Origami Day - November 11

Do you also have the childhood memories of making small paper boats that sail on puddles, creating a hat to wear on your head or a paper airplane flying home from the living room to the kitchen and back? This nice childhood hobby is called origami and is part of a whole art where amazing things are made from paper folds.

Origami, the famous Japanese art of folding paper, began to develop in the 1600s (or earlier) and became popular around the world in the mid-twentieth century. Origami traditionally does not involve any cutting or gluing, it is simply folds that create a variety of shapes, simple and complex. The art of cutting paper is called Kirigami.

Although there are only a few basic origami folds, they can be combined to create lots of things, like birds and flowers, dragons and dinosaurs, elephants, castles, steamers and even spaceships! Papers can be combined in different colors to make the origami creation colorful and rich.

The origin of the name "origami" is from the Japanese phrase "uri", folding 折 り and "gami", a piece of paper 紙.

Origami began in Japanese and Chinese culture, as part of various rituals in the Shinto religion common in Japan. From there it spread to the whole world and became part of the leisure culture.

In Japanese culture paper symbolizes purity. In the Shinto religion, people especially like to fold crane-shaped paper. The crane symbolizes health, success and fulfillment of wishes. Folding 1000 cranes allows fulfillment of a wish.

In 1955, Sadako Sasaki, a 12-year-old girl from Hiroshima who survived the U.S.-led atomic bombing of World War II, contracted leukemia and decided to fold 1,000 cranes to fulfill a wish for world peace. Of peace movements around the world.

Origami crane

Over the years, origami began to be used not only in art but also in other fields.

At the end of the 20th century origami also began to be used in the fields of science, technology and mathematics. The complexity of the paper folds allowed for the learning and development of various technological and nanotechnological models.

Origami is used as a tool for occupational therapy in psychiatric hospitals, special education and as a tool for the rehabilitation of fine motor skills among accident victims, because it combines planning and thinking and gentle work with the hands.

How to celebrate Origami Day?

There are lots of origami projects that you can see and learn how to make them, for example on the Origami Club website where there are animations and charts of traditional paper folds.

If you already know or have just learned how to make origami, today is the time to upload your creations to the social network so that everyone can enjoy the delicate beauty of this art!

Japan Origami Museum, Narita Airport, Tokyo

Want to learn how to make paper rings? Link to tutorial 

November 11 is also Singles' Day  and Veterans Day

Happy Birthday to the MoMA Museum in New York- November 7

On November 7, 1929, one of the world's best art museums, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), was opened for the first time.

The MoMA Museum is located in the Midtown area of ​​Manhattan's New York City, at 11 West 53 Street.

The museum opened with the initiative and support of Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, a philanthropist and a member of the wealthy Rockefeller family from New York. The museum was designed by modernist architect Edward Dorel Stone. On May 21, 2002, the museum was closed for extensive renovations and reopened on November 20, 2004 in a new building designed by Japanese architect Yoshio Taniguchi.

If you visit New York, the MoMA Museum is one of the places to visit, and rightly so. You will find, among other things, the best and most famous works in the world, such as: Vincent Van Gogh's "Starry Night", Pablo Picasso's "The Disappearance of Avignon", "The Continuity of Memory" by Salvador Dali, "Broadway Boogie Wogi" by Pete Mondrian, Claude Monet's "The Water Lilies," "The Dance" by Henri Matisse, Paul Cezanne's "Laundromat", Frida Kahlo's "Self-Portrait," Andy Warhol's "Mercy Campbell," Henri Rousseau's Sleeping Gypsy, Lovers "of Renee Magritte.  

In the museum there are permanent exhibitions of the most highly regarded American artists: Jackson Pollock, Jasper Jones, Edward Hopper, Ross Blackner, Andy Warhol, Chuck Coles, Ralph Basque, Raphael Olavinsky, Edward Avdisian and others.   

The museum also has an extensive collection of photographs and a beautiful sculpture garden. 

Link to MoMA Museum

Starry Night- Vincent Van Goch 1889- MoMA Museum New York

November 7 is also Bittersweet Chocolate With Almonds Day

Museum Day- May 18

Museum Day is a day where you should soak up culture and art and visit any museum, no matter which one.

This day has been declared by the International Council of Museums as a day dedicated entirely to museums, on May 18 each year.

Each year, the council dedicates a particular theme to Museum Day, and many museums around the world hold special days on the subject. More than 30,000 museums around the world participate in Museum Day, a day founded in 1977.

May 18 is also Visit Your Relatives Day and No Dirty Dishes Day

Opera Day - February 8

The opera has attracted a large audience since the sixteenth century until today, with new fans being added to it every day.

The opera started in Italy and is a work of art that combines music with text, and is often a dramatic imitation of a story, a complete performance of a play with scenery and costumes.

The best day to celebrate your passion for opera is Opera Day which falls today. If you have not yet developed a passion for opera, Opera Day is the perfect day to start. The best way to celebrate Opera Day is to experience the opera for yourself.

On the Israeli Opera website you can find the opera performances that take place today or in the near future and order tickets to experience this special and powerful experience.

You can also watch operas on Youtube or listen to music channels that broadcast operas on the radio.

Classical operas that you can get excited about are for example Giocino Rossini's "The Book from Seville" (you must have heard the song "Figaro"), Bizet's "Carmen", Giacomo Puccini's "Madame Butterfly", "La Bohème" by Puccini, Vardi's "La Travita" and more.

If you have a good voice, you can try singing an opera yourself or sign up for opera singing classes.

Sydney Opera House at night, one of the most famous opera halls in the world

A picture from the modern opera musical "Phantom of the Opera" by Andrew Lloyd Weber, from 1986

February 8 is also a Laugh and Get Rich day and also Hollywood Walk of Fame Day 

Magic Day - October 31st

October 31 is Magic Day, a day that commemorates the life and time of one of the most famous magicians in the world - Harry Houdini.

Harry Houdini is best known for his escape stunts. He died on this date in 1926 and the unofficial holiday was created a year after his death, as "Houdini Day". Years later, the American Magicians' Association turned this day into a "magic day" in his memory, and it organizes a national magic week every year from October 25 to 31.

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Harry Houdini is probably one of the reasons why magic is so popular nowadays, and at the time of his death he was the most famous member of the American Wizarding Society.

Houdini was born Erich Weiss in 1874 in Budapest, Hungary, to a Jewish family. His family immigrated to the United States when he was 4. When he grew up he changed his name to "Harry", a name similar to his Hungarian name but with an American sound. He died at 13:26 on October 31, 1926.

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Houdini is best known for his art of escape, which included escaping from chains, ropes, handcuffs and crazy suits, often hanging upside down or locked in a container full of water.

In addition to being an escape artist, Houdini was also a silent film actor and an avid aviation enthusiast.

Houdini died on October 31, 1926, from an infection in their appendix. Two weeks before his death he received several punches from a boxing student in an exercise designed to show the strength of his abdomen, but apparently he received the blows when he was not ready for them. It is assumed that it was not the beatings that killed him, but the inflammation in the appendix that he did not treat because he thought the abdominal pain was from the beatings and that everything was fine.

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Magic Day events

On Magic Day, trainee and professional magicians celebrate the day by organizing magic show events.

How to celebrate Magic Day?

Learn some tricks and spells and entertain your family and friends.

Read about the science and art behind magic tricks.

Go watch a magic show.

Watch the 1953 film Houdini, starring Tony Curtis, or the 2007 film Charming Harry, starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Guy Pierce.

October 31st is also Halloween

Balloons Around the World Day- The first Wednesday in October

Today is an informal holiday, created by Jeff Brown of Alaska in 2000. The holiday is designed to encourage people to use balloons and the art of balloon folding to make people around them smile. Balloon artists all over the world are invited on this day to distribute designed balloons to passers-by, employees who serve the public and children.

The balloons are a kind of inflatable bags made of rubber or latex that can be filled with air or helium gas. They are usually colored and come in the form of a circle or a long tube that can be folded.

In the distant past, in pre-Columbus America and ancient China, balloons were made from animal blisters. 

The first rubber balloons were invented in 1824. Professor Michael Faraday used them for his experiments at the Royal Institute in London. He used them to contain gases he had experimented with, especially hydrogen.

In 1847 the modern rubber resin balloon was invented as it is sold today by G.I. Jay Ingram in London. Mass production of the balloons began in 1930.

How to celebrate Balloons Around the World Day?

Have a party and use balloons for decoration.

Learn how to make balloons in the shape of animals, objects and symbols.

If you already know how to make balloon decorations, make some and give random people on the street see them smiling.

You can also take advantage of this special day for a balloon ride.

When is Balloon Day around the world coming up in the coming years?

2021- October 6th

2022- October 5th

2023- October 4th

2024- October 2nd

2025- October 1st

Champagne Balloon Garland Arch Kit (link)

International Strange Music Day - August 24

International Strange Music Day was created by Patrick Grant, a musician from New York City in 1998. Its purpose is simple: to get people to play and listen to types of music they have never experienced before. The 'weird' part can also be unfamiliar - your choice entirely.

Patrick believes that expanding people's musical spectrums can also change the way they look at other aspects of life - his mantra is 'listening without prejudice'. The growing movement has concerts, a record company and strong support from summer schools, where it is valued as a great way to stimulate young minds. 

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Experiencing different types of music is beneficial to us in many ways. Listening to different types of music helps to broaden horizons. It also promotes seeing things from a different perspective.

Studies show that different genres of music affect the mind and body in different ways. For example, jazz is known to soothe the body. Pop music helps improve endurance. Metal music provides a stronger sense of identity. Of all the types of music, classical has the best effect. Classical music fights depression, ignites creative sparks, releases pain and trains the mind.

Apart from the well-known genres of music, there are other lesser-known types. There is music made by whistling, drumming on pots and pans, the sounds of roaring chickens or the sounds of creatures living in the depths of the sea. There is also music that is made by blowing a kazu (an American musical instrument that distorts the voice of the person playing it).

How to celebrate International Strange Music Day?

Today is the day to experiment with different styles of music that you have not yet tried. You can listen to music from other parts of the world, such as distant islands, the Far East, folk music from foreign countries and more. You can also try to play on strange and creative instruments and express yourself in person.

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Crayola Crayon Day - March 31

Today is the special day of Crayola Crayon (or oil pastel colors), the colors that come in so many shades, with a special scent of oil that just makes you want to paint!

Crayola Crayon Link

You can make lots of artwork with panda colors. The usual use for them is painting, but you can also make candles out of them, or melt them and create new and colorful shapes in molds, melt them and decorate bottles, jars and bulbs with them. You can even make lipgloss out of them!

Picture: Sun ornaments made from old panda paints and wax paper (link to preparation instructions)  

Panda lip gloss and coconut oil (link to preparation instructions) 

Candles from remnants of panda colors (Link)

Oil pastel colors were invented in Japan in the 19th century. They were composed of wax, chalk and pigment. After succeeding there they came to Europe, where they were first distributed by the Dutch company Talens, under the Western brand Panda (hence their name).

In the United States, the largest company that distributes panda paints is Criola, which was founded in 1885. Criola produces oil pastel paints as well as chalks, colored pencils, markers and more.

How to celebrate Crayola Crayon Colors Day?

Today is the day to rediscover the colors that shaped our childhood and discover our talent for painting and painting with panda colors.

Enjoy and do beautiful things!

March 31 is also Eiffel Tower Day and International Transgender Day of Visibility

Poet's Day - August 21

Poetry is a major and central part that illuminates our world with the passion and wonder that flow from the tip of the poets' pens.

Poetry exists in every culture. There is composed poetry that is sung, there is poetry that is read and there is poetry that is in a drawer, songs that are written and not shown to anyone.

Many of us have "sinned" or are "sinning" by writing songs that are not always famous. The songs sometimes express pain, fears, falling in love, excitement and what not.

Poetry is the art of writing a literary work, in which the aesthetic features of language are used in addition to or in its literal meaning.

In honor of Poet's Day, take a pen and a paper and write down what is on your mind. It can be anything from the sun that shines this morning in the garden, the stormy noise of the people on the city streets, the butterfly flight, broken heart, longing and missing.

If you have songs you have written and a talent for lyrics, maybe it's time to offer it to a composer who will submit it to one of your favorite singers or perform at a poetry evening where you will read your piece.

Edgar Allan Poe, American poet, lived 1809-1849

International Drag Day - July 16th

International Drag Day is an annual event that takes place on July 16th in order to celebrate and get to know the art of drag all over the world.

Drag is an expression in slang that means to wear something to express a certain idea. It is generally customary to use the term expression for entertainment artists whose style of dress, make-up and hair arrangement is of the opposite gender. A drag artist man who dresses and puts on make-up like a woman is called a drag queen and a drag artist woman who dresses and puts on make-up like a man is called a drag king. Some women are drag queens who dress, put on make-up and wear wigs so that they look like the male drag queens. Confused? Sorry. If you want to learn more about drag art, it is highly recommended to watch the reality show "Rupaul's Drag Race" on VH1 channel or Netflix.

Sometimes drag is linked to homosexuality, but not necessarily, there are drag queens who like to appear regardless of their sexual orientation (which can be heterosexual). Many male drag queens say that from a young age they watched their mother and coveted their clothes and makeup and received the message from the environment that it was forbidden and they should feel bad and ashamed of themselves, and when they discovered the drag world they felt they finally had the legitimacy to express themselves.

Rupaul's Drag Race

The drag queens played an important part in paving the way for LGBT recognition. They were involved in the Stonewall riots, which were a series of spontaneous violent demonstrations by members of the proud New York community against a police raid that took place in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, at a gay bar called Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, Manhattan. This event is considered a founding and most important event, which led to the gay liberation movement and the modern struggle for LGBT rights in the United States.

International Drag Day was founded by Adam Stewart in 2009 through his Drag Queen fan page on Facebook, with the main goal being to provide drag artists with the space to properly expose their creativity and culture.

Drag is a celebration of creativity, artistic gymnastics, humor and music and royalty and drag kings work very hard and in a very professional way to succeed and conquer the heart of the audience.

On July 16, 2017, BBC weather forecaster Evan Wayne Evans gave a prediction on the subject of drag queens and paid tribute to the Drag Queen and the TV show Rupol's Drag Race as a way to show support for the celebration.

In addition to the artistic performances, on this day there are discussions and talks about the rights and status of drag artists in different countries, the role of the drag community in the LGBT movement, feminism and other issues by sharing experiences from everyday life.

In Australia, the Stonewall Hotel was a major logistics partner for one of the editions and hosted a huge event to celebrate the day.

How to celebrate International Drag Day?

To celebrate Drag Day, you can dress up and put on make-up like a drag queen or king, go to a drag artists show and you can also do a Ropol drag race marathon, where drag queens compete for the title of "America's next drag star". The show has a lot of seasons and a lot of fans around the world and if you like, it also has a British version of "Rupaul's Drag Race UK" and spin-offs shows like "Rupaul's Allstars Drag Race" featuring popular competitors from previous seasons and "VIP Rupaul's Drag Race" where competitors from the race, makeover celebrities into drag queens.

Rupaul's  Drag Race Contestants, Season 12 ( VH1)