Witch Hysteria Day & Other Weird Holidays

Are you going to rescue a mistreated horse on National Horse Protection Day? How much peanut butter will you eat on National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day? On Witch Hysteria Day, will you research what really happened during the Salem witch trials? How many books will you read on World Book Day?

March is full of some interesting holidays, most of which you have probably never heard of. Enjoy reading and learning about these unusual days, then pick at least one of them, write a story about it, or include it in the story you are currently writing. The addition of one or more of these unusual holidays will only add to your story and may bring a bit more recognition to a holiday that needs more attention brought to it.

National Horse Protection Day – Horses are beautiful, majestic animals. Unfortunately, there are many horses that are cruelly mistreated. This is the day to bring to everyone’s attention how much help some horses need. How can you show your support?

>You could adopt a horse.
>If there is a local horse shelter, you could support a horse until a home is found.
>You could partner with your local humane organization to plan an adoption event.
>You could team with other horse lovers in your community to bring awareness to your city.
>You could organize a horse food drive and distribute the food gained to horses in your community.

As a writer, you could write a story showing how a cruelly mistreated horse is rescued and given a better life. Use your story to raise awareness of this day.

National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day – This is the day to extend thanks to George Washington Carver for his wonderful, delicious discovery of how to make peanut butter. In How to Grow the Peanut and 105 Ways of Preparing it for Human Consumption, number 51 tells how to make my favorite kind of peanut butter, the kind that is made with just peanuts, oil, and salt. Of course now we can buy natural peanut butter from the store.

On this day why not write a story about what he went through discovering how to make peanut butter? Any while you do so, enjoy some of this delicious creation.

National Pig Day – Baby pigs are adorable. Adult pigs? Not so much. Whether adult or not, pigs are clever and intelligent animals. There are some people who even keep pigs as pets and teach them to do tricks. I’ve not had the pleasure of owning a pig as a pet yet. I’ve had cows, goats, dogs, cats, fish, turtles, and even a pony, but not a pig.

This holiday was created by Ellen Stanley, a Texas art teacher, in 1972. It is a day set aside for people to be thankful for pigs and recognize them as intelligent domestic animals.

On this day, why not write a story about a pig? Remember Charlotte’s Web? Who do you think was more amazing in the story? Was it Wilbur or Charlotte?

Plan a Solo Vacation Day – Are you getting cabin fever? Does none of your friends’ schedules give them time off work when you are on holiday? If you can’t find anyone to go on vacation with you, even if it is just for a day, why not take a vacation by yourself? There can be advantages to just having a fun, relaxing day with no one else along. There won’t be any disagreements on where to go or when to leave. No one will argue with you about where to eat. And you alone get to decide how long to stay.

Why not write a story about a person who decided to get away from everything and everyone by taking a solo vacation? Why does this person need a vacation? Where does this person go? And, most importantly, what happens on this vacation that makes it one that won’t be forgotten?

Refired, Not Retired Day – This day is for retirees, or those about to retire, who have decided that this is the beginning of life, not the end of it. Retired life should be a time of freedom and a time of opportunity to make your life the very best you can.

Even if you are nowhere close to retirement, you can celebrate this day by writing a story about a person who retires and is really depressed about it. Then one day something happens that causes this individual to decide that his or her life is just beginning.

Witch Hysteria Day – On March 1, 1692, the interrogations began. Suspect after suspect was brought up before the local magistrate on accusations of witchcraft. The interrogations would last for several days, and then the suspect would be sent to jail, many of them to be put to death. What was the cause of this witch hysteria? Were those put to death really witches? Or was there possibly another explanation for these events? It has been suggested by several historians that there were political motives, as well as large amounts of land and power up for grabs, behind all of the mass hysteria.

This would be an interesting holiday to investigate. There is a massive amount of information online about the Salem witch trials. Why not write a story about a young girl who is accused of being a witch during these tumultuous times?

World Book Day – This awesome day is a celebration of books, authors, illustrators, and reading. The best way I can think of to celebrate this day is to read a book.

Books change lives in many wonderful and different ways. Why not celebrate this day by writing a story about how a book changed someone’s life for the better?