Well, thanks, internet. Turns out, now that we have this powerful tool so well-suited to spreading both important and useless information, I am becoming aware of all sorts of "holidays" that I never really knew existed.
And as far as I can tell...their existence is questionable at best.
A quick search of "National Taco Day History" returns many enthusiastic articles that promise to reveal the best Taco Tuesday deals, laud the creativity of various Americanizations of the taco, and show the best recipes for the most authentic tacos your gringo hands can muster. But in looking for an actual reason as to why today is the day for us to come together as a nation and celebrate what is most important, I have no explanation.
So as far as I can tell, you can choose pretty much anything you find deserving of a day of honor, and if you put "National" in front of it, then it seems official enough for the internet to go all out in observing the occasion. I would hardly call any of these a 'holiday', but I don't really know what better to call them. Here are a few more national days:
- National Barbecued Spareribs Day (Observed July 4th. Don't let any other holidays overshadow this one!)
- National Pumpkin Pie Day (Observed on December 25th, in case you needed an excuse to eat pumpkin pie that day.)
- National Bicarbonate of Soda Day (That exact title! Observed December 30th---the same day as National Bacon Day.)
- National Create a Vacuum Day (Observed February 4th. Put this one one your calendars!)
Basically I'm not sure if I want to denounce the frivolity of everyone treating these things like real holidays and thereby devaluing those holidays that we have for actual reasons...or if I want to join in on the awe and gratitude that celebrating mundane things can bring. It's a difficult dilemma for me.
But for today, tacos.
