Different Name Day."
April 26th is "Hug an Australian Day"...that's one of Tom's. So is the July 27th celebration of "Take Your Houseplants for a Walk Day." And October 14th, "Be Bald and Be Free Day."
It's not that Tom Roy just has too much time on his hands. He's actually a busy executive at a Renaissance festival. He says he started making up these holidays in his previous life as a morning radio personality, when he was always looking for funny things to say. Hence all these eccentric holidays, the observance of which is strictly optional.
So get ready for February 20th, which is "Northern Hemisphere Hoodie-Hoo Day" -- or August 22nd, "Southern Hemisphere Hoodie-Hoo Day." That's when you're supposed to go outdoors and scream "Hoodie-Hoo!" to chase away winter. While you're at it, you can also yell "Thank you!" to Tom Roy.
And be sure to mark March 26th on your calendar. That's when you can have as much fun as he does...because it's "Make Up Your Own Holiday Day". Copyright, Tom Roy!
