NATIONAL I LOVE HORSES DAY

On July 15th we recognize the love of one magnificent creature on National I Love Horses Day!

With over 200 breeds, these spirited animals give humans much to love. Their loyalty and devotion throughout history may only be a fraction of the reasons to love them. Not just a means of transportation, horses cleared fields, fought wars, and moved cattle. Beyond their utility, their companionship was indispensable on long lonely trails. Cattlemen, pioneers, and more recognize horses as cornerstones of survival in a burgeoning nation.

Horse Breeds

The tallest horse breed is the Shire. The stallions of this draft horse breed tower at 17 hands above the tiny Falabella, which grows to only eight hands and is the smallest breed of horse.

The phrase “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth,” is a reminder to be grateful for the gifts, opportunities or kind gestures that come our way. The phrase comes from inspecting a horse’s teeth to determine its health and value. If the horse was a gift, such an inspection would be considered an insult.

The quarter horse, named for its speed on a short track, is one the of three fastest breeds of horses. Thoroughbreds follow quarter horses for longer distance, but Arabians outlast both breeds for endurance on the longest races.

Horse Facts

A horse can see almost 360° at once. Because of this, it’s difficult to sneak up on a horse. Their only blind spots are directly behind them and in front. However, don’t approach a horse from behind; their powerful hind legs can do serious damage if they decide to defend themselves with a kick. Because horses have such an excellent range of vision, they can be easily distracted or startled. Trainers will place blinders or blinkers on their harness to block the horse’s view from the side. The small piece of leather helps the horse to focus their vision forward.

Just like human hair and fingernails, a horse’s hooves are made of the same protein – keratin. Farriers specialize in caring for horses’ hooves. They not only fit horses with shoes, but they trim their hooves and make recommendations for hoof care and foot health. Since horses spend an enormous amount of time on their feet, the care a farrier provides is instrumental to their overall health.

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HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalILoveHorsesDay

Celebrate by visiting a local stable for a horseback ride. Seek a view of wild horses in a national park. Spend time riding your own horse if you have one.

Post on social media using #NationalILoveHorsesDay.

NATIONAL FIND A RAINBOW DAY

Each year on April 3rd, National Find A Rainbow Day challenges us to look to the sky and find a colorful ray of hope cast across it. 

There are people that see rainbows as an artistic masterpiece in the sky, to others it is a sign of hope and to many a sign of promise.

It can be all three; beauty, hope and promise.    

Jill Magnus

A spectrum of light in the form of a multicolored arc, appearing in the sky, is caused by both reflection and refraction of light in water droplets in the Earth’s atmosphere. These rainbows always appear directly opposite of the sun.  The light is refracted (bent) when it enters a droplet of water, then is reflected inside on the back of the droplet and refracted again when leaving it.

Red is the color that is visible on the outer part of a rainbow and violet on the inside of a primary rainbow. Children learn in science class the mnemonic ROYGBIV to help them to remember the sequence of colors in a rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. Many forms of airborne water can cause rainbows including, rain, mist, spray, and dew.  

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HOW TO OBSERVE #FindARainbowDay

Find yourself a rainbow or use the garden hose or a prism to make one yourself.
Families, students, and classrooms, create a rainbow from the colorful hearts on this printable. There’s at least one for every color in the rainbow. Take out your color crayons and finish what we’ve started. Then cut them out and put them in a cheerful, sunny window to brighten the day of someone passing by. 


Use #NationalFindARainbowDay to post on social media.

NATIONAL OPEN AN UMBRELLA INDOORS DAY                        

National Open an Umbrella Indoors Day is observed annually on March 13th. One often wonders how superstitions are passed on from one generation to the next.  There is an old superstition about opening your umbrella indoors and that it would bring you bad luck. National Open an Umbrella Indoors Day encourages you to do just that and note if you have any bad luck.

While umbrellas have been around for over 3000 years, the origin of the superstition is strangely obscure.  There is some suggestion that ancient Egyptians thought it offended the gods to open an umbrella where there was already shade.  However, the more modern version of the superstition would suggest bad things happening as a result of poor timing or inconvenience.

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HOW TO OBSERVE

Test the theory that opening an umbrella inside brings bad luck by doing so and noting any bad luck that comes your way.  You might reduce your risk of bad luck by opening the umbrella in a wide space versus a tight hallway to avoid knocking pictures off the wall.  And may we suggest giving those around you a sign of warning as well.  We wouldn’t want any eyes being poked out.  Use #OpenAnUmbrellaIndoorsDay to post on social media.

National Umbrella Month

I have a brain buster for you: What goes up when the rain comes down? I’ll give you a hint. This thing was originally created to help block the sun. Need another hint? Mary Poppins was known to carry one. Still haven’t guessed it? Well, Rihanna famously sang about this object. Think you know it now? If your answer was an umbrella, then you are correct! (Good luck getting those song lyrics out of your head now.)

March is National Umbrella Month, which I was surprised to learn seeing as the saying goes “April showers bring May flowers”… but perhaps Thomas Edward Knibb originated National Umbrella Month in March to ensure everyone was ready for the April showers. According to Abby Eyers of Associated Content, the average household is said to have an average of 3.8 umbrellas. The basic umbrella was invented over four thousand years ago. It was the Chinese who waterproofed them for rain protection, and then in the 1900s the umbrella, which we are familiar with today, was invented.

If you’re a Northwest Florida resident, or planning to visit, make sure you check out The Foo Foo Festival held in downtown Pensacola.

HOW TO OBSERVE

So, now that you know it is National Umbrella Month, let’s celebrate! Use #NationalUmbrellaMonth to post on social media… tell the world how you are choosing to honor National Umbrella Month.

You can start by going out and getting a new umbrella (be sure to buy one that makes you smile on a rainy day!) or if you discover that you have developed a collection of them through-out the years, you can donate a few to a local homeless shelter, or the nearest Goodwill. Umbrellas can also be a fun new decoration for your patio or front door. Don’t let the “Raindrops keep fallin on your head.”Whichever way you choose to celebrate, make sure you take some time to dance in the puddles, smell the fresh rain, and look for the rainbow after the storm!

NATIONAL BLACK HISTORY MONTH

National Black History Month, also known as National African American History Month, during February is a time for all Americans to celebrate the achievements of African Americans. In addition, the month recognizes the central role of Black Americans in history.

Other countries, including Canada and Great Britain, have also set aside months to honor Black History. February was chosen to coincide with the birthdays of President Abraham Lincoln and noted civil rights advocate Frederick Douglass. A privateer ship named the White Lion records the first Africans brought to the colonies in 1619. Captained by John Colyn Jope, the White Lion landed at Point Comfort, Virginia, now modern-day Hampton, Virginia. There, Jope traded the Africans as slaves in exchange for provisions.

Notable Black Americans

African-Americans impacted our society throughout history and in numerous ways.

  • Thurgood Marshall – The jurist was the first African-American appointed to the Supreme Court. We recognize Thurgood Marshall every year on National Maryland Day.
  • George Washington Carver – As a man of science, Carver developed over 300 products from peanuts. Celebrate George Washington Carver and his contributions to the peanut industry on National Peanut Day.
  • Shirley Chisholm – In 1968, New York’s 12th congressional district elected Chisholm as the first Black woman in Congress. She served seven terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.
  • Rosa Parks – The Civil Rights advocate helped initiate the Civil Rights Movement by refusing to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Celebrate Rosa Parks and learn more about her contributions to the Civil Rights Movement.
  • Louis Armstrong – As a talented musician and performer, Armstrong became a pioneer in jazz. Satchmo Summerfest honors his contributions to music for a week each year in August.
  • Colin Powell – The 4-star General became Secretary of State. Colin Powell dedicated the Buffalo Soldier Monument at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, establishing the first Buffalo Soldiers Day.
  • Barack Obama – Americans elected Obama as the first Black President of the United States in 2009. He served two terms.

NATIONAL BLACK HISTORY MONTH HISTORY

Carter Woodson, the twentieth-century historian, created Black History Month. He believed Black Americans were not adequately represented in the study of American history. Carter Woodson also hoped for the day when Americans would accept Black history as a part of American history. President Gerald Ford declared Black History Month (formerly Negro History Week) in 1976.

More Heritage to explore….

HOW TO OBSERVE #BlackHistoryMonth

Learn more about African-American history. Here are a few books we suggest reading during Black History Month:

Use #BlackHistoryMonth on social media and start a book discussion.