If you’re a person who enjoys celebrations, particularly “alternative celebrations” that go beyond commercially promoted holiday activities, this post is for you. As you make plans for 2017, consider celebrating minor holidays in new ways and adding new holidays to your calendar. Today I’m proposing six suggestions for alternative celebrations through June. Next week I’ll cover the rest of the year with six more ideas.
January 16, Martin Luther King Day
For many Americans this is a cherished day off. We’re still a bit exhausted from the stretch of holiday celebrations that start on Thanksgiving and continue through New Year’s Day, and even if we had a week or so off around Christmas, we find it hard to get back into the swing of “ordinary life” in January. Like many people, I tend to give into the temptation to use MLK Day as a day to get things done outside of work or simply a day of play. But there are mindful ways to celebrate, which can help change our hearts… and the world.
- Reread (or read for the first time) Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, or look for some of his other writing, such as his letter from a Birmingham jail.
- Take some time to read about current civil rights issues, such as the effect of the war on drugs on incarceration rates, particularly among African Americans; voters’ rights; the Black Lives Matter movement; and, since Bill O’Reilly recently brought it up, white privilege.
- Decide to spend part or all of the day in service to your community.
February 4 and 5, Souper Bowl of Caring
Started by a Columbia, South Carolina, church youth group in 1990, Souper Bowl of Caring encourages people, particularly youth, to devote Super Bowl weekend to service (on Saturday) and giving (on Sunday). You can check out the official Souper Bowl of Caring website to see if you can join a service project and contribute to a collection in your area, or you can just arrange to serve at and give to nonprofits of your choice.
March 14, Pi Day
I’m all for eating pie on Pi Day, but I really like an idea on the We Are Teachers website: Use Pi Day to raise money for charity, either by selling slices of pie for $3.14 each or by raffling off the chance to throw a whipped cream pie at a volunteer. The fundraiser they suggest is for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which is certainly a worthy cause, but I’d like to suggest that the money raised be used to help fund a math scholarship instead.
April 22, Earth Day
First celebrated in 1970, Earth Day is a day to focus on the environment. There are countless ways to observe it, among them:
- Commit to one small change in your life that will make a positive difference, such as composting, driving less, or eating more meatless meals.
- Volunteer for an environmentally focused project.
- Pick an important environmental issue (the Natural Resources Defense Council suggests some on their “Get Involved” page) and call elected officials about it.
- Take a kid — your own, a niece or nephew, or a child you’re mentoring — to a state park and share your love of nature with them.
May 1, May Day
As well as being International Workers’ Day, May 1 is a spring holiday with pagan origins that is celebrated under different names, including Beltane. From that holiday came the tradition of leaving May baskets for friends and loved ones to discover. When I was a kid, May baskets were a big deal to me. I made the baskets out of paper cones, and on at least one occasion I used a plastic berry basket. I always filled the baskets with flowers from our yard, which could be a challenge; I remember that when I lived in the D.C. area, it seemed like some years many flowers were already done blooming when May Day rolled around. When leaving a May basket for someone, the object is secrecy, so I’d sneak up to the target’s door, put down the basket, ring the bell, and then run and hide.
I asked my mom if she was the one who encouraged us to make May baskets, and she didn’t remember doing that. She believes my sister and I read about it somewhere. However I first got involved, the May basket tradition was something I cherished, and I carried it on with my own child for a while when she was young.
The practice of leaving May baskets has largely died out, but there are people calling for its revival. I’ll add my voice to the chorus. A simple basket of flowers can bring so much joy that it seems a shame not to take the time and trouble to celebrate May Day in this way.
June 1, Dare Day
You can find celebrations for pretty much everything, including, apparently, a day on which to take on challenges. Why not use the day to dare yourself to do something meaningful? Speak up about something you believe in; donate time, money, or belongings in a way that stretches you; or make a change in your life that is challenging but that will make the world a better place. Think of something that makes a difference that you’ve never dared to do before and pick this day to do it!
Check out part two of this post.