Lots to celebrate

People have a pretty good idea what Christmas and Hanukkah are about, and may know about Kwanzaa or about pagan solstice traditions. New Year's Day, however, seems to have no actual festive content, unless you count the wearing of lampshades. It's like the big signs placed at arbitrary lines on the map: Welcome to New York, the Empire State. The line could be anywhere. But if you are feeling let down by the end of the holiday season, cheer up--the entire year is holiday season. Here are some reasons to celebrate in January.

Among other designations, January is officially Celebration of Life Month, and California Dried Prune Digestive Month, and International Wealth Mentality Month, and National Clean Up Your Computer Month, and National Hot Tea Month, and Oatmeal Month. For those with shorter attention spans, January encompasses the mysteriously named Silent Record Week, as well as Cuckoo Dancing Week, National Handwriting Analysis Week, World Leprosy Week, and National Cowboy Poetry Gathering Week.

Or you can take your festivities one day at a time: the 3rd is Memento Mori (Remember You Die) Day; or Tolkien Day. The 5th is Fruitcake Toss Day, the 12th is Penguin Awareness Day. Not to omit imaginary creatures, the 16th is Appreciate a Dragon Day; also, it's Nothing Day. My list shows the 17th as Judgment Day, but we can hope that that's a typo. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. shares the 21st this year with National Hugging Day, and Squirrel Appreciation Day. For those who find the notion of Celebration of Life Month too exhausting, they can just gear up for Celebration of Life Day on the 22nd. Next comes National Pie Day, the 23rd, cruelly followed by Women's Healthy Weight Day, the 24th. Or you just forget about what everyone else is celebrating, and throw a party on Freethinkers Day, January 29th.