So, to extend the post-celebratory air just a bit longer, here are some interesting holiday tidbits I found. Some of them will inspire you to buy more noisemakers, and some will just make you wonder who has the time to come up with random days in the first place.
First, according to one holiday-themed Web site, January is national hobby, hot tea and oatmeal month. OK. The most famous (and infamous for some party people) celebratory day is New Year's Eve, which is already over but no doubt still ringing in the heads of overzealous Auld-Lang-Syner's this morning.
There are also a few slightly negligible days resulting from either a really obscure club petitioning Congress or someone staking a baseless claim on a day in January like they're the Neil Armstrong of cyberspace. Take "Festival of Sleep Day" on Jan. 3, which is supposed to help holiday partiers catch up on much-needed sleep that wasn't available from Thanksgiving to the new year. Uh, random. This year it falls on a Saturday, which is convenient, but what about years to come? I doubt my boss would agree that "Sleep Day" is worthy of paid leave.
There are also National Pie Day (Jan. 23), Compliment Day (Jan. 24), and Squirrel Appreciation Day (Jan. 21). Squirrel Day is actually legit: The founder is a wildlife rehabilitator. (Nutty.)
In Anchorage, nightlifers are lucky to have local events spicing up the January scene, especially the upcoming Freeze festival, which will beat the drums about all things below zero. The month-plus-long project celebrating the spirit of the north will include ice sculptures, an '80s prom, films, lectures and more. Find details at www.freezeproject.org.
This month also brings back an event near and dear to all Alaska hearts: the Great Alaska Beer and Barleywine Festival, Jan. 16-17. I still say they should move it to a larger venue so you don't have to wait in line for an hour to try the new Celestial Meads concoction and listen to some guy wearing a pea coat brag about how he can tell the difference between peach and apple lambic. But for now, the event continues to take place at the Egan Center. Visit www.auroraproductions.net/beer-barley.html for more information.
My favorite holiday this month? Easy. Celebrating Barack Obama's inauguration on Jan. 20. For me, that is worth a day off and a round of drinks for friends. Regardless of your political leanings, living in a country where freedom is valued, fought for and honored is something worth commemorating -- with a nice red, white and blue cocktail, if you're so inclined.
For more holiday fun, visit www.holidayinsights.com.
• Find nightlife columnist Jessica Bowman at adn.com/contact/jbowman or visit Play's Lush Life blog at play.adn.com/lushlife.
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