nPostednon July 29, 2013
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Herenis another one of those “holidays” about the weather.
Herenis another one of those “holidays” about the weather.n
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nHavenyou ever noticed how the world works as if it is deliberately tryingnto ruin your fun? Like, it’s sunny every day of the week until thenday you planned a picnic—and then it pours?
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nWell,nof course that’s not the way the universe works. Nobody is planningnthe rain, and nobody is paying enough attention to your plans to trynto jinx them! But we particularly notice, comment on, and remembernthe times that the weather seems to be conspiring against us (or,nsometimes, when it freakishly turns in our favor).
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nStill,nthere was this one Pennsylvania farmer who lived near Waynesburg innthe 1800s. He would predict rain a day or a week or even a monthnaway—but the rainy day he predicted was always July 29. n
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nAndnthis farmer was right! It usually did rain in Waynesburg, PA, on Julyn29.
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nWhynthat particular prediction? The farmer had noticed that it had rainednon his birthday for years…. So he began to “predict” rain onnhis birthday…and, as I mentioned, the farmer was right, most of thentime.
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nAndrugstore owner heard about the farmer’s prediction and began to do anwager—he bet a new hat that it would rain on July 29, which thenpeople of Waynesburg began to call rain day. The drugstore owner’snson; John Daly, kept up the practice of betting others a new hat thatnit would rain.
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nWell,nit turned into a “thing”! John Daly has won hats from famousnpeople like Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Johnny Carson, Muhammed Ali, andnArnold Palmer (and many others). He bet local TV personalities and anracetrack owner. He kept a large box of all the hats he had won, overnthe years, and he eventually donated his hat collection to anfund-raising auction. n
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| There is a competition to be crowned “Miss Rain Day.” |
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nNowadaysnit is the Special Events Commission that wins hats on years that itnrains on July 29, and that gives out hats on years that it doesn’t.nPageants, races, contests, a street fair, and other events have allnsprung up to help people celebrate Rain Day.
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nTherenare quite a few years when it doesn’t rain on Rain Day—apparentlynthe stats are 111 years of rain, out of 135—but the festivitiesncontinue, rain or shine!
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nAlsonon this date:
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nNational Lasagna Day n
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nOlsoknin Norway
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n(anothernpost here)
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nAnniversary of the founding of the first newspaper west of the Allegheniesnn
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nPlannahead:
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nChecknout my Pinterest pages on Julynholidays, historicalnanniversaries in July,nand Julynbirthdays.
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nAndnhere are my Pinterest pages on Augustnholidays, historicalnanniversaries in August,nand Augustnbirthdays.
