National Relaxation Day
16/08/22 01:52
Running errands yesterday I was listening to CBC radio broadcast from Vancouver. I enjoy getting a Canadian perspective from time to time and it is fun to listen to our neighbors. Vancouver is the nearest large city to where we live, so things like weather forecasts, tide and sea conditions, and such apply to us as well as our neighbors across the border. Yesterday, the hosts to a talk show were talking about “National Relaxation Day” and asking people to submit their favorite activities for relaxation. Listeners emailed or texted ideas about yoga and meditation, special places where they go to relax, and even a few tips on purchasing comfortable furniture.
There are many things about Canadian culture that I appreciate, so I assumed that national relaxation day was a Canadian phenomenon, familiar to those who live north of the border. However, when I checked it out on the Internet, I found out that national relaxation day isn’t a Canadian holiday at all. It is one of those national days that isn’t an official holiday, and it started in the United States. It is listed as a U.S. National Day on the National Today website without any mention of Canada. According to that web site National Relaxation Day is celebrated annually on August 15. The idea was first proposed by a nine year old in Michigan back in 1985. Apparently the idea reached enough people for some type of observance each year since and the day made the listing of holidays.
Of course there are a lot of “national days” listed on the National Today website. For example, according to the site, today is National Rum Day, National Roller Coaster Day, National Airborne Day, National Authenticity Day, National Backflow Prevention Day, National Energy Multiplier Day, National Independent Worker Day, and National Joke Day.
National Joke Day seems like a good idea, but I have no idea how to celebrate National Backflow Prevention Day. The invitation is: “Join us as we celebrate and honor back flow prevention professionals this August 16!” Frankly, I don’t know any back flow prevention professionals. I have a backflow prevention valve on the connector for the black tank flush on our RV, but I know that it was not installed by a professional. I’m definitely an amateur in that department. I suppose that if I had a problem with a back flow prevention system, I would call a plumber, not knowing the protocol for finding back flow prevention professionals. However, if I do happen to run into a random back flow prevention professional today, I will be sure to wish them a happy back flow prevention day.
National holidays, seem to me to be a bit like Saint’s days. There are a few big ones that I know and observe. St. Steven’s Day is the day after Christmas, so it is easy to remember. Steven is honored as the first martyr of the Christian church. He made the book of Acts and there are a number of churches named in his honor. But there are also plenty of other saints, whose days pass without my recognition. I wouldn’t know that today is St. Roach’s day had I not looked it up. St. Roach, for those who don’t know, is the patron saint of bachelors, diseased cattle, dogs, falsely accused people, invalids, Istanbul surgeons, tile makers, grave diggers, second hand dealers pilgrims and apothecaries. No wonder I can’t remember St. Roach’s Day. I don’t know a single Istanbul surgeon, though I do like second hand shops. Technically I was once a bachelor, but that was a long time ago. St. Roach is also to be specially invoked during a plague. I’m not sure whether or not the Covid-19 pandemic qualifies as a plague, but it seems to me that a few prayers to St. Roach wouldn’t hurt anything, if you think of it today. I’ll try to check on the cows in our son’s pasture today, but I don’t think any of them are diseased.
Thinking about it, I like the notion that I learned about National Relaxation Day by listening to Canadian radio. In general, it seems to me that our Canadian neighbors are a bit less up tight and stressed than the folks in the United States. That may not be completely true, but it is how I see Canadians. Part of why I enjoy listening to Canadian radio is that it seems a lot less stressed and a lot more kind than what I hear when I scan the various frequencies of US radio channels.
Honestly, we were a bit over scheduled for a couple of retired folks yesterday. Our Creation Care Camp at church will require full-time work from both of us this week. We’ve been setting our alarm clocks and working into the evening with plans for each day so far and we’ve got three more days of intense programming to keep flowing, so now is no time to let down our guard. I did manage a few minutes of sitting in the lazy boy recliner yesterday, but I didn’t make it to the porch swing and it doesn’t look like there will be time for that today, either. The best way to get me to linger in a rocking chair is to hand me a baby, and one who is a bit fussy is most likely to direct me towards that particular piece of furniture.
Yesterday a salesperson stopped by our house informing me of a company that is new to our neighborhood providing Internet and cable television services. I asked him, “Who has time for cable television?” He laughed and told me the virtues and prices of Internet service.
I don’t keep up with all of the national holidays, but since I looked it up, did you hear about the horse who walked into a bar and the bartender asked, “Why the long face?” OK that one is really old. How about the dentist who walked into a bar and the bartender commented, “Why so glum? You’re always looking down in the mouth!”
I may need some practice if I’m going to properly celebrate national joke day today.
There are many things about Canadian culture that I appreciate, so I assumed that national relaxation day was a Canadian phenomenon, familiar to those who live north of the border. However, when I checked it out on the Internet, I found out that national relaxation day isn’t a Canadian holiday at all. It is one of those national days that isn’t an official holiday, and it started in the United States. It is listed as a U.S. National Day on the National Today website without any mention of Canada. According to that web site National Relaxation Day is celebrated annually on August 15. The idea was first proposed by a nine year old in Michigan back in 1985. Apparently the idea reached enough people for some type of observance each year since and the day made the listing of holidays.
Of course there are a lot of “national days” listed on the National Today website. For example, according to the site, today is National Rum Day, National Roller Coaster Day, National Airborne Day, National Authenticity Day, National Backflow Prevention Day, National Energy Multiplier Day, National Independent Worker Day, and National Joke Day.
National Joke Day seems like a good idea, but I have no idea how to celebrate National Backflow Prevention Day. The invitation is: “Join us as we celebrate and honor back flow prevention professionals this August 16!” Frankly, I don’t know any back flow prevention professionals. I have a backflow prevention valve on the connector for the black tank flush on our RV, but I know that it was not installed by a professional. I’m definitely an amateur in that department. I suppose that if I had a problem with a back flow prevention system, I would call a plumber, not knowing the protocol for finding back flow prevention professionals. However, if I do happen to run into a random back flow prevention professional today, I will be sure to wish them a happy back flow prevention day.
National holidays, seem to me to be a bit like Saint’s days. There are a few big ones that I know and observe. St. Steven’s Day is the day after Christmas, so it is easy to remember. Steven is honored as the first martyr of the Christian church. He made the book of Acts and there are a number of churches named in his honor. But there are also plenty of other saints, whose days pass without my recognition. I wouldn’t know that today is St. Roach’s day had I not looked it up. St. Roach, for those who don’t know, is the patron saint of bachelors, diseased cattle, dogs, falsely accused people, invalids, Istanbul surgeons, tile makers, grave diggers, second hand dealers pilgrims and apothecaries. No wonder I can’t remember St. Roach’s Day. I don’t know a single Istanbul surgeon, though I do like second hand shops. Technically I was once a bachelor, but that was a long time ago. St. Roach is also to be specially invoked during a plague. I’m not sure whether or not the Covid-19 pandemic qualifies as a plague, but it seems to me that a few prayers to St. Roach wouldn’t hurt anything, if you think of it today. I’ll try to check on the cows in our son’s pasture today, but I don’t think any of them are diseased.
Thinking about it, I like the notion that I learned about National Relaxation Day by listening to Canadian radio. In general, it seems to me that our Canadian neighbors are a bit less up tight and stressed than the folks in the United States. That may not be completely true, but it is how I see Canadians. Part of why I enjoy listening to Canadian radio is that it seems a lot less stressed and a lot more kind than what I hear when I scan the various frequencies of US radio channels.
Honestly, we were a bit over scheduled for a couple of retired folks yesterday. Our Creation Care Camp at church will require full-time work from both of us this week. We’ve been setting our alarm clocks and working into the evening with plans for each day so far and we’ve got three more days of intense programming to keep flowing, so now is no time to let down our guard. I did manage a few minutes of sitting in the lazy boy recliner yesterday, but I didn’t make it to the porch swing and it doesn’t look like there will be time for that today, either. The best way to get me to linger in a rocking chair is to hand me a baby, and one who is a bit fussy is most likely to direct me towards that particular piece of furniture.
Yesterday a salesperson stopped by our house informing me of a company that is new to our neighborhood providing Internet and cable television services. I asked him, “Who has time for cable television?” He laughed and told me the virtues and prices of Internet service.
I don’t keep up with all of the national holidays, but since I looked it up, did you hear about the horse who walked into a bar and the bartender asked, “Why the long face?” OK that one is really old. How about the dentist who walked into a bar and the bartender commented, “Why so glum? You’re always looking down in the mouth!”
I may need some practice if I’m going to properly celebrate national joke day today.
