August 18th - Holidays and Observances

(click on the day for details)

• Christian feast day:
  • Agapitus of Palestrina
  • Alberto Hurtado
  • Daig of Inniskeen
  • Evan (or Inan)
  • Fiacre
  • Florus and Laurus
  • Helena of Constantinople (Roman Catholic Church)
  • William Porcher DuBose (Episcopal Church)
  • August 18 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
• Arbor Day (Pakistan)
• Armed Forces Day (North Macedonia)
• Birthday of Virginia Dare (Roanoke Island)
• Constitution Day (Indonesia)
• Long Tan Day, also called Vietnam Veterans' Day (Australia)
• National Science Day (Thailand)

 

Observances (click on the day or week for details)

Bad Poetry Day

Never Give Up Day

Pinot Noir Day

Serendipity Day

Bubblegum Day

 

Fun Observances

Mail Order Catalog Day

August 18 is Mail Order Catalog Day, an annual holiday that celebrates the old-fashioned way of shopping by choosing items from a printed catalog, and ordering and paying for it through the post/ mail or over the telephone.

It is believed, that the unofficial holiday commemorates the anniversary of the day in 1872 when American entrepreneur Aaron Montgomery Ward sent out the first modern mail order catalog to customers in Chicago.

Mail order catalogs or mail order catalogues are a type of direct marketing strategy where companies can communicate directly and personally with the customers. The catalog is a publication, not unlike a magazine, that lists all the items available to buy from a business and their prices.

Colorful History

Mail order shopping has a colorful history. Historians believe that one of the first shopping catalogs was produced in the late 15th century, when Italian publisher, Aldus Manutius of Venice, published a list of books his company - Aldine Press - was printing.

In 1667, William Lucas published a gardening catalog in England, and in 1744, Benjamin Franklin became one of the first people in America to print a catalog from which people could choose to buy books and scientific publications.

Mail order shopping did not become popular in the United States until the early 19th century when farmers and book publishers started taking advantage of the newly-started national postal service and an expanded railway system to sell seeds and books all over the country. By the 20th century, mail order catalogs selling anything from groceries to full-fledged homes became a big part of daily mail received by people.

Today, with the advances in Internet technology, printed mail order catalogs are quickly being replaced by online shopping.

How to Celebrate?

• Order something from a mail order catalog. Yes, despite the decline in their popularity, some companies still publish mail order catalogs. Pick one up and spend some time going through it today.
• Visit your local thrift store of flea market and look for vintage mail order catalogs. For many years, businesses spent a lot of money and time creating the perfect catalog. Today, they are not only a glimpse of life back in time, but are also highly coveted for their artistic value.

Did You Know…

…that the Hammacher Schlemmer is the oldest mail order catalog still in print today? The catalog was first printed in 1848 and sells hardware and tools.

 

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A few of us were discussing the perils of drinking and driving when my five-year-old granddaughter threw in her two cents.

“I can see why it would be dangerous to drink and drive,” she said.

“The straw could go up your nose.”

 

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When my nephew, Victor, was five, I took him to a local stable for a pony ride. He was very impressed that the stable hands were riding without a saddle. I explained to him that it's called riding bareback. When I returned him to his parents, they asked him how he enjoyed his pony ride.

He excitedly told them that he saw grownups riding naked!

 

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My son was born while I was serving abroad, so he was three 
before we met. When I got home, I decided it was time for a little father-son bonding time. I bought him a 
toy razor and invited him to “shave” with me. In the bathroom, I took 
up my razor and started shaving.


I looked around to see how my son was doing. His foot was up on the side of the bathtub, and he was 
running the razor up and down 
his leg.

So much for male bonding.

 

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Vintage Rabbit Children

 

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sandrewn