National Hug Day or National Hugging Day occurs on January 21st and is officially recognized by the United States Copyright Office, but is not a public holiday.
The purpose of the day is to help everyone show more emotion in public. The only way to celebrate the day is by offering a hug to anyone and everyone you want. While National Hug Day and the Free Hugs Campaign share many similarities, there is not an association between the two.
Whether you hug a family member or a stranger, the mental and physical health benefits are the same. From the day we are born, hugs or touch improve our sleep. Hugging, like cuddling, releases oxytocin. On its own, this hormone provides tremendous health benefits. Not only does it gives us feel-good hormones, but it reduces pain. Receiving a hug helps reduce stress, lowers blood pressure and lowers the risk of heart disease. It also eases anxiety.
In my research to help my husband, I came across the benefits of these marvelous creations. The weighted blanket feels like a hug and quiets things like anxiety, helps reduce the symptoms of restless leg syndrome, and helps you get a deeper, better nights sleep. So I got him one for Christmas. He uses it every night. Instead of waking 10 times a night, he sleeps through the night. The Restless leg syndrome has quieted, he is no longer jerked awake by overactive nerve activity in his legs and feet.
I was skeptical that this would work, but after months and months of interrupted sleep and medical avenues not providing any relief, we were getting desperate. I figured what have we got to lose? I highly recommend this especially to anyone dealing with similar symptoms or issues.
In April 2013 I suffered a brain hemorrhage stroke with complications. Everyday I face the limitations this has caused. I strive to interact with the world and proudly wear the titles, webmistress, magazine publisher, content creator. Support through these avenues helps me maintain my independence in the world.
On January 20th, the International Day of Acceptance encourages everyone to embrace those of all abilities. The day also supports those with disabilities to realize they are not living disabled. Instead, they are living.
Did you know that 15 percent of the world’s population has some form of disability? Up to 190 million people around the globe have a significant disability. In many places, they are often ostracized, live in poverty, and cannot get an education. In many instances, people with disabilities are seen for what they can’t do instead of what they can.
Thankfully, in some countries, this is changing. Society is recognizing the need to include those with all abilities. Society is also recognizing that those with disabilities have rights. Their voice matters. They have the power to make a difference in the world. Just look at this list of famous people who have gained acceptance and have become a powerful voice:
Musician Andrea Boccelli who is visually impaired
Actress Marlee Matlin who is deaf
Actor Daniel Radcliffe who has dyspraxia
Motivational speaker Nick Vujicic who was born without arms and legs
Comedian Josh Blue who has cerebral palsy
Dancer Sudha Chandran who has a prosthetic leg
Many other world-changers didn’t let their disability stop them. Some include Helen Keller, Ludwig van Beethoven, Stephen Hawking, Thomas Edison, and Rosa May Billinghurst.
Now is the time to fully embrace who you are. It’s time to celebrate abilities rather than disabilities, exceed the expectations that others have for you and that you have for yourself, and accept all people for who they are!
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF ACCEPTANCE HISTORY
In 2007, Annie Hopkins and her brother Stevie created a company called 3E Love. Annie and her brother both had disabilities. The goal of 3E Love was to spread this message: “Embrace diversity. Educate your community. Empower each other. Love life.” She developed a wheelchair heart logo as an International symbol of acceptance. Annie passed away unexpectedly on January 20th, 2009. To honor her legacy and continue the message of 3E Love, her family and friends created the International Day of Acceptance. The first event was held on January 20th, 2010.
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HOW TO OBSERVE #DayOfAcceptance
The day encourages those with disabilities to share their acceptance stories. Another way to celebrate this day is to display the International Symbol of Acceptance, the “wheelchair heart.” To participate:
Learn ways to embrace and empower people of all abilities.
Teach your children to be inclusive of those who might be different than them.
Donate to an organization that protects the rights of those with disabilities.
If you have a disability, share how acceptance from others makes you feel.
On January 19th, National Popcorn Day pops onto the scene with a crunch we all love to enjoy! The annual celebration recognizes a treat that satisfies munchies, day or night.
This time-honored snack can be sweet or savory, caramelized, buttered or plain, molded into a candied ball, or tossed with nuts and chocolate. However it is enjoyed, enjoy it on National Popcorn Day, January 19th.
The word “corn” in Old English meant “grain” or, more specifically, the most prominent grain grown in a region. When Native Americans introduce their most common grain, maize, to early Europeans, they aptly applied the word “corn.”Advertisement
As early as the 16th century, the Aztecs used popcorn in headdresses worn during ceremonies honoring Tlaloc, their god of maize and fertility. Early Spanish explorers were fascinated by the corn that burst into what looked like a white flower.
Popcorn started becoming popular in the United States in the middle 1800s. It wasn’t until Charles Cretors, a candy-store owner, developed a machine for popping corn with steam that the tasty treat became more abundantly poppable. By 1900 he had horse-drawn popcorn wagons going through the streets of Chicago.
At about the same time, Louise Ruckheim added peanuts and molasses to popcorn to bring Cracker Jack to the world. Then in 1908, the national anthem of baseball was born. Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer wrote Take Me out to the Ballgame. From that point onward, popcorn, specifically Cracker Jack, became forever married to the game.
Another romance connected to popcorn may have had a slow start but eventually took off. Today, who can imagine going to the movies without getting a box of buttered popcorn? While popcorn was an economical choice for snack food, the expense of installing a machine and adequately venting the building didn’t seem worth the effort. If it weren’t for Glen W. Dickson, we would be purchasing our popcorn from a vendor on the street before taking in the show. Dickson put in the effort and expense of placing machines inside his theaters. After realizing how quickly he recouped his costs, other theater owners followed suit.
The microwave oven spurred the next big advancement for popcorn. With the invention of the microwave, a whole new market opened for the snack food. Magnetrons, a technology produced by Raytheon Manufacturing Corporation for the military during World War II, were later used to develop microwave ovens. Percy Spencer was the man who made it happen. He used popcorn in his initial experiments during the microwave’s development.
Today, Americans consume 13 billion quarts of popcorn a year, more than any other country in the world. A majority of the popcorn produced in the world is grown in the United States. Nebraska leads the corn belt in popcorn production.
HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalPopcornDay
Pop your favorite popcorn and share a bowl with a friend. Please take a photo and share it on social media using #NationalPopcornDay.
National Use Your Gift Card Day reminds Americans to use the $1 billion in gift cards left unused each year. On the third Saturday in January, take stock of the gift cards you received over the holidays. Make the most of each one of them before they’re forgotten for good!
We all do it. Stash away gift cards thinking we will have more time later to use them. They collect dust and disappear into an abyss somewhere. We discover them as we clean and often don’t remember how much was on the card or if we used a portion of it. Those partial balances add up, too! The first step is to collect the cards together and see what you have. You know where to look.
Every pocket of every purse and wallet you have
The infamous junk drawer
Glove compartment of the car
Bottom of the toy box (it may have been used to scrape goo off a toy)
The other junk drawer
A gift bag with the tissue paper still in it
The toolbox (we know what happens when a flathead screwdriver can’t be found)
Once you have your gift cards, get organized. Where do the gift cards work? Restaurants, retail, and services all offer gift cards. Some gift cards are designed to be used just about anywhere.
Check for deals to maximize your gift cards. In most cases, gift cards work just like cash and can be used with coupons. There are exceptions, however, so it’s always good to check first.
Is the card to a place you don’t shop? You have a few options:
See if the card is good at a companion location
Check to see if the gift card can be cashed out
Have a gift card swap party or sell your gift card for cash
Donate your gift card to a charity fundraiser like a silent auction
Plan to overspend the amount of the gift card to avoid having small balances lying around. Even if you add a small useful item (lip balm is always handy) to go a penny over the amount, you’ll be able to hand the card over to the retailer to recycle the card.
NATIONAL USE YOUR GIFT CARD DAY HISTORY
Tilson PR founded National Use Your Gift Card Day in 2020 to make sure everyone gets the most out of their gift cards. Leave no gift card unturned and find tips, ideas, and deals by visiting useyourgiftcard.com, too.
HOW TO OBSERVE #UseYourGiftCardDay
Collect your gift cards. It’s time to use them. Don’t let them sit for a year and risk losing your gift altogether. Maximize your gift cards with deals and get the most out of your gift cards, too. Have a shopping spree or a spa day with your gift cards. Don’t let those gifts and savings pass you by! Use #UseYourGiftCardDay to share on social media.
On January 18, National Michigan Day recognizes the Great Lake State.
Surrounded by four of the five Great Lakes, Michigan has more shoreline than any of the contiguous 48 states. Of the 50 states, only Alaska has more.
First explored by the French, the area became a U.S territory in 1783. Flush with iron and copper, Michigan would become a center of industrial activity.
Lake Michigan separates the upper and lower peninsulas of the 26th state granted statehood, making Michigan unlike any other in design. To move from one peninsula to the other, ferries used to carry travelers back and forth. But in 1957, the Mackinac Bridge connected the two sides making the journey more convenient and safer. At 26,372 feet long, it is the third longest suspension bridge in the world.
Industry and Music
Industry dominated the early 20th century in Michigan. From logging, shipping, rail and automotive, the population grew with an influx of workers during war and peacetime. Influenced by skilled trades, engineering, and manufacturing, employment exploded.
After the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, assembly workers were in high demand all across the country. The Willow Run plant in Ypsilanti, Michigan built B-24 Bombers. As the epicenter of the automobile industry, Michigan was ripe for the increased production.
One of the Willow Run factory workers became a Rosie the Riveter spokesperson wearing the iconic bandana and flexing her muscle to sell war bonds. Rose Will Monroe’s efforts, as well as thousands of other women in Michigan and across the country, changed the course a war and the image of women for generations.
Notable Auto Industry
While the horseless carriage was invented in Germany and France, Michigan laid claim to production, design, and innovation earning Detroit the Motor City nickname Motown.
Attracted to the machine industry and availability of shipping to large metropolitan areas of Chicago and New York by rail and water, Michigan made an ideal place to set up shop. Businessmen like Henry Ford and Ransom Olds didn’t have far to go; they were born in the great state of Michigan. Others made their way to the Great Lake State from as near as New York and as far as Europe. Those with names we recognize today. Businessman, machinists, inventors, and designers. Horace and Elgin Dodge, Henry M. Leland, Louis Chevrolet, William C. Durant, David Dunbar Buick.
Notable Motown
In 1959, Berry Gordy, Jr. established the Motown record label. In the label’s first year, they would sign soon-to-be greats like Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, and Mary Wells.
Hits by Stevie Wonder, the Miracles, Martha and the Vandellas, the Supremes, the Jackson 5, and many others developed a sound that became known as Motown.
Known for its Motown sound and legendary music makers, Michigan and Detroit launched some of the most memorable names in jazz and gospel music. From Smokey Robinson and Diana Ross to the Jackson 5 and Stevie Wonder, the birth of Motown was the launching of an era.
For a complete list of Michigan State and National Parks & Historic Sites visit www.michigandnr.com and www.nps.gov. Check out a few of the featured sites around the state below.
Join us as we recognize Michigan’s industrious spirit and natural beauty. Uncover hidden treasures and explore all Michigan’s history, lakes, and peninsulas!
Use #NationalMichiganDay to share on social media.
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