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Special and Weird Winter Holidays Around the World

Special and Weird Winter Holidays Around the World

Special and Weird Winter Holidays Around the World | Expat Press Hungary Magazine

Sorry, all you redheads in the audience, you missed the annual Kiss a Ginger Day, celebrated on January 12th. But here are the next most special winter holidays to celebrate. This time not specifically in Hungary but you can wave at your neighbour anytime, anywhere 🙂

Weird Winter Holidays#1 Groundhog Day:

February 2nd is a famous US holiday where everyone waits to see whether a designated groundhog in Punxsutawney, PA, sees his shadow. According to folklore, if it’s cloudy when the groundhog emerges from its burrow then Spring will come early; if it’s sunny, the groundhog will supposedly see its shadow and retreat back into its burrow, which means Winter will continue for six more weeks. Although this holiday may not be too strange to Canadians and Americans, to the rest of the world…well come on…it’s just a groundhog’s shadow!

Weird Winter Holidays#1: Groundhog Day

Weird Winter Holidays #2: The Day the Music Died

Every February 3rd, The Day the Music Died is celebrated to honor famous singers who died in an airplane crash in 1959. The Big Bopper, Richie Valens, Eddie Cochran and Buddy Holly. Their mourners were spread across the entire USA.

Weird Winter Holidays #2: The Day the Music Died

Weird Winter Holidays #3: Create a Vacuum Day

Celebrated on the 4th day of February, one speculation for its unknown origin is the “hardworking mom” theory, which states that a frustrated mom created a day to commemorate the chore. Another theory states that a mad scientist created the holiday to celebrate the day the vacuum cleaner was created. A third theory states that someone who desperately needed a simpler life created a vacuum day that would suck all the daily work, clutter and chores out of their life. Your guess is as good as ours.

Weird Winter Holidays #3: Create a Vacuum Day

Weird Winter Holidays #4: Weatherman’s Day

National Weatherman’s Day is celebrated every February 5th to thank those unsung heroes who try so hard to predict the weather. Their frustration is appreciated.

Weird Winter Holidays #4: Weatherman’s Day

Weird Winter Holidays #5: Wave All Your Fingers at Your Neighbour Day (Really!)

Celebrated every February 7th is a day to say hello to your neighbours, not only with your bright smile, but with a big wave as well. This is a good way to be friendly or a great way to just make somebody’s day bright and sunny.

Weird Winter Holidays #5: Wave All Your Fingers at Your Neighbour Day (Really!)

Weird Winter Holidays #6: Celebrate beer

And for that last holiday before spring, there is one more special day for all beer lovers in the country.

National Beer Day. For those who love their beer, you might want to go to Iceland every March 1st for a nationwide drinking party. An excuse for a ‘runtur’ or ‘pub crawl,’ this is an all-day celebration that will give you plenty of chances to raise glasses to the local brews of Viking Dimmur, Thule, or Litli-Jón. Though most banks and offices will not change their hours of operation for this holiday, you can expect pubs to stay open later than usual. This celebration started when the country’s 75-year ban on beer was repealed, which apparently resulted in much rejoicing.

Weird Winter Holidays #6: Celebrate beer

Weird Winter Holidays: a bonus we just couldn’t left out:)

OK, it doesn’t come until the first of May, but it’s really something to look forward to: The Tinku “Punch Your Neighbor Festival.” Having its origin in pre-Hispanic times whereby the earth Goddess Pachamama demanded blood to ensure a good harvest. The people from the Bolivian village of Tinku took this demand quite literally and decided to provide her with as much as she needed. The rest is self-explanatory.

Source: List25.com

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