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Story highlights
- Thomas Roy has created over 90 holidays, all of which he's trademarked.
- Roy's most popular celebration is Northern Hemisphere Hoodie-Hoo Day.
- Anyone can create a holiday by sending a form to Chase's Calendar of Events.
- Hallmark recently started commemorating Star Wars Day with e-cards.
It used to be that an event had to be truly momentous to warrant a new holiday -- be it the birth of a prophet or a hard-won battle for statehood. But these days all that's needed to craft a commemorative day is good dose of ingenuity and a marketing plan.
In case you missed it, last week we had Take Your Houseplant for a Walk Day and next week (August 7) we can all look forward to National Underwear Day and Particularly Preposterous Packaging Day.
Indeed, one man alone is probably responsible for most of the world's more ridiculous holidays. American Thomas Roy has invented -- and copyrighted -- over 90 holidays in the last 26 years, including No Socks Day (May 8) and Married to a Scorpio Support Day (November 18).
But when he first started brainstorming silly things to celebrate, he had no idea that some of his inventions would one day make it onto calendars and diaries. He certainly didn't imagine that anyone would observe them.
"I just started doing it on a lark," admits Roy, who used to flip through Chase's Calendar of Events -- an annual reference guide to holidays around the world -- to get ideas for the morning radio show he hosted out of Lebanon, Pennsylvania. One year, he noticed a form in the back of the book inviting readers to submit their own holidays.
Photos: The world's best fireworks displays
Photos: The world's best fireworks displays
Beginner's luck – For the first few weeks in July, night skies on both sides of the Atlantic are lit up by spectacular fireworks -- from America's 4th July to Bastille Day in France, with a host of international fireworks competitions in between. To honor this pyrotechnic frenzy, we asked you to send us some of your sparkiest fireworks shots from across the world.
Marcia Taylor's day job, as a British Airways' cabin crew member, takes her all over the world -- but the 27-year-old never travels anywhere without her camera. Believe it or not but this was her first time shooting fireworks. She traveled to Paris especially for the fireworks on Bastille Day last year.
"It was a disco theme, the music started and as soon as the fireworks began the crowd had a fantastic atmosphere, every single person was on their feet singing along not taking their eyes of the fireworks," she says.
Marcia Taylor's day job, as a British Airways' cabin crew member, takes her all over the world -- but the 27-year-old never travels anywhere without her camera. Believe it or not but this was her first time shooting fireworks. She traveled to Paris especially for the fireworks on Bastille Day last year.
"It was a disco theme, the music started and as soon as the fireworks began the crowd had a fantastic atmosphere, every single person was on their feet singing along not taking their eyes of the fireworks," she says.
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Photos: The world's best fireworks displays
A revolutionary tale – Photographer Martin Castellan, 62, took this color cascading photo of the Bastille Day fireworks in the city of Carcassonne in the south of France. Bastille Day is celebrated on July 14 and commemorates the storming of the Bastille prison in Paris in 1789 -- an event which triggered the French Revolution.
Mr Castellan says the city's 11th century castle was built by the Cathars, a Christian sect seeking protection from the Pope's armies, and in 1991 it doubled for Nottingham in Kevin Costner's Robin Hood - Prince of Thieves film.
Mr Castellan says the city's 11th century castle was built by the Cathars, a Christian sect seeking protection from the Pope's armies, and in 1991 it doubled for Nottingham in Kevin Costner's Robin Hood - Prince of Thieves film.
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Photos: The world's best fireworks displays
A fortnight of fireworks – Daniel Kahan Patu snapped this photo of the Bastille Day fireworks from his in-laws' home in Paris. The 30-year-old art director says he could smell the smoke from the fireworks that were two kilometers away, just by standing near the apartment window.
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Photos: The world's best fireworks displays
Glamorous Cannes – Min Zaw Mra is originally from Yangon in Myanmar but in 2003 he was doing an internship in Nice, France. When the fireworks festival in Cannes was on that summer he decided to go armed with his camera.
"They were, by far, the best fireworks displays I have ever seen. I remember vividly how I felt watching these fireworks. The sky was so beautifully lit by amazing shapes and colors. The background music made it so much more special. Seeing these fireworks made me feel like I was in a fantasy world in a fairy tale," says the 33-year-old computer software developer.
"They were, by far, the best fireworks displays I have ever seen. I remember vividly how I felt watching these fireworks. The sky was so beautifully lit by amazing shapes and colors. The background music made it so much more special. Seeing these fireworks made me feel like I was in a fantasy world in a fairy tale," says the 33-year-old computer software developer.
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Photos: The world's best fireworks displays
Rooftop marks the spot – This beautifully composed photo of the Montreal skyline was taken by Mark Connor from the rooftop of a friend's apartment block during the annual Montreal fireworks competitions. The photo shows the Jacques Cartier Bridge, the Old Palace de Justice and the old Town Hall.
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Photos: The world's best fireworks displays
Death (and fireworks) in Venice – Between 1575 and 1577 a horrible plague swept through Venice, killing one-third of the city's inhabitants. When the epidemic was halted the Senate, thanking the Redeemer Jesus Christ for answering its prayers, started an annual festival. Today, the Notte del Redentore is a great excuse for a party with fireworks. Local Stefano Baliello managed to capture this shot while hanging on to the railing of a boat among the thousands of revelers in July 2009.
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Photos: The world's best fireworks displays
London lights up – Kenneth Ngyuwai celebrated the first moments of 2013 in London where he snapped the crescendo of the New Year's Eve fireworks display on the river Thames.
"Fireworks never fail to amaze me. One might say that everything there is to a firework is just a can of chemicals that produces bright light when exploded in mid-air. However, when choreographed properly as in this case with the London Eye, it creates a spectacular once-in-a-lifetime show that everyone can enjoy and talk about with their friends for years to come," he says.
"Fireworks never fail to amaze me. One might say that everything there is to a firework is just a can of chemicals that produces bright light when exploded in mid-air. However, when choreographed properly as in this case with the London Eye, it creates a spectacular once-in-a-lifetime show that everyone can enjoy and talk about with their friends for years to come," he says.
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Photos: The world's best fireworks displays
Pyromusical parade – Rob Watling taught himself to take photos of fireworks when he decided to work part-time for Britannia Fireworks. He took this spectacular shot at the Southport Pyromusical Championships in summer of 2012. "There's a bit of an art to it (and quite a lot of luck!) but I really enjoy the challenge of trying to convey the movement and combination of the different fireworks," the 57-year-old Executive Coach says.
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Photos: The world's best fireworks displays
Magnificent Montreal – Every year Montreal celebrates summer with a series of magnificent fireworks displays by countries from all over the globe. For Mingyang Sun, the 29-year-old molecular biologist who took this photo of Pont Jacque-Cartier in Old Port Montreal, the fireworks act as a reward to the people of the city who have been anticipating summer after the long winter. "The firework decorating the night sky of this romantic city is one of the most celebrated events of the locals," he says.
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Photos: The world's best fireworks displays
SuperSonic sky – Travis Tyler captured this stunning moment when fireworks lit up the skies over Seattle on Fourth of July in 2009. Travis was standing on Alki Beach in West Seattle and had the perfect view of the iconic Space Needle.
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Photos: The world's best fireworks displays
Year of the dragon – Bacolod City in the Philippines has a yearly celebration for the Chinese New Year called Bacolaodiat. "Bacolaodiat is a combination of two words - Bacolod and laodiat which means festive in Chinese," says 61-year-old local resident and businessman Billy Lopue.
The photo was taken on January 23 in 2012, which was the year of the dragon. "The place was crowded with people also waiting for the fireworks display," he added.
The photo was taken on January 23 in 2012, which was the year of the dragon. "The place was crowded with people also waiting for the fireworks display," he added.
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Photos: The world's best fireworks displays
Bottle rocket – Dan Anderson managed to capture the moment his nephew launched a bottle rocket across one of Minnesota's many lakes, Lake Kronis, during the Fourth of July in 2012. They had carefully prepared everything to take the perfect photo, counting the seconds it took from lighting the fuse to the explosion of the firework and arranging the camera on a tripod. "We did it in one take and then ran away because the mosquitoes were eating us alive," he says.
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Photos: The world's best fireworks displays
Empire State of mind – Marlon Flores from Morganville, New Jersey, started shooting fireworks two years ago and he is now hooked. For this year's Fourth of July he was determined to get a super snap of Macy's firework display in New York City. "Empire State is a nickname for New York and is generally thought of as an American history landmark. I thought that capturing the landmark during the Fourth of July fireworks is one way of seeing how great America is," says the 39-year-old IT consultant.
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Photos: The world's best fireworks displays
Window seat on Fourth of July – Paul Ringsted was quite surprised when he saw that he had managed to capture the moment a plane flew just in front of the fireworks display in Washington DC.
"I was amazed that I had captured the plane just at the right moment - we had been talking on the roof about the planes coming across the fireworks and how close they must have been, I had no idea I had this shot until I looked through the photos afterwards, " says Mr Ringsted who is originally from the UK but has lived in the U.S. for 16 years. To him the most special thing about Fourth of July is seeing America come together to celebrate its history.
"I was amazed that I had captured the plane just at the right moment - we had been talking on the roof about the planes coming across the fireworks and how close they must have been, I had no idea I had this shot until I looked through the photos afterwards, " says Mr Ringsted who is originally from the UK but has lived in the U.S. for 16 years. To him the most special thing about Fourth of July is seeing America come together to celebrate its history.
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Photos: The world's best fireworks displays