IOTD

Calendar day; January 21, 2015

Wednesday, the 21st of January, 2015 is the 21th day in 2015 and in the 4th calendar week.

General Events:
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National Hug Day or National Hugging Day
January 21, 2015 in the World

National Hug Day or National Hugging Day is an annual holiday occurring on January 21. The holiday was founded on January 21, 1986 by Kevin Zaborney in Caro, Michigan, and has since spread to Canada, England, Australia, Germany and Poland.

He chose January 21 as it fell between the Christmas and New Year’s Holidays and Valentine’s Day and birthdays when he thought people are generally in low spirits. Zaborney considered that “American society is embarrassed to show feelings in public” and hoped that a National Hugging Day would change that,

A hug is a form of physical intimacy, not necessarily sexual, that usually involves closing or holding the arms around the neck or waist of another person. Studies have shown that human contact has many health benefits. It has been found that human contact improves both psychological and physical development.[10] Hugging can also help build a good immune system, decrease the risk of heart disease, and decrease levels of the stress hormone cortisol in women.[4] It has been shown that a couple who hugs for 20 seconds has higher levels of oxytocin, and that those who were in a loving relationship exhibited a highest increase.[6] According to the American Psychosomatic Society, a hug or 10 minutes of holding hands with a romantic partner can help reduce stress, and its harmful physical effects.

In recent years it has become a practice amongst some teenage girls to greet and farewell each other with a hug. In May 2009, the New York Times reported that “the hug has become the favorite social greeting when teenagers meet or part these days” in the United States. A number of schools in the United States have issued bans on hugs, which in some cases have resulted in student-led protests against these bans.

Where is the event?
Worldwide

International Sweatpants Day
January 21, 2015 in the World

The day of sweatpants is on January 21, 2015 – be sure to wear sweatpants on this day wherever you go! The day was founded to commemorate the former fashion sin called “jogging trousers”. Due to their convenience, sweatpants are often seen as the ideal casual wear. Many appreciated the casual, sporty look, what they disqualified at the same time as work clothes.

Sweatpants are traditionally ash gray in color but are now available in essentially any color. They are usually quite “baggy” and loose, which makes them easy to slip into and out of and allows a great deal of flexibility and comfort. Sweatpants are widely used in schools, sports, etc. because they are comfortable and keep the cold out while they also don’t get too hot in warmer temperatures.

In the UK sweatpants are varyingly known as track suit bottoms or the more informal jogging bottoms. In Australia and New Zealand they are known as trackies, track or tracksuit pants. Pop stars like Eminem and the Spice Girls wore sweatpants, despite the negative image of them. Some musicians celebrate the proletarian touch of sweatpants – especially in hip-hop field. Their sports suits are usually oversized.

Where is the event?
Worldwide

Squirrel Appreciation Day
January 21, 2015 in the World

Squirrel Appreciation Day is observed on January 21, 2015. Squirrels belong to family Sciuridae of small or medium-size rodents. The family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots, flying squirrels, and prairie dogs. Squirrels are indigenous to the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa, and have been introduced to Australia.

Squirrels cannot digest cellulose, so they must rely on foods rich in protein, carbohydrates, and fats. In temperate regions, early spring is the hardest time of year for squirrels, because buried nuts begin to sprout and are no longer available for the squirrel to eat, and new food sources have not become available yet. During these times, squirrels rely heavily on the buds of trees.

However, some squirrels also consume meat, especially when faced with hunger. Squirrels have been known to eat insects, eggs, small birds, young snakes, and smaller rodents. Indeed, some tropical species have shifted almost entirely to a diet of insects.

Where is the event?
Worldwide

Errol Barrow Day
January 21, 2015 in Barbados

Errol Barrow Day takes place on January 21, 2015. Errol Barrow Day is a Barbadian public holiday celebrated to commemorate the former Prime Minister of Barbados, who helped lead his country to independence from the United Kingdom. The date is the second public holiday of the calendar year and is the date of birth for the former leader. Errol Barrow died suddenly in 1987, and in 1989 his birthday was declared as the first public holiday to honour him. As a public holiday, much of the businesses in the country are closed on this day.

Where is Errol Barrow Day?
Nationwide Barbados

Altagracia Day
January 21, 2015 in Dominican Republic

Altagracia Day takes place on January 21, 2015. Día de la Altagracia, or Altagracia Day, is a day commemorating “Our Lady of Altagracia”, patronal image and protector of the people of the Dominican Republic. It is a feast day and annual public holiday on January 21. “Our Lady of Altagracia” is a portrait of the Virgin Mary painted in the 16th century. The portrait is kept in The Basilica of Our Lady of Altagracia in the city of Salvaleón de Higüey.

Where is Altagracia Day?
Nationwide Dominican Republic

National New England Clam Chowder Day
January 21, 2015 in the USA

Chowders originated in fishing villages on the coast of France in the 16th century. Back then any kind of fish chowder was considered a poor man’s dish. Most recipes called for salt pork and biscuits, which were both part of a standard sailor’s ration. Today, we’ve substituted the biscuits (also known as hardtack) for salty crackers!

There are many different varieties of clam chowder including New England, Manhattan, Rhode Island, Down East, and Outer Banks. New England clam chowder is made with milk or cream, and the use of tomatoes is frowned upon. In fact, in 1939 the state of Maine made it illegal to put tomatoes in clam chowder!

Celebrate this great culinary tradition and enjoy a bowl of delicious chowder in honor of New England Clam Chowder Day!

Where is National New England Clam Chowder Day?
Nationwide USA

Historical Events on 21st January:

1287 – The treaty of San Agayz is signed. Minorca is conquered by King Alfons III of Aragon.

1525 – The Swiss Anabaptist Movement is born when Conrad Grebel, Felix Manz, George Blaurock, and about a dozen others baptize each other in the home of Manz’s mother in Zürich, breaking a thousand-year tradition of church-state union.

1677 – 1st medical publication in America (pamphlet on smallpox), Boston

1793 – Prussia & Russia sign partition treaty, dividing Poland.

1793 – Louis XVI of France is executed by the guillotine in Paris, following his conviction for high treason.

1853 – Envelope-folding machine patented by Russell Hawes, Worcester, Mass

1864 – The Tauranga Campaign of the New Zealand Wars begins

1900 – The second contingent of Canadian troops sails from Halifax to fight in South Africa against the Boers

1903 – Harry Houdini escapes from Halvemaansteeg police station in Amsterdam

1919 – Irish militant nationalist party Sinn Fein creates its own parliament in Dublin and declares Ireland independent of Great Britain, sparking the Irish War of Independence

1938 – Dutch government starts obligatory unemployment insurance

1942 – Bronx magistrate rules all pinball machines illegal

1952 – Nehru’s Congress party wins general election in India

1968 – US B-52 bomber with nuclear bomb on board crashes in Greenland

1977 – Italy legalizes abortion

1977 – US President Jimmy Carter pardons almost all Vietnam War draft evaders

1986 – 100 participate in Nude Olympics race in 38°F (3°C), Indiana

1988 – US accepts immigration of 30,000 US-Vietnamese children

1992 – UN serves Libya a resolution to hand over intelligence agents accused of two airliner bombings

1997 – An inquiry in North Wales names more than 80 child abusers