Most people celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and some sort of gift-giving occasion like Christmas. There are other smaller celebrations you might feel like marking, if only for the excuse of giving someone a present. There are days to celebrate just about any kind of food, profession, animal, plant, condition, cause, and person you can think of; plus nearly every day is the feast day of at least one saint who will the patron of at least one thing. If you feel like you want a reason to give a gift, look up what celebrations are coming up or when different topics are celebrate. Below are some ideas and a few celebrations that stood out to me for various reasons.
GENERAL IDEAS
Candy, baked goods, and other food gifts can easily be tailored to different holidays: green sprinkles for St. Patrick's Day, a pie made with tree fruit for Arbor Day, hot dogs for National Hot Dog Day (like I said in the first paragraph, sometimes you just want an excuse to celebrate something). The food can be ready-made, done except for icing and decorations (cookies are great for this), a jar of dry ingredients, a special dinner, a recipe, baking forms to make specially-shaped foods, gift certificates to restaurants with food the event is celebrating...you get the idea. Here are links to food days, food weeks, and food months.
If navigating food allergies, intolerances, and restrictions is too difficult, as with my job at a school district, it's not difficult to find themed items like pencils, seeds, erasers, candles, notepads, coloring pages, bouncy balls, stamps, puzzles, figures, and other little toys--glow sticks are especially nice for events when people will be out after dark, like Halloween. Dollar stores and Oriental Trading Company are great resources. A simple "thinking of you" call, text, or card is great for the multitude of days devoted to various professions--if you're close with the person, maybe something bigger. A donation to a relevant charity, perhaps in the name of someone whose cause it is, works wells on the many days devoted to different causes.
Depending on how many people you're giving to, you might be able to make things other than food. They can be simple--last Valentine's day, I threaded ribbons through small heart-shaped beads and wrote "I Love Reading" on them to pass out to the kids at school--or elaborate, like handmade decorations in the theme of the celebration. You can make or buy little pins with your country's flag or other national symbols for independence days and similar celebrations. Soaps and candles can be made in many shapes and themes, and woodworking, metalworking, glassblowing, and textile arts such as knitting, embroidery, sewing, and crocheting also lend themselves to small or large decorations, from little suncatchers to paperweights to wall hangings to table runners to serving bowls.
CELEBRATIONS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR
just a sampling--there are a lot!
January
National Soup Month: decorated bowls or spoons, soup mixes (handmade or storebought)
1-7 Diet Resolution Week: a note of encouragement
8-14 Letter Writing Week: stationery set, postage stamps (standard or customized)
1 New Year's Day: small poppers or (legal) fireworks
1 Hangover Day: water and painkillers, your favorite "cure-all" (only for people you KNOW would be amused)
2 Science Fiction Day: see if someone wants to join you for a movie marathon, especially if the genre is new to you
3 Women Rock! Day: send something to an important woman in your life to let her know you care
5 Bird Day: put out some seed or other food for local birds, get pictures for bird-loving friends
6 World War Orphans Day: do something to help orphans, maybe in the name of someone you know
11 Clean off Your Desk Day: offer company, moral support, or help to someone you know wants to get organized; surprise your housemates or spouse with cleaning out an area you've been meaning to
11 Secret Pal Day: find someone who needs a pick-me-up, and let your imagination go wild--but stay secret!
13 Rubber Ducky Day: do something for the Little Yellow Duck Project
19 Good Memory Day: reach out to a friend or family member to recollect something fun you did together, or make or find a memento of it
Last Saturday in January Seed Swap Day: share your garden
February
3 Painters' Day: if you know a painter, give art supplies; if you are a painter, give artwork
4 Letter Carrier Appreciation Day: leave a snack out for your letter carrier
6 Pay a Compliment Day: get in touch with people who need to hear they're appreciated
7 Send a Card to a Friend Day: do just that
7 Wave at Your Neighbor with ALL Your Fingers Day: give cookies or other tokens to your neighbors
11 Make a Friend Day, Homebound Day: reach out to someone who feels isolated
14 Valentine's Day: whatever you do, including ignoring the day, if you're in a relationship just make sure you agree to the level of what you're doing so there's no accidental hurt feelings
29 Leap Day: use things that jump as a "springboard" (sorrynotsorry), like frogs, kangaroos, rabbits, grasshoppers, etc
March
March into Literacy Month: give books or gift cards for traditional books, ebooks, and audiobooks
Mother's Day in many countries: in addition to your own mom, consider grandmothers, aunts, godmothers, and anyone who's had a maternal influence (especially if your mother is deceased or you have a strained relationship with her)
First full week: Celebrate Your Name Week: take pictures of, find, or make objects with a person's name or name meaning, give biographies or other mementos like holy cards of people who share the name (or holy cards on the saint's feast day, if giving to people who would appreciate that)
6 National Day of Unplugging: Invite someone to go out on an adventure, give passes to national parks or other outdoor spaces
10 Paper Money Day: send a few dollars (or more) to nieces, nephews, grandchildren, or whoever you feel like
12 Plant a Flower Day: seeds, bulbs, seedlings; send postcard with pictures of flowers
13 Jewel Day: earrings, necklaces, cufflinks, tie bars, et. al.; maybe with jewel in favorite colors or birthstones
14 Pi Day (3/14): Make a pie--pizza pies count
20 Quilting Day: supplies for quilt-making if you know someone who makes quilts, or give quilts if you make them and feel so inclined, give to organizations like Project Linus which gives blankets to children in hospitals.
April
7 No Housework Day: help someone relax
8 Trading Cards for Grownups Day: help someone's hobby
10 Sibling Day: reach out to your siblings or people who are like siblings, send or make momentos
15 One Day Without Shoes: nail polish, pedicure, other foot care
22 Earth Day: help out conservation causes
May
Mother's Day in many countries: in addition to your own mom, consider grandmothers, aunts, godmothers, and anyone who's had a maternal influence (especially if your mother is deceased or you have a strained relationship with her). FYI, the third Sunday in May is Stepmother's Day.
Saturday before Mother's Day: Bereaved Mother's Day: reach out to women who have lost children
4 Star Wars Day (May the "Fourth" be with you): there is just about every kind of memorabilia related to Star Wars, from recipes to collectibles. Go nuts.
12 Night Shift Workers Day: help someone sleep well even during the day with a sleeping mask, blackout curtains, comfortable pillow, handmade blanket or pajamas, or just remembering not to call during a offset sleep time
16 Nickel Day: give a nickel
18 Museum Day: take someone a trip to a museum, give tickets or membership to a museum, donate to a museum
23 Lucky Penny Day: give a penny, leave a penny heads-up for someone to find
29 Put a Pillow on Your Fridge Day: this is the perfect excuse to give someone a pillow you've made
June
Zoo and Aquarium Month: take someone to a zoo or aquarium, give tickets to membership or donate to a zoo or aquarium, give things to help a person's fish tank or other animal habitat at home
Father's Day in many countries: in addition to your own dad, consider grandfathers, uncles, godfathers, and anyone who's had a paternal influence (especially if your father is deceased or you have a strained relationship with him)
1 Children's Day: a great excuse to give a child a gift
1 Dinosaur Day: perfect day for any dinosaur-themed gift or card
11 Making Life Beautiful Day: reach out to people to make their days a little brighter
12 Knit and Crochet in Public Day: give yarn supplies and project totes, knit or crochet a gift
14 Blood Donor Day: give blood, donate financially to a blood bank, help with a blood drive
15 Nature Photography Day: take and send wildlife pictures--4x6 prints are the perfect postcard size!
21 Music Day: give instruments, albums, songs, lessons, donations to musical organizations, concert tickets
29 Camera Day: give camera accessories, print pictures you've taken to send
July
Bereaved Parents Month: reach out people you know who've lost children
Family Reunion Month: reach out to your family, get together if possible
1 US Postage Stamp Day: send a letter or card
15 Give Something Away Day: another good excuse for giving that little thing that made you think of someone
20 Space Exploration Day: take someone on a trip to a space museum or monument, give space-related gifts like astronaut ice cream
21 Craft for Your Local Shelters Day: make something to give to a local shelter
24 Cousins Day: reach out to your cousins
August
Get Ready for Kindergarten Month: help a young child get school supplies, donate to Backpack Brigades
2 Coloring Book Day: give someone a coloring book--maybe one you've made
8 The Date to Create: make something as a gift
10 Lazy Day: help someone relax
24 Pluto Demoted Day: give gifts and experiences relevant to astronomy
30 Grief Awareness Day: reach out to people in mourning to let them know you're thinking of them
September
Classical Music Month: concert tickets, money towards instruments or lessons, donations to concert halls
Last Saturday: Worldwide Day of Play: take someone to a park or playground
1 World Letter Writing Day: send someone a letter
6 Read a Book Day: give a book, send gift certificates for ebooks, traditional books, or audiobooks; take someone to a library, read to a child
7 Feel the Love Day: reach out to people who might need encouragement
8 Star Trek Day: like Star Wars, you can find or make just about anything with a Trek twist
13 Grandparents Day: reach out to your grandparents or other people who have a similar role in your life
19 Bone Marrow Donor: sign up with the bone marrow donor registry, donate to related causes
24 Festival of Latest Novelties: great excuse to give that strange thing you found that reminded you of someone
October
First full week: Postcard Week: send a postcard
4 Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, patron of animals: give something to wild animals or pets, donate to animal shelters or wildlife causes, pets can get blessings at many churches
15 Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day: reach out to bereaved parents, light a candle at seven in the evening your time for solidarity, donate to relevant causes
23 Mole Day (the chemistry kind, at 6:02 10/23): consider chemistry-related gifts and donations
31 Halloween: the obvious candies to pass out to trick-or-treaters, but consider also thinking of kids with food allergies and have non-candy treats like temporary tattoos, little toys, glowsticks, etc
November
Second full week: Geography Awareness Week: take someone for a trip or help someone plan a trip
1 Sports Fans Day: perfect day to give that sports memorabilia you found
2 All Souls' Day: reach out people mourning the loss of loved ones
11 World Origami Day: send origami
13 World Kindness Day: reach out to people who need a bright spot
17 Electronic Greeting Card Day: send one, give the gift of a subscription to a ecard service
23 Fibonacci Day (11/23): give math-related gifts
December
First Saturday: Coats and Toys for Kids Day: Donate something to a child in need
3 Make a Gift Day: make something!
7 Letter Writing Day: write someone a letter
11 Holiday Food Drive for Needy Animals: donate to a pet shelter or wildlife refuge or conservation group
16 Stupid Toy Day: found something weird that you know someone will appreciate? Here's the day for it!
21 Crossword Puzzle Day: make or buy crossword puzzles to give
28 Call a Friend Day: reach out to a friend
Again, I want to emphasize that there is no obligation to observe any days like this. I only mark a handful, and not with anything elaborate (pizza for Pi Day, a candle on October 15, etc). But they can be a good reminder or fun excuse to brighten someone's day.
