August 13th - Holidays and Observances

(click on the day for details)

• Christian feast day:
  • Benedetto Sinigardi
  • Benildus Romançon
  • Centola and Helen
  • Cassian of Imola
  • Clara Maass (Lutheran Church)
  • Fachtna of Rosscarbery
  • Florence Nightingale, Octavia Hill (Lutheran Church)
  • Herulph
  • Hippolytus of Rome
  • Jeremy Taylor (Anglican Communion)
  • John Berchmans
  • Junian of Mairé
  • Blessed Marco d'Aviano
  • Maximus the Confessor
  • Nerses Glaietsi (Catholic Church)
  • Pope Pontian
  • Radegunde
  • Wigbert
  • August 13 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
• Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Central African Republic from France in 1960.
• International Lefthanders Day (International)
• Women's Day, commemorates the enaction of Tunisian Code of Personal Status in 1956. (Tunisia)

 

Observances (click on the day or week for details)

 

Blame Someone Else Day

Filet Mignon Day

 

Fun Observances

Left Handers Day

August 13 is Left-Handers Day. Created in 1992 by the Left-Handers Club as a way to celebrate left-handers, the unofficial holiday aims to ‘raise awareness of the advantages and disadvantages left-handers face.’

The day also encourages businesses and governments to be more left-handed friendly and adapt everyday objects for left-handed people.

10% are Left-Handed

Left-handed people use their left hands to carry out tasks that require the use of hands. About 10% of the world's population is left-handed. Despite this, most equipment and day-to-day articles are designed and manufactured for the use of right-handed people - those who use their right hands to perform tasks.

The purpose of Left-Handers Day is to make the majority right-handers aware of the frustrations that left-handed people face while using devices designed for right-handed people. The day also encourages designers to think about the convenience of those whose left hand is their dominant hand.

Left-Handers Day is also sometimes known as International Left-Handers Day.

How to Celebrate?

• Many organizations and public places in cities around the world create “lefty zones”, where everyday objects are adapted for use by left-handed people. If you are a “lefty”, go celebrate your awesomeness at one such zone.
• Take your right-handed friends with you to show them how difficult it can be to use objects not made for them.

Did You Know...

...that people who are ambidextrous can easily perform tasks and use devices with both their hands? Ambidexterity is rare and only occurs in about 1% of the population.

 

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When my summer teaching post in the Czech Republic came to an end, I told my students my next teaching destination would be in Australia, "the land down under."

On my final day, they presented me with a card. The carefully worded note read

"Good luck, and happy journey to the underworld."

 

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At a planning meeting at my college, I congratulated a colleague on producing some superb student-guidance notes explaining how to combat plagiarism.

"How long did it take you to write them?" I asked.

"Not long," he said. "I copied them from another university's website."

 

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The last year I entered a marathon. The race started and immediately I was the last of the runners. It was embarrassing. The guy who was in front of me, second to last, was making fun of me.

He said, "Hey buddy, how does it feel to be last?"

I replied, "You really want to know?" Then I dropped out of the race.

 

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sandrewn