Jacqueline Vance, RNC, CDONA/LTC

National Hug Day or National Hugging Day (officially recognized by the United States Copyright Office) occurs yearly on January 21. If you’re reading this and didn’t dispense with at least a few extra hugs on Saturday, you have permission to catch up any time this week.

The purpose of National Hug Day is to help everyone show more emotion in public. There is only one way you are supposed to celebrate the holiday: Offer a hug to anyone and everyone you want. (By the way, I am writing this on National Popcorn Day!)

There are a lot of odd and obscure holidays in 2017.  Bet you didn’t know that today is National Beer Can Appreciation Day. I am honestly not too sure how you appreciate a beer can, unless while emptying it?

Here are some others you might want to put on your calendar:

Feb. 18 — National Battery Day (huh?)

March 20 — National Alien Abductions Day

April 15 — National That Sucks Day (This one makes sense.)

May 14 — National Chicken Dance Day

July 17 — National Ice Cream Day (One I can get behind)

Aug. 26 — National Dog Day (Another one I can support)

Sept. 19 — International Talk Like a Pirate Day (One of my favorites: “Aye! like it!”)

Oct. 12 — International Moment of Frustration Day (This happens almost every day. Sigh.)

Nov. 19 — Have a Bad Day Day (Hmmm, celebrate a bad day?)

Dec. 31 — Make Up Your Mind Day (Maybe started by the jewelers association?!)

However, with all these obscure holidays, there is no “National Appreciate a Nurse Day.”  Nursing Home Week and Nurses’ Week do not count. I want a day to put on my tiara and not feel weird about it! (Don’t ask.)

While National Hug Day is not a public holiday, in my opinion, it should be. Otherwise, when you run up to a stranger to hug him or her, you might wind up in the hospital.

I suppose you could always hug your nurse! I guess we could make that “National Went to Hug a Stranger, Got Beat Up and Then Appreciated My Nurse Day.” (Can I put on my tiara now?)

Just keeping real (weird),

Nurse Jackie

The Real Nurse Jackie is written by Jacqueline Vance, RNC, CDONA/LTC, an APEX Award of Excellence winner for Blog Writing. Vance is a real life long-term care nurse. A nationally respected nurse educator and past national LTC Nurse Administrator of the Year, she also is an accomplished stand-up comedienne. She has not starred in her own national television series — yet. The opinions supplied here are her own and do not necessarily reflect those of her employer or her professional affiliates.