Barbie Day, Panic Day, and Other Unusual Holidays

Do you prefer to write mysteries or romances, thrillers or fantasies, science fiction or historical fiction? Whatever genre you prefer to write in, I’m sure you can find a way to include one of these unusual holidays that occur on March 9 to add a bit of something different to your story.

Do you own a Barbie made in 1959?  If so, will you dig it out on Barbie Day?  On Get Over It Day, will you make a list of things you need to get over?  Will you keep track of what is happening in the Iditarod?  On Panic Day, will you panic about the things you decided you need to get over?

Barbie Day – On March 9, 1959, Barbie made her very first appearance at the American Toy Fair in New York City. She was the first toy doll with adult features to be mass-produced in the United States.

Can you imagine just how much an original Barbie doll in close to perfect condition would be worth now? What would you do if you found out that you had one in your possession? Would you want to sell it to a collector? Would you donate it to a museum?

Have a character discover one of the very first Barbie dolls in the attic of her grandmother. This doll is still in the original box and is in mint condition. She is astounded, but extremely happy. She is in desperate need of money. She has been living in poverty for so long, and this find is an answer to prayer. She makes the mistake of telling the wrong person about her find. What happens?

Casimir Pulaski Day – Even though this Polish emigrant saved the life of George Washington during the Revolutionary War, I confess that I did not recognize his name. He came to America when his country’s forces failed to stop the Russians from dominating the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. As a general in the Continental Army, he trained the soldiers and the cavalry. Known as “the father of the American cavalry”, he died of wounds received in the Battle of Savannah.

I’m sure one could write a riveting tale about this man. Just think about the dangers he may have faced in his home country, and the dangers he may have faced during his emigration. An historical fiction novel about the contributions this man made to our great nation should be written.

Fun Facts About Names Day – On this day, you are supposed to do some fun research and find out little-known facts about names. Not only are there fun facts about your own name to discover, but there is a bunch of trivia about other famous names that is just waiting to be discovered. Did you know that Barbie’s full name is Barbie Millicent Roberts? What about the Taco Bell dog? Her name is Gidget.

How do you celebrate this day? If you love research, then you have an excuse to do some today. I’m sure you could spend an entire day uncovering fun and unusual facts about names. Then you could use the information you have unearthed to write a story, one about a mystery that has to do with a name and its unusual history.

Get Over It Day – This holiday, based on the assumption that everyone has something to get over, has been strategically placed between Valentine’s Day and April Fool’s Day. What about you? Is there something that you have had trouble getting over? Has a past relationship left you holding on to feelings that need to go? Do you have stress at work or school that you need to get rid of? Are you having issues with one or more of your friends? If you don’t know what it is that you need to get over, just ask those around you what they are tired of hearing you complain about. I’m sure they will answer the question for you.

Have you ever considered the possibility that a person could have trouble getting over the loss of his or her first calculator? I mean, I’m sure that people are capable of forming strong attachments to anything in their lives, but their first calculator? What is there about this particular calculator that caused this individual to have such a strong attachment to it? Write a story about this person and his extraordinary calculator.

Iditarod – The Iditarod, known as the last great race, is a dog sled race that is 1,049 miles long from Anchorage to Nome. The number 1,049 is symbolic since Alaska was the 49th state to be admitted to the United States of America. The race actually covers closer to 1,200 miles, but even that depends upon the route taken. Even though the race starts on March 7 this year, it is always celebrated on the first Sunday in March. This year that happens to March 9.

You can learn more about this amazing race on your own, but I’m going to share some interesting facts about it with you.
>The very first Iditarod was run in 1973. Exactly 100 years before, the USA purchased Alaska from Russia.
>Since the race began in 1973, a total of 142 dogs have died during this strenuous race.
>Iditarod means “clear water”.
>The average number of dogs per team is 15.
>Many other states besides Alaska have been represented in this race, as have several countries.

Panic Day – This holiday is not about a phobia or an illness. Those things would not be celebrated. This holiday is a playful look at the panic and stress that people experience in their lives every day.

Do you try not to panic over your bank balance? Do you try to keep control when it seems as though every thing that could possibly go wrong is going wrong? Do you try to maintain control when others around you are losing it? Is the stress you’re under at work making you pull your hair out? Do you panic when threatening weather conditions are headed your way?

If you would like to allow yourself just one day to panic about everything, today is the day to do so. Panic as much as you like.

Write a story about a person who never, never panics. He or she always keeps things hidden deep inside and refuses to allow any situation to cause panic. On this day something finally snaps and causes him to lose control. What happens? How does he handle it?