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A day off from school or work this holiday, traditionally celebrated Columbus Day. In recent years however, the holiday has shifted to Native American Day or Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Columbus actually came to an inhabited land, and treated its people badly. The people that were already living there, are the ones we honor today.
Tonight may be a good night to see some meteors! The Draconid meteor shower should be visible in the early evening, and is caused by debris from the 21P/Giacobini-Zinner Comet. The Comet 2P/Encke is responsible for the South Taurid meteor shower. Debris burns up in the atmosphere, creating fireballs that streak across the sky.
Today is Bathtub Day, so skip your shower and take a relaxing bubble bath instead! You could also pamper your tub by giving it a good cleaning. It’s also LED Light Day. Light Emitting Diode bulbs are bright and energy efficient. LED holiday lights are the best, because the bulbs don’t fall out!
Every year, Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska has a “fattest bear” competition. The public can vote for the bears who have packed on the most pounds, during Fat Bear Week at Explore.org. The brown bears have a few more weeks to stuff themselves before they start to hibernate for the winter.
Today is Avocado Day, and Hawaii grows some of the world’s heaviest. One avocado weighed 5.6 pounds, and made enough guacamole to feed the whole Pokini family! They hold the official world record, but Kenji Fukumitsu gave away a 6 1/2 pound avocado last year, and he’s often given away bigger ones!
Conserving energy is good for the planet, so start with your own home, on Cut Your Energy Costs Day. Adjust your thermostat a few degrees, and wear a sweater. Run the dishwasher with a full load. Use LED light bulbs. You could even unplug your TV and game consoles. Ha-ha, just kidding!
Today is Drinking Straw Day, but modern plastic straws can harm the environment and wildlife. Paper straws were invented in 1888 by Marvin Stone. Ancient Sumerians were using gold straws to drink beer 5000 years ago! Argentinians use metal straws that end in sieves, called bombillas. Invest in a reusable steel or bamboo straw, to celebrate!
Wake up! It’s time to go to sleep! It’s Festival Of Sleep Day! If you have to go to school, take a nap as soon as you get home. Then go to bed early tonight, snuggled in your favorite pajamas. It’s also Chocolate-Covered Cherry Day, so take time for a little treat before bed!
Happy New Year! The year 2020 has begun in Samoa and Kiribati. The International Dateline runs through the Pacific Ocean in an irregular path. While Samoa is to the west of the dateline and among the first to celebrate the new year, American Samoa to the east will have a whole day to wait!
If your family puts up outdoor lights for the holidays, you may have some that don’t work anymore. The good news is, you can recycle them! Drop off your old light sets at Lowe’s or other hardware stores, or ship them to Christmas Light Source or Holiday LEDs. Start a collection at your school!