Everyday Canvas

August 7 Holidays

Prompt:
August 7 has five holidays in one: National Lighthouse Day, Purple Heart Day, Professional Speakers Day, National Sea Serpent Day and National Raspberries & Cream Day.
Write about these holidays in your entry today.

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To tell the truth, I had to look these holidays up; although, I first thought most of them were not important to me. How wrong I was! And thank you Google!

I found out that National Lighthouse Day is for honoring and appreciating the importance of lighthouses in maritime history, for they have guided ships safely, preventing shipwrecks, and many lives. Plus, lighthouses and their keepers symbolize, hope, guidance and strength, in addition to their navigational input.

When I say freedom has a high cost, I never say it in jest. In fact, Purple heart day celebrates the creation of the Purple Heart medal and honors the sacrifices made by members of the U.S. armed forces who were wounded or killed in combat and their bravery, valor, and dedication. The Purple Heart medal was originally known as the Badge of Military Merit and was established by George Washington in 1782 during the American Revolutionary War.

Professional Speakers Day acknowledges the impact of public speaking on the diverse range of topics about the various aspects of society. Public speakers play a vital role in inspiring, educating, and motivating others. That made me recall, from my dinosaur time, many a boring hours listening to speakers on stage while we students yawned in the school's auditorium. But now, go Ted Talks! I think Ted Talks are here to stay as I have the advantage of clicking them off, if they get out of hand.

The next one gave me chills at first when I heard the word serpent. Not that I'm scared of snakes on land, I'm not--of the smaller non-venomous ones--but the word serpent denotes a much bigger and fearsome animal. As such, National Sea Serpent Day celebrates the fascinating mythical creatures and the mysteries of the ocean and marine life that have captured the human imagination for centuries.

Now, this one --National Raspberries & Cream Day-- is yummy and I feel my mouth watering. Delightfully, this holiday is dedicated to the savoring of the sweet combination of raspberries and cream. I guess it has significance as it encourages us to enjoy our simple pleasures and the culinary arts.

Well, so many holidays on the same day with a rich and varied tapestry of the subjects and celebrations. I think they are there to remind us of the beauty and the depth of our human experience. Then, in essence, this prompt was well-worth the time I spent while I looked these holidays up.