May 25, 2016 – NATIONAL WINE DAY – NATIONAL TAP DANCE DAY – NATIONAL BROWN BAG IT DAY – NATIONAL MISSING CHILDREN’S DAY – NATIONAL SENIOR HEALTH & FITNESS DAY

                                    

Pour a glass of your favorite wine on May 25 to participate in National Wine Day.  Celebrated each year, it has a sister holiday in February, National Drink Wine Day.

Made from fermented grapes or other fruits, wine is an alcoholic beverage.  During the fermentation processes, yeast consumes the sugars in the grapes converting it into alcohol.  Different grapes produce different wines.  Winemakers will combine different wines to produce more complex flavors.  Wines made from fruit or honey are often named according to the variety of fruit used.
HOW TO OBSERVE
Use #NationalWineDay to post on social media.
HISTORY
Our research was unable to find the origin of National Wine Day.

National Tap Dance Day May 25

NATIONAL TAP DANCE DAY

National Tap Dance Day is observed each year on May 25.  This day is a celebration of tap dancing as an American art form.  
A percussive dance dating back to the early 1800s developed primarily from African and Irish influences.
Incorporating complex rhythmic step combinations performers often expressed enormous amounts of character through sound and bodily movement. From clogging to buck and wing styles, soft-shoe to the sand step and a little bit of jazz, tap dancing evolved from a stiff Irish jig to the bodily Cakewalk and vocal Ring-shout.
The popular Shim Sham of the vaudeville era became a line dance in the 1980s.
HOW TO OBSERVE
Use #NationalTapDanceDay to post on social media.
HISTORY
The brainchild of Carol Vaughn, Nicola Daval and Linda Christensen, National Tap Dance Day was first presented to U.S. Congress on February 7, 1989, and was signed into American Law by President George. H.W. Bush on November 8, 1989.  The one-time official observance was on May 25, 1989.   May 25 is the birthday of Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, a significant contributor to tap dance born in 1878.  National Tap Dance Day has continued to be celebrated each year on May 25.

National Brown Bag-It Day May 25

NATIONAL BROWN-BAG-IT DAY

National Brown-Bag-It-Day is observed each year on May 25.  Taking your lunch to work or school is an effective way to save money and to ensure you and your family are eating healthy.
If a refrigerator is available, there are more options.  Yogurt, salads, cottage cheese and leftovers can all be stored until lunch time.  Insulated lunchboxes with an icepack are also an option when a refrigerator is not available.  When neither is an option, there are still many health choices such as peanut butter, fresh fruits and vegetables, and protein bars. A thermos is also a good source for taking warm food with you for your lunch.
HOW TO OBSERVE
Use #Brown-Bag-ItDay to post on social media.
HISTORY
Within our research, we were unable to find the creator origin of National Brown-Bag-Lunch Day.

National Missing Children’s Day May 25

NATIONAL MISSING CHILDREN’S DAY

Observed annually, National Missing Children’s Day has been commemorated each year on May 25th since 1983, when it was first proclaimed by President Ronald Reagan.
There was a series of high-profile missing children cases that made national headlines in the several years following the establishment of National Missing Children’s day.
Six-year-old Etan Patz disappeared from his New York City home on his way from the bus to school on May 25, 1979. May 25, the date of Etan’s disappearance, was designated as National Missing Children’s Day.  During the time of his disappearance, cases of missing children rarely gained national media attention. However, Etan’s case quickly received much coverage. Etan’s father, who was a professional photographer, distributed black-and-white photographs of his son in an effort to find him.  The result was a massive search and media attention that focused the public’s attention on the problem of child abductions and the lack of plans to address them.
For more information, visit the National Day Calendar page for National Missing Children’s Day.

National Senior Health & Fitness Day Last Wednesday in May

NATIONAL SENIOR HEALTH & FITNESS DAY

Put on your sneakers.  The last Wednesday in May is Senior Health & Fitness Day.  Approximately 100,000 senior adults will participate in activities across the United States to participate in National Senior Health & Fitness Day.
Many organizations offer special events on National Senior Health & Fitness Day:

• Banks
• Health Clubs
• Area Agencies on Aging
• Houses of Worship
• Hospitals
• Malls/Shopping Centers
• Park & Recreation Departments
• Retirement Committee’s
• Senior Centers
• State/Local/Aging Departments

For more information, visit the National Day Calendar page for National Senior Health & Fitness Day.