Posted October 16, 2020
This holiday seeks to direct our attention to those who suffer from spinal pain or disability. It’s important that there continue to be research on spinal problems and how to help people with them, and it’s a good idea to teach kids the importance of wearing sports safety gear, using seat belts, and diving only into well lit pools that are at least nine feet deep.
World Spine Day is a good time to learn about the human spine, about animal spines, and about the difference between vertebrates (animals with spines) and invertebrates (animals without spines).
In addition to the spinal chord and vertebrae that run from a vertebrate’s head to tail, spine could also mean the part of the book that encloses the inner edges of the folded pages – you know, the part that faces out and usually has the author’s name and book’s title.
And spines mean the hard prickly body parts of an animal or plant – like the prickles of a hedgehog, the pointy bits on a sea urchin, or sharp spikes on a cactus!
There is even a spine in geology: a tall mass of lava that is forced from a volcano. It could be a thick (think toothpaste) bit that hardens as it is slowly pushed out of a vent – or it can be magma that hardens inside the vent and is then pushed out.
In geography, the spine of a mountain range is the highest ridge…
In archery, the spine rating is the stiffness of an arrow…
And in metaphor, a spine is courage, strength of conviction. People who are described as spineless cannot stand up for themselves or for anyone else.
Also on this date:
Dictionary Day
World Food Day
National Feral Cat Day
Anniversary of Parliament burning
Anniversary of the publication of the first Narnia book
Ether Day
Plan ahead:
Check out my Pinterest boards for:
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October holidays
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October birthdays
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Historical anniversaries in October
And here are my Pinterest boards for:
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November holidays
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November birthdays
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Historical anniversaries in November