August 17th - Holidays and Observances

(click on the day for details)

• Christian feast day:
  • Clare of Montefalco^[18]
  • Hyacinth of Poland^[19]
  • Jeanne Delanoue^[20]
  • Samuel Johnson, Timothy Cutler, and Thomas Bradbury Chandler (Episcopal Church)^[21]
  • August 17 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
• Engineer's Day (Colombia)
• Flag Day (Bolivia)
• Independence Day, celebrates the independence proclamation of Indonesia from Japan in 1945.
• Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Gabon from France in 1960.
• Marcus Garvey Day (Jamaica)
• Prekmurje Union Day (Slovenia)
• San Martin Day (Argentina)

 

Observances (click on the day or week for details)

Vanilla Custard Day

Black Cat Appreciation Day

 

Fun Observances

Thrift Shop Day

August 17 is Thrift Shop Day. It is a perfect holiday for those of you who like a good bargain and are a fan of old, vintage items.

The origins of the holiday are unknown, but we can assume that the inventor of this unofficial holiday aimed to encourage people to visit their local thrift shop and to bring home some secondhand and thrifted goodies.

Old and Cheap

A thrift store is a store that sells old, used and vintage items for discounted prices. A thrift store is also sometimes called a secondhand shop, a consignment shop, or a resale shop. In many parts of the world, charities run thrift stores as a way to raise money for their cause. Thrifting - the act of buying cheap clothing and household items from thrift stores, is not only money saving but is also environmentally friendly.

How to Celebrate?

If your version of a fun day includes sifting through dusty, old things to find treasure, then here are some ways that you can celebrate Thrift Shop Day:

• Visit your local thrift stores and spend some time browsing through their wares. Who knows, you might end up getting home a priceless work of art!
• Host a thrift shop party. Decorate your venue like a thrift store with things you found at a secondhand shop. Ask your guests to wear clothes from a thrift store and swap items you found in a consignment shop.

Did You Know...

...that the word thrift comes from the Old Norse þrift meaning prosperity?

 

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After finishing his meal, my grandfather, a retired Marine captain, asked the waitress for the 15 percent discount the restaurant offered veterans.

"Do you need to see my military ID?" he asked.

"That's all right," she said. "I know you were in the military. I can tell by your T-shirt."

Grandpa's shirt read "Welcome to Gettysburg National Military Park."

 

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Spanish never came easily to my sister. Still, she did her best to communicate with the Spanish-speaking staff at the restaurant she managed. But when she made mistakes—and she made a lot—she'd apologize by saying, "Me estúpido."

Finally, a staffer took pity on her. "Susanna, you're not estúpido," she said, bucking up my sister's ego.

"You are a woman," she continued. "So you are estúpida."

 

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First I had to work late. Then I discovered that I'd locked my keys in the car. But the last straw was learning that roadside service couldn't get a locksmith to me for at least two hours. Finally the guy showed, looking exhausted.

As he struggled with my door, I joked, "Do those Slim Jim tools come in purse-size?"

"Yeah," he muttered. "They're called keys."

 

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sandrewn