Here’s your excuse to hug a horse and eat more beef.
We all know about the three-day celebration that is Labor Day, but September is full of additional holidays you’ve probably never heard of. Some are nationally recognized, while others are not. This leads me to believe someone just made them up, told the others and that became widely accepted as the truth.
Here are some September holidays that may or may not be real and ways to observe them on the ranch.
September 6: National Read a Book Day
Reading this blog is a great start, but don’t stop there. Check out “The Virginian” by Owen Wister. It was published in 1902 and is considered the first Western novel. For something a little more modern, check out “Never Burn Your Moving Boxes,” published in 2023 and written by yours truly. It’s considered my first Western book.
September 9: National When Pigs Fly Day
To observe this holiday, we can think about all the things we’ll do “when pigs fly,” like take a vacation that doesn’t involve a bull sale or buy a feed truck that you don’t have to start with a screwdriver.
September 11: Patriot Day
I was a sophomore in high school the day the Twin Towers fell and America was attacked. News broadcasts were shown in every classroom for the remainder of the school day. We went to team roping practice at the local arena that evening because it was Tuesday. I warmed up my horse and glanced at the sky, wondering if more attacks were coming.
Never forget.
September 14: National Hug Your Hound Day
The only problem we have around this outfit is deciding which hound to hug. Last time I counted, we were into double digits. Heck, it’s a holiday — we’d better go ahead and hug them all. It might take a while, but my middle son hugs them all most days anyway, so he won’t mind.
September 15: National Double Cheeseburger Day
Do we need an excuse to eat beef? No. Will we be celebrating this holiday with a barbecue and two patties per person? Yes.
September 16: Working Parents Day
When you live on a ranch, this is every day. It’s nice to be recognized, but how should a person celebrate? Take the day off and let the livestock go hungry? Give yourself a card? We’ll probably grill steaks.
September 18: National Cheeseburger Day
If it’s another reason to eat beef, count us in. Right now, we’re working our way through the last quarter of a steer we fattened up and the kids named “Porkchop.” My first grader thinks pork is a red meat, since we sit down at the dinner table and my husband says, “Enjoy your Porkchop.”
September 22: National Family Day and American Business Women’s Day
This also feels like every day for a ranch wife. Do we take the day off and let the family go hungry? Do we make extra dessert, which means more work for us, but at least we can eat it? Do we simply say, “Thank you, Lord, for my wonderful family?” Because that also is an everyday occurrence.
September 21: (Ranch) Wife Appreciation Day.
Husbands, here’s how you can celebrate: Before coming into the house, knock the mud off your boots. You can also knock the hay off your shoulders. While you’re at it, go ahead and knock the dirt off your pants. Basically, knock it off and tell your wife you appreciate all she does.
September 26: Hug a Vegetarian Day
Be right back — rushing out to throw my arms around my horse’s neck. He’s my favorite vegetarian. If you don’t have a horse, feel free to celebrate by hugging a cow. Just don’t pick one with horns, a calf by her side and a strong maternal instinct.
September 27: National Public Lands Day
This is surely worth celebrating. Where else but America’s public lands can we chase cows, find deer sheds, join a hunting camp for dinner and re-gather an entire allotment because a hunter left the gate open? Sometimes, we cry when we celebrate, and that’s okay.
