December 10th - Holidays and Observances

 

(click on the day for details)

• Alfred Nobel Day or Nobeldagen (Sweden)
• Christian feast day:
  • Behnam, Sarah, and the Forty Martyrs (Syriac Orthodox Church)^[47]
  • Eulalia of Mérida
  • Karl Barth (Episcopal Church (USA))
  • Thomas Merton (Episcopal Church (USA))
  • Translation of the Holy House of Loreto
  • December 10 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
• Constitution Day (Thailand)
• Human Rights Day (International)^[48]

 

Observances (click on the day or week for details)

National Lager Day

 

Fun Observances (3)

Dewey Decimal System Day

December 10 is Dewey Decimal System Day. The day commemorates the birth of Melville Dewey, the inventor of the Dewey Decimal System of library classification.

The system, first published in 1876, organizes library materials by fields. There are 10 main fields that are further divided into smaller, more specialized area. Libraries around to the world use the system to organize and classify their books.

In addition to creating this ingenious system of organization, Melville Dewey was also a big proponent of the metric system. He was the founder of the American Metric Bureau.

How to Celebrate?

• Learn more about the Dewey Decimal System.
• Visit a library and talk to a librarian about how they keep track of all the books in the building.

Did You Know…

…that only 3 countries in the world do not use the metric system today? These are the United States, Myanmar, and Liberia.

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Jane Addams Day

December 10 is Jane Addams Day, an unofficial holiday that celebrates the first American woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.

Created in 2007, the holiday is held annually on December 10 to commemorate the date in 1931 when Addams was awarded the world's most prestigious award for those who work to spread peace and prosperity in the world and their communities - the Nobel Peace Prize.

Five Prizes

The award is one of the five prizes instituted by the Swedish inventor, Alfred Nobel and is given out annually in Oslo, Norway. Addams shared her prize with Nicholas Murray Butler.

Feminist and Peace Activist

Born in 1860, Jane Addams was a social worker, a feminist, and a peace activist. She was committed to improving the lives of women and children and to improving conditions of underprivileged communities in Chicago. In 1889, she co-founded the Hull House in Chicago, a settlement house that encouraged educated women to work for social reform in working class neighborhoods in the city. Addams was also a feminist and believed that women had the right to vote and make themselves heard both in politics and in society.

Founder of Social Work

In addition to her prolific social work, Jane Addams was also involved in the creation of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). She is also known as the founder of social work in the United States.

How to Celebrate?

• Women like Jane Addams made it possible for women in the United States to have the political, economic and social opportunities they have today. So, spend this day reading about the history of women's rights in the U.S.
• If you have children and kids in your life, tell them about the work of Jane Addams. The Jane Addams Peace Association gives out annual awards to children's books that promote the cause of peace, equality and social justice.
• Even though Jane Addams worked hard to ensure social change, peace and equality, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done. Celebrate the life and work of an inspiring woman by volunteering your time and money to a social justice charity.
• Remember, you don't have to be in the United States to honor Jane Addams. Her ideals of equality, peace and justice are relevant to all times, ages and places.

Did You Know...

...that Jane Addams was only the second woman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize? The first woman was peace activist Baroness Bertha Sophie Felicita von Suttner.

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Official Lost and Found Day

The second Friday of December is celebrated every year as Official Lost and Found Day.

Losing things is part of life and if what we have lost is not very important, most people tend to stop looking for it after trying for a while. In fact, lost and found offices all around the world are full of things that people lost and have forgotten about.

Celebrated first in 2012, Official Lost and Found Day is an unofficial holiday that reminds people to not give up on the things they have lost and to increase their efforts to find them.

How to Celebrate?

• If you have lost something or if you forgot an item somewhere, make an effort to track it down. If it is a personal object, chances are that someone is holding it for the owner to claim it.
• Though not technically lost, items sold at thrift stores and flea markets are certainly forgotten. Take this day to visit your local thrift store and find something that will be loved in your home.
• If you are prone to losing things, perhaps today is the day to figure out a way to make sure you don't lose things frequently. Some ideas include putting a name tag and contact information on your belongings and creating a process to check if you have all your things with you when leaving the home, getting off public transport and leaving any public area.

Did You Know...

...that the lost and found system in Japan today dates back to a code written in 718?

 

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Traveling through the Midwest, I stopped at an Ohio welcome center to pick up a state map. I found plenty of brochures but no maps. Then I spotted two employees and asked whether they had any.

“Sure,” said the first guy. “I’ll get you one.”

As he walked to the back, the second guy explained, “We keep them in the storage room. If we leave them out on the counter, people just come in and take them.”

 

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“Has your diet changed?” 
I asked an 87-year-old woman I was admitting into the hospital.

“Yes,” she said. “For Lent, I gave 
up whipped cream on my Jell-O, hard candy, and my two beers a night. [Pause] And look where it’s gotten me.”

 

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A child psychologist had twin boys—one was an optimist; the other, a pessimist. Just to see what would happen, on Christmas Day he loaded the pessimist’s room with toys and games. In the optimist’s room, he dumped a pile of horse droppings.

That night, the father found the pessimist surrounded by his gifts, crying. “What’s wrong?” the father asked.

“I have a ton of game manuals to read … I need batteries … and my toys will all eventually get broken!” sobbed the pessimist.

Passing the optimist’s room, the father found him dancing for joy around the pile of manure. “Why are you so happy?” he asked.

The optimist shouted, “There’s got to be a pony in here somewhere!”

 

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sandrewn