MDBCs 01 Mar 2023

According to the official website of the unofficial holiday, Poortvliet created the day as a way to spread happiness and increase productivity. The website encourages people to use words instead of gifts as a way to praise and appreciate people. The idea is to create the “most positive day in the world.”

How to Celebrate?

Pay compliments to everyone you meet.
Appreciate family, coworkers, and friends for their hard work and for being there in your life.

Did You Know...

...there is a similar holiday, Compliment Day that is annually celebrated on January 24?

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Plan a Solo Vacation Day

Need a vacation and don’t have a traveling companion? Then March 1 or Plan a Solo Vacation Day is the unofficial holiday for you.

On this day treat yourself to that vacation you have always wanted, without having to wait for someone to join you on your adventures.

Advantages

Planning a solo vacation can be intimidating and overwhelming. But traveling alone can have many advantages. Informal studies have shown that those who travel by themselves tend to be more spontaneous and adventurous. Facing unknown situations in new and strange places can help people overcome their fears and anxieties.

Friendlier

Those who travel solo are forced to interact with locals and fellow travelers, instead of just hanging out with a small group of people. This translates into social benefits in real life - solo travelers can easily mold themselves to fit into any social group and situation.

Do Whatever You Want

Finally, taking a solo vacation means you can be your own master. You don't have to stick to a plan or follow someone else's lead - you can go wherever you want, whenever you want, and do whatever you want to do. No more boring museums or spending countless hours shopping.

How to Celebrate?

Go on, plan your dream holiday all for yourself! You don’t need a traveling partner to have fun!
Don't want to travel? What about a solo staycation? Stay at home, explore your city, catch up on your reading, meet with friends and enjoy your time off from work.

Did You Know…

…that the earliest guidebooks were called periplus? They were Roman and Greek documents that listed ports and landmarks that ships could encounter on their voyages.

***

I had just had my 50th birthday and found the decade marker traumatic. When I went to get my driver's license renewed, a matter-of-fact woman typed out the information, tested my vision, snapped the camera and handed me a laminated card with my picture on it.

"You mean I have to look at this for the next four years?" I jokingly said to her.

"Don't worry about it," she replied. "In four years it'll look good to you."

***

I am a first-grade teacher and a new empty nester. One night I was trying out an art project: making a person with simple materials. I took a coat hanger, attached a paper-plate face, put a shirt on the hanger and stuffed it. Then I sat it on the couch to see how it looked.

Later that evening my son walked in the door, home for a surprise visit. Taking one look at my coat-hanger friend sitting on the couch, he said, "Mom, it's not that bad, is it?"

***

At 82 years old, my husband applied for his first passport. He was told he would need a birth certificate, but his birth had never been officially registered. When he explained his dilemma to the passport agent, the response was less than helpful.

"In lieu of a birth certificate," the agent said, "you can bring a notarized affidavit from the doctor who delivered you."

***

My friend Garrick had the solution to forgetting his wife’s birthday and their wedding anniversary:

He opened an account with a local florist and provided it with both dates as well as instructions to send flowers and a card signed “Your loving husband, Garrick.”

For a few years, it worked.

Then one day, Garrick came home on their wedding anniversary. He saw the flowers on the dining room table and said,