Travel the world to learn of obscure holidays

This week, I thought it would be fun to take you on a trip “around the world” to learn of some obscure holidays from other cultures happening this week. Information is courtesy of NationalToday.com.

Jan. 23-29 is Courtesy Week in the Philippines. The word “courtesy” comes from the 12th-century word courteis, which means showing politeness and courtly manners. Courtesy was part of the Code of Chivalry for knights in the Middle Ages.

Fast forward to 1965, and President of the Philippines, Diosdado Macapagal changed Courtesy Week from the second week in October to the fourth week in January. The observance is organized by the Philippines Civil Service Commission, and is meant to remind government employees of the importance of showing courtesy toward each other and when interacting with the public.

Although a Philippine holiday, the need for courtesy is something we can all relate to in our daily lives. I saw a story on the news recently about an 82-year-old Navy veteran, Butch Marion, who worked as a cashier at a Walmart in Maryland. A younger man saw Marion and how he performed his job well, no doubt with courtesy, and decided he wanted to help him out. He filmed a short TikTok video of Marion on the job. The video went viral and people donated more than $100,000. That was enough for Marion to retire and go see family he hadn’t seen in years.

This week is a good reminder to be courteous to those service workers we interact with frequently, whether it’s the cashier at the gas station or grocery store, server at the restaurant, hair stylist or barista. These individuals put up with a lot, and a little kindness goes a long way. - Today, Jan. 25, is St. Dwynwen’s Day, which is essentially the Welsh equivalent of Valentine’s Day. As the legend goes, “St. Dwynwen, or Dydd Santes Dwynwen, was born one of 24 daughters to a Welsh king Brychan Brycheiniog during the fifth century. Legend has it that she was the most beautiful of the king’s girls and was highly sought after by royals in the neighboring countries. But Dwynwen fell in love with local citizen Maelon Dafodrill. When he received news from Dwynwen’s father that she had already been promised to a prince, he gave Dwynwen the silent treatment.

“Rather than go through with the arranged marriage, Dwynwen ran into the forest in a state of distress to implore God to change her circumstances. She made three wishes: that Maelon — who had been turned into a block of ice by an angel who had visited Dwynwen before — would thaw, that God would help all true lovers and that she would never marry. At the end of it all, God granted all three wishes and, to show her gratitude, Dwynwen moved to a Welsh convent and became a nun. She spent much of her time praying in earnest that other lovers would have better luck than herself, which is how she became Wales’ patron saint of lovers” (per NationalToday.com).

Many Welsh citizens celebrate St. Dwynwen’s Day by going to a carving shop and making or at least purchasing a lovespoon for their partner. The decorative spoon is intricately carved and normally contains symbols such as a horseshoe for luck, a cross for faith, bells for marriage, hearts for love, a wheel for supporting a loved one and a lock for security, The lovespoon is not an exclusively Welsh tradition, with the earliest remaining one originating in Germany in 1664.

Other traditions of St. Dwywen’s Day include visiting Llanddwyn Island, where St. Dwynwen founded a convent, or giving gifts or spending extra time with one’s partner or spouse. -An unusual observance comes to us this Friday, Jan. 27. It is Thomas Crapper Day. Contrary to popular belief, Crapper did not invent the flush toilet – that honor goes to Sir John Harrington in 1596 – however, he did perfect and promote it. In the late 1800s, Crapper manufactured one of the first widely successful lines of flush toilets. (I can only imagine how many jokes have been made about this guy’s name.)

Crapper’s design added the floating ballcock, the mechanism that stops water from flowing into the toilet when the tank is full, thus saving water. Although water closets had been around long before Crapper, he helped them come into widespread use. He set up his own Crapper & Co. showroom in London, which showcased different bathroom fixtures. Some of London’s sewer infrastructure still bears Crapper’s name, including manhole covers that read “T. Crapper & Co. Sanitary Engineers.”

- Jan. 27 is also National Activity Professionals Day. Activity professionals are those people who provide active experiences for residents in nursing home facilities, such as games or social events. The National Association of Activity Professionals promotes this day. Founded in 1980, it is the only organization exclusively representing activity professionals in geriatric settings. - Monday, Jan. 30, is National Escape Day. According to TripAdvisor, the top five most popular vacation destinations in the U.S. are, in order, New York City; Maui, Hawaii; Las Vegas, Nev.; New Orleans, La.; and Key West, Fla. These rankings were based on reviews and ratings from TripAdvisor travelers in the categories of accommodations, restaurants and things to do.

While time or finances might not allow you to escape to a warmer locale, perhaps you can celebrate National Escape Day by escaping the demands of life for a little while, whether it’s by reading a book, going for a walk/run, watching an absorbing movie or making artwork. Every now and then it’s good to take a step back from the daily grind.

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