Geraldine was an avid follower of holidays big and small. She loved pageantry and production, and could turn the smallest event into a grand celebration. She also loved books: Reading them, writing, them discussing them, collecting them, sharing them. . . her personal library was vast and eclectic. Rest assured, she had more than one book on the topics of each of the holidays she loved.
Here, I try to list some of the holidays she celebrated:
January
- January 6 – Twelfth Night / Epiphany / Little Christmas
- January 12 – Jack London’s Birthday
- January 25 – Robert Burns’ Birthday
- January 27 – Mozart’s Birthday
- Third full week in January is National Book Week
- Last full week in January is Celebrity Read a Book Week
February
- February 1, 2022 – Chinese New Year (variable)
Spring
March
- National Celery Month
- Unesco World Book Day
April
- April 4 – Easter
- April 23, 1564 – William Shakespeare’s Birthday
May
Summer
June
July
- July 9 – National Sugar Cookie Day
- July 10 – National Piña Colada Day
- July 13 – National French Fry Day
August
- National Mustard Day, First Saturday in August
- August 2 – National Coloring Book Day
- August 14, 15 and Sept 2: VJ Day
- August 31 – National Trail Mix Day
- End of August / Early September – Holiday Baking Begins
Autumn
September
- September 1 – National Chess Day
- September 16 – Independence Day, Mexico
- September 18-20 – Rosh Hashanah
October
- October 31 – All Hallows Eve / Halloween
November
- November 1-2 – Día de Muertos, Mexico
- November 26 – Thanksgiving, United States of America
- November-December – Advent
First Sunday in Advent
Second Sunday in Advent
Third Sunday in Advent
Fourth Sunday in Advent
Winter
December
- December 10-18 – Hanukkah
- December 21 – Solstice
- December 21-January 1 – Yule
- December 25-January5 – Christmas
You can keep up with the multitude of “vanity days,” “national days,” and other whimsy at this website: https://nationaltoday.com/august-holidays/.
Here is a CBS story on the National Today calendar: “Every Day a Holiday”