Pistol Patent Day

All those who have been waiting for the perfect day to patent their new pistol design...REJOICE! Today is Pistol Patent Day! On this day in 1836 Samuel Colt received Patent #138 for his Colt Revolver pistol. This infamous handgun design features a rotating chamber that revolutionized the firearms industry.

I'm not sure exactly how one goes about celebrating Pistol Patent Day. Let's keep it safe though...maybe even try to get away from the whole blasting things to bits idea with some eco-friendly stress-busters or personalized puzzles to keep our minds off the idea of shooting people with patented pistols. Sound good? Good!

IHOP National Pancake Day

Hope you're hungry...today is IHOP National Pancake Day! From 7am to 10pm you can get yourself a free short stack of pancakes at any IHOP restaurant. Since Pancake Day was born in 2006, IHOP has used the highly-publicized event to raise more than $3.25 million for local charities in communities where they do business (not a bad way to do restaurant promotions either).

So why did they choose today for National Pancake Day? Well according to IHOP: "National Pancake Day dates back several centuries to when the English prepped for fasting during Lent. Strict rules prohibited the eating of all dairy products during Lent, so pancakes were made to use up the supply of eggs, milk, butter and other dairy products."

Works for me!

Temporary Insanity Day

Here's a Zany Holiday that could get a little too zany - it's Temporary Insanity Day! On this day in 1859, Congressman Daniel Sickles was the first person to successfully plead temporary insanity in a U.S. court. This is a perfect day for lawyer and legal service promotions - but be careful - I'm not sure if those interested in pleading "temporary insanity" make the best clients.

P.S. Is anyone else completely unsurprised by the fact that it was a U.S. politician who was the first to claim temporary insanity?

Dump Your Significant Jerk Week

It's almost Valentine's Day, and we know what that means - time to get out of that terrible relationship and find a real chance at love elsewhere? This week, from February 6th to the 12th, is Dump Your Significant Jerk Week. It doesn't get much more self-explanatory than that, but here's an official "press release."

Everyone has at least one negative person in their lives they've been waiting to cut off for a while, and this week is as good a time as any to make the break. Make sure your decision is clear-cut and obviously stated or they may try to drag you back into their influence kicking and screaming (not that I know from personal experience, or anything...*cough*). Remember that while the statement "It's not you, it's me" is a bit of a cliche, it's also completely defensible. While you may want to be friends later, it's probably a good idea to keep your distance for a bit - this person isn't your "significant jerk" for nothing, after all, and broken hearts are volatile.

Finally, when the significant jerk is out of the picture, do your best to go out and enjoy Valentine's Day - who knows, you may even find the person of your dreams! And even if you don't, the key to a good Valentine's Day is always having some assortment of chocolates!

Hedgehog Day

"What's this Hedgehog Day?" you ask. "Surely you mean Groundhog Day?"

No, today - February 2nd - is Hedgehog Day, no matter what furry little interloper has since taken over possession of the date. What we call Groundhog Day was first celebrated by the ancient Romans thousands of years ago as part of the festival of Februa, when they observed hedgehogs emerging from their burrows at night and returning if they saw their shadows under the clear moon that signaled six more weeks of winter. Germans borrowed the tradition along with other bits and pieces of Roman culture, though their hedgehogs' weather prediction skills depended on whether or not the creatures saw their shadows in the daytime.

When German settlers came to North America, they neglected to pick up the complimentary promotional weather stations aboard their ships, and were forced to use that most unfortunate garden-pest substitution - the groundhog. Unwilling to admit their mistake, Americans have continued to talk up the groundhog as the pinnacle of prognostication, but we know the truth - the hedgehog is the real thing.

Interestingly enough, Sega Genesis favorite Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was released on this date, with Sega proclaiming it "Hedgehog Day" and reminding a new generation which mammal really deserves all the attention on this holiday.