The World’s 8 Weirdest National Holidays

Whether it means a day off or just an excuse to celebrate, Americans love holidays, even preposterous ones such as National Miniature Golf Day, but we’re not the only ones. The world is full of weird holidays and I, for one, am eager to join in the celebration. If we unify the Earth, maybe we can have a worldwide holiday every day!

Day of The Sea

Image courtesy of szeke's Flickr stream.

While it is fairly common for countries to remember an important military event through the commemoration of a national holiday, few battles are remembered in such a strange way as the Bolivian loss of the Port of Calama to Chilean forces. On March 23, the land-locked country remembers the loss of its last ocean-front property by marching in parades (as seen above) and solemnly listening to recordings of sea gulls and ship’s horns.

Korean Alphabet Day(s)

Image courtesy of minwoo's Flickr stream.

National Punctuation Day

Image courtesy of Magic Madzik's Flickr stream.

National Weatherperson’s Day

Weather announcers generally have impeccable speech, so it is only fitting that these well-spoken prophets of meteorology are given their own day of celebration. February 5 marks the 1774 birth of John Jeffries, one of America’s first weather observers. So how should you celebrate National Weather Person’s Day? Start off by checking into the National Weather Service in the morning and then plan your day accordingly. At the end of the day, curse or praise the weather person for their accuracies or inaccuracies and how they affected your day.

Bermuda Day

Image courtesy of Spamily's Flickr stream.

Blessed Rain Day

Of course, if you live in a landlocked country that is frequently ravaged by monsoons, then the end of monsoon season is almost certainly cause for celebration. That is why the people of Bhutan celebrate Blessed Rain Day every year by taking an outdoor bath in the mythically purified natural waters around them. Astrologers in service of the country’s chief abbot determine exactly what hour these baths are considered to be most sanctifying, but those that cannot bathe during this time tend to do so in the morning before sunrise instead. Because the date is determined by the Tibetan Lunar Calendar, the date varies, but it generally occurs between September 20 and 25 of the Gregorian Calendar.