Sneak some Zucchini onto Your Neighbor's Porch Night! On August 8th, participate in clandestine summer squash gifting. [more inside]
posted by sarahnade on Aug 7, 2009 - 41 comments

"This day may be celebrated in a variety of ways. Pause and give thought to the role that the number pi has played in your life. Imagine a world without pi. Attempt to memorise pi to as many decimal places as you can. If you're feeling creative, devise alternative values for pi. Go to a party (I will). Or just celebrate in the time-honoured fashion of ignoring Pi Approximation Day altogether."

Happy Pi Approximation Day. [more inside]
posted by swift on Jul 23, 2009 - 55 comments

National Fist Bump Day Introducing America's newest holiday: National Fist Bump Day. [more inside]
posted by Cochise on May 27, 2009 - 43 comments

"Wookiees and Bea Arthur? Luke Skywalker and Harvey Korman? Singing and dancing and storm troopers? If George Lucas had his way, no one would remember, but yes, Virginia, there was a Star Wars Holiday Special."

Indeed there was (Google video). [Holiday Special previously on metafilter: 1, 2] Bonus Star Wars audition footage below the fold. [more inside]
posted by dersins on Apr 29, 2009 - 53 comments

April 1 is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 274 days remaining until the end of the year. April 1 is most notable in the Western world for being April Fools' Day. [more inside]
posted by jbickers on Mar 31, 2009 - 42 comments

Looking for a reason to celebrate today, or just a reason to skip out on your obligations? You could look through Religious seasonal days of celebration and holy days , check if today is covered by Holiday for Every Day yet, or keep things simple and rely on a Calendar of the Saints like the Catholic feast days or Greek Saints Days from the Orthodox Ministry Access Calendar. If you like to be more traditional, you could go with the Medievalist's On-line Calendar of Saints, which only lists people recognized as saints in the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Or, if you feel lucky, check for special Google logos (designed by Dennis Hwang). For instance, today is the first day of Spring, and the 40th anniversary of The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
posted by filthy light thief on Mar 20, 2009 - 6 comments

Holi - The Festival of Colors on the Big Picture. More about Holi. What else can you do on Holi? [pre vious ly]
posted by not_on_display on Mar 13, 2009 - 19 comments

What's the worst part about the holidays? The consumerism? The awkward office parties? Belligerent relatives and needy offspring? No, its holiday music, especially those involving former heroes [NSFOP]. This year, give the gift of non-suckage.
posted by MiltonRandKalman on Dec 11, 2008 - 50 comments

Why give someone the gift of song when you can give them multiple songs... all at once! Metafilter originally introduced me to mashups with the Santastic collection of holiday mashups and Bootie's annual 'Best of' compilation. Now it just doesn't feel like the holidays without songs like "You Shook Me All Noel" blasting from my car stereo.
posted by BartFargo on Dec 9, 2008 - 11 comments

Bodhi Day, also known as Rohatsu, celebrates the day when Buddha was enlightened under the bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya (video, annotated photo gallery). How do we celebrate Bodhi Day? Typically, Rohatsu is the last day of a weeklong sesshin (intensive meditation retreat). Better not sleep late, the bell rings at 3:50 am! One person's experience of sesshin. A lesson in mindfulness for Rohatsu, including tips for beginners. Bodhi Day is primarily a Zen tradition. Tibetan buddhists celebrate Buddha's enlightenment in May with the festival of Saga Dawa. Other Buddhist holidays.
posted by desjardins on Dec 8, 2008 - 11 comments

It's a geek Thanksgiving! On Here & Now, Instructables' Christy Canida shares tools for organizing Thanksgiving dinner - Gantt chart, purchasing calculator, kitchen workstation for workflow management, stastical analysis of turkey cooking, and more. You'll also find results of their Take Thanksgiving to the Next Level contest, like the giant fractal pecan pie, the 20-sided pie-cosahedron, and the recirculating gravy fountain.
posted by Miko on Nov 24, 2008 - 29 comments

The collapse of holiday firm XL has prompted the largest airlift in British history as emergency flights were put in place to bring 22,000 very angry people home. Even Bruce Dickinson has been helping out. [more inside]
posted by chuckdarwin on Sep 15, 2008 - 31 comments

May Day celebrations of yesteryear. [more inside]
posted by Marie Mon Dieu on May 1, 2008 - 22 comments

I know a man who once went to Sioux City, not one of the world’s leading destinations, precisely because he had never been there before. More than a decade later he still talks about the experience, from the Sergeant Floyd obelisk to the dog track of North Sioux and the meat packing plant converted to a shopping mall. The same impulse explains a non-specialist’s reading a history of Byzantine iconography or a survey of Australian wildlife. Both offer a break in daily life and an enlargement of our sense of wonder and possibility. That awareness can provide a sense of transcendence, and connection, or even the spark of divine discontent that leads people to change their lives.

Reading as Vacation, an essay by J. D. Smith and Subway Reader, pictures of people who read while using public transportation.
posted by Kattullus on Apr 6, 2008 - 17 comments

In a coincidence that happens less than once in a millennium, over half the world is celebrating a holiday. It is Good Friday; the Jewish festival of Purim, where getting drunk is often an obligation; the Persian new year of Narouz; Eid Milad an Nabi which the birth of the Prophet celebrated by some Sunnis; and Small Holi for Hindus, among many others. [more inside]
posted by blahblahblah on Mar 21, 2008 - 34 comments

What do we call the period of cleaning that we carry out in the spring? That's right, Discardia! This five-year-old holiday started yesterday and lasts till April 5th. Via Lifehacker, who open the festivities with 10 ways to declutter your digital life.
posted by tomcooke on Mar 20, 2008 - 36 comments

Time to kill while waiting for Santa to arrive/dinner to digest/family to leave? Well, here's a Very Special Holiday Episode fpp just for you. God bless us, every one. [more inside]
posted by miss lynnster on Dec 24, 2007 - 49 comments

Send messages to friends with fun, bureaucratic fill-in forms! Bureau of Communication has funny faux-bureaucratic forms that you can send to your friends. Whether you need to communicate a problem, send an invitation to an event, or simply apologize for a transgression, our easy-to-use forms will ensure that your message is clearly conveyed.
posted by lsemel on Dec 21, 2007 - 30 comments

It has now been several years since Jacquie Lawson, an English artist living in the picturesque village of Lurgashall in Southern England, created an animated Christmas card in 2000. The e-card, featuring her dog, Chudleigh, her cats, and her 15th-century cottage, was sent to a few friends for their amusement. Those friends sent the e-card to others, and within weeks Jacquie was inundated with requests from all over the world to design more e-cards. [more inside]
posted by nickyskye on Dec 20, 2007 - 29 comments

The Prepaid Healthcare Visa® Gift Card, for that special someone without insurance on your holiday list. Rejoice! Terry Gilliam's dystopian future is now! [via]
posted by blendor on Dec 19, 2007 - 146 comments

If you're looking for a good prank this holiday season, why not have someone living in Europe send cryptic, bizarre postcards to your friends. Bidding has commenced.
posted by zardoz on Dec 18, 2007 - 29 comments

tacky christmas yards dot com is exactly what it sounds like. [via]
posted by dersins on Dec 18, 2007 - 45 comments

An FPP for your holiday listening pleasure. Ha ha ha. [more inside]
posted by miss lynnster on Dec 18, 2007 - 15 comments

30 Years of LucasFilm Christmas Cards (I triple-dog dare ya!)
posted by ColdChef on Dec 15, 2007 - 18 comments

Santastic I, II, and now III, holiday mash-ups, alternate treatments and bootleg remixes.
Previously
posted by Mwongozi on Dec 5, 2007 - 10 comments

Park your carcass in front of the TV for the next six weeks. Here is the upcoming broadcast schedule for every show that has even the tiniest connection to The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.
posted by Kibbutz on Nov 21, 2007 - 31 comments

Last Wednesday, residents of the Ulyanovsk province of Russia took the day off work in celebration of their newest holiday, Sex Day.
posted by Afroblanco on Sep 18, 2007 - 42 comments

Blog Against Theocracy --a blogswarm dedicated to the separation of church and state, ... Easter Weekend, April 6-8, 2007. Also see the non-profit joint venture between The Interfaith Alliance Foundation and Americans United for Separation of Church and State, First Freedom First.
posted by amberglow on Apr 6, 2007 - 51 comments

Today is National Gorilla Suit Day. That is all.
posted by jazon on Jan 31, 2007 - 18 comments

Sometimes You Have to Work on Christmas - a Harvey Danger song for all those who keep the wheels turning. (YouTube alert)
posted by madamjujujive on Dec 24, 2006 - 22 comments

It's all about the tree. (YouTube)
posted by exlotuseater on Dec 16, 2006 - 26 comments

Santa'd: Flickr's new holiday Easter egg.
posted by brundlefly on Dec 13, 2006 - 36 comments

Avoid office party lawsuits: buy insurance and distribute the rules in advance; don't let them drink; no flirting; bring a recording device; no religious stuff; don't dance with staff members.

Have a safe holiday.
posted by Meatbomb on Dec 4, 2006 - 28 comments

Jessica Simpson's latest single (YouTube link) came on as I was flicking around the teevee, and I was immediately struck by how much it sounded like 'Holiday' by Madonna. Stealing from yourself is one thing, but admitting to stealing from someone else is quite another. Isn't it?
posted by jimmythefish on Aug 16, 2006 - 101 comments

Is Cinco De Mayo For Sale By the Alcohol Industry? In the 1960s, Chicano activists in Colorado promoted a boycott of Coors beer in response to employment discrimination against Latinos at Coors breweries. Coors had two problems. They had to fix their image with Latino consumers, and they had to figure out some way to get college students to drink more beer in May. The solution: start sponsoring Cinco de Mayo! Thus, even though Mexicans in Mexico celebrate their independence day on September 15th and 16th, Mexican-Americans are more likely to celebrate the May 5th anniversary of the Battle of the Puebla, which is not even commemorated with a national holiday in Mexico. In fact, the Battle of the Puebla was a skirmish in the Pastry War, a French intervention in Mexico that began because a French chef demanded several thousand pesos to compensate him for Mexican military officers looting his pastry supply.
posted by jonp72 on May 5, 2006 - 44 comments

Mission Accomplished? Then why is there even more outrage? Last year, celebration and theatre dominated the day.. This year it's different. This is also the 120th anniversary of the Haymarket Riots resulting in four anarchists being hanged. Interestingly enough, the riots happened because of workers rights being unfair. Is this a case of history repeating itself?
posted by wheelieman on May 1, 2006 - 8 comments

Some badass eggs for this easter done in the Ukranian style called pysanky. More from last year and the year before. [via mefi projects]
posted by mathowie on Apr 16, 2006 - 9 comments

Celebrate the most underappreciated holiday of the year! February 1st is St. Brigid's Day or Imbolc or Candlemas. St. Brigid of Ireland, the woman who some make a good case that she should be the Patron Saint of Ireland before Patrick. Others say she was the pre-Christian fertility or fire goddess of the Celts and that the Catholic Church co-opted her day as they did with many pagan pre-Christian holidays. Whether one celebrates Candlemas as a Catholic holy day or as a one of the Pagan cross-quarter days, it is also the Festival of Lights. Regardless, I have loved February 1st and 2nd since college as Groundhog Day is the most whimsical holiday of the year, thankfully it does not have a 2 month retail buying season building up to it. Tomorrow, I shall take a photo to Puxsutawney Phil to St. Brigid's Well in Kildare to celebrate properly.
posted by msjen on Feb 1, 2006 - 11 comments

Of all the Christmas cards I received this year from political action committees, this one from the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep & Bear arms best summed up the holiday spirit to me.
posted by jonson on Dec 29, 2005 - 75 comments

A Wine For The Rest of Us...... Today is December 23, so have yourself a Merrry Little Festivus! It's too late to buy a Festivus Pole, but you can still send a card or take the quiz.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy on Dec 23, 2005 - 18 comments

Santastic: Holiday boots for your stockings. Mash-ups of decades of Christmas records just in time for the holidays. The quality varies throughout, but it makes for some fun manic listening if you've grown tired of the same perennial chestnuts. Merry Christmash to all, and to all a boot night.
posted by Robot Johnny on Dec 3, 2005 - 14 comments

Thanksgiving Dinner Buzzword Bingo helps make tonight's dinner with family a little more palatable. Print out cards for you and your other cool relative (spouse, sibling) and check off a box every time one of these situations happens. First to get 5 in a row wins. Remember to shout "Bingo!" at the table.
posted by FeldBum on Nov 24, 2005 - 12 comments

Today is "Talk Like a Pirate" Day. Yarr! Do yer part, landlubbers, by translating yer favorite webpage into pirate-speak. Yarr!
posted by starkeffect on Sep 19, 2005 - 96 comments

? , !, & @ .
posted by ?! on Aug 22, 2005 - 46 comments

Happy Paul Reubens (Pee-Wee Herman) Day • "PRD was created by the sex-positive group of redheaded friends, the Drunken Redheaded Sluts, as a hilarious way to denounce the 'bum rap' that self-gratification got Paul Reubens, while honoring the man’s erotic curiosity and zany character." The celebration will start with a pub crawl, followed by a Pornographic After-Party to benefit the The Center for Sex and Culture, and climax with a Midnight Mass with Peaches Christ (NSFW).
posted by dhoyt on Jul 23, 2005 - 15 comments

Happy Dingus Day! The little known day-after-Easter holiday originally celebrated in Poland involves men dumping water on women and women chasing men around with sticks or pussywillows.
posted by tsarfan on Mar 28, 2005 - 28 comments

Santa Santa Santa Santa It's Friday, it's Flash, it's Christmas Eve, so....
posted by SPrintF on Dec 24, 2004 - 17 comments

Tis the Season -- a new short story from China Mieville, just in time for the Holidays™ ... Don't get me wrong. I haven't got shares in YuleCo™, and I can't afford a one-day end-user licence, so I couldn't have a legal party. I'd briefly considered buying from one of the budget competitors like XmasTym, or a spinoff from a non-specialist like Coca-Crissmas, but the idea of doing it on the cheap was just depressing...
posted by amberglow on Dec 23, 2004 - 14 comments

Grey Holiday Puppet. Festive Friday Flash Fun
posted by Robot Johnny on Dec 17, 2004 - 6 comments

The War on Christmas. "What we are witnessing here are hate crimes against Christianity." Angered by perceived attacks on the Christ part of Christmas, Christians are taking a page from GWB and staging pre-emptive cultural strikes around the country. Or are they? Is this effort a bigger attack against Judaism and the rest of the nonbelievers/scapegoats, an honest attempt by Christians to "save" the holiday, or a media-manufactured controversy? (Air out your holiday spirit, but save your own personal grievances for December 23.)
posted by mrgrimm on Dec 16, 2004 - 212 comments