12 Offbeat Holidays You Can Celebrate in June

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On June 1st and 2nd, we were practicing the Heimlich maneuver whilst barefoot and eating Rocky Road ice cream. The 3rd was National Repeat Day, so we got a little distracted on June 4th, too. The 3rd was National Repeat Day, so we got a little distracted on June 4th, too.

But there are still plenty of weird holidays to celebrate this month!

Poison image via Shutterstock

June 8th: Name Your Poison Day

Although this holiday is widely open to interpretation, we recommend no one take it literally. Instead, muster up the courage to boldly acknowledge the one vice in your life that you simply cannot resist no matter how terrible it may be for you. Unless said “poison” happens to be arsenic.

June 10th: Ballpoint Pen Day

Put away your quills, fountains, and felts, for today we honor the gravity-dependent ink dispenser we know as the ballpoint pen. It may not have the panache of a gel writing utensil, or the precision of a roller ball. But when it comes to getting ink onto paper and the bottoms of shirt pockets, ballpoints certainly get the job done.

June 15th: Magna Carta Day

Magna Carta Day asserts the chronological depth of Britain. On June 15, 1215, King John I — influenced by heavy force — signed this document into law, granting unprecedented religious and personal freedoms to the English people. It remains to this day “kind of a big deal.”

June 17th: National Eat Your Vegetables Day

We are unsure whether PETA or the PTA is more responsible for this holiday, but you better be prepared to finish those Brussels sprouts today if you know what’s good for you! Like Brussels sprouts, for example — they’re a great source of dietary fiber and vitamin C.

June 18th: International Picnic Day

Since it falls during the workweek this year, IPD may also have to stand for International Personal Day. But a basketful of goodies, domestic or international, and a nice patch of grass will definitely be worth calling in with a mysterious “summer cold.”

June 19th: National Hollerin’ Contest Day

Since 1969, a growing number of folks have traveled to Spivey’s Corner, North Carolina, on the third Saturday of June to let out their heartiest holler. A distant cousin of the yodel and even more distant cousin of the smoke signal, “hollerin” is believed to have originated among rural folks prior to the advent of technology like the telephone.

June 19th: World Sauntering Day

A man named W.T. Rabe, an allegedly rampant self-promoter, is said to have conceived this holiday in the 1970’s on Mackinac Island, Michigan. According to Merriam-Webster, to saunter one must merely “walk about in an idle or leisurely manner.” So for all of you who balked at a running holiday, thank Rabe for providing a much more casual holiday for getting around.

June 20th: Summer Solstice

Pencil in some sun on your calendar today, because the top half of the Earth is getting all up in our star’s grill. Welcome to summer, Northern Hemisphere.

June 21st: World Handshake Day

PURELL could have a field day with this one, but don’t let germs stop you from reaching out and touching a stranger’s hand. Let the subsequent uncomfortable look on their face be your true guide.

June 22nd: National Onion Rings Day

National Onion Rings Day: for those of you who like your holidays deep-fried.

June 24th: International Fairy Day

A relatively young holiday for a relatively old mythical creature, International Fairy Day was created by artist Jessica Galbreth for “believers, collectors, and the young at heart to celebrate all that is Fae and reconnect with their imagination and child-like wonder.”