Category: March 29

• WORLD PIANO DAY – 88th Day of the Year

  WORLD PIANO DAY

  World Piano Day on the 88th day of the year unites piano lovers across the globe as they celebrate the “king of musical instruments.” The day also encourages piano players of all ages and abilities to play in public spaces.

  #WorldPianoDay

  Musical instruments are grouped together in families. It’s relatively easy to determine what family most instruments belong. This is not the case with the piano, however. Some say it’s a percussion instrument. Others say it belongs to the string family. Many would say the piano is unique in that it belongs to both families.

  Bartolomeo Cristofori of Italy invented the piano in 1700. It was first called “clavicembalo col piano e forte.” This can be translated to “a harpsichord that can play soft and loud noises.” Eventually, its name was shortened to piano.

  Throughout the years, the piano went from one basic style to many different kinds. These include vertical, spinet, console, studio, upright, digital, pianola (self-playing piano), grand, and baby grand. These types of pianos come in a variety of different sizes.

  Most people play the piano because it’s fun, and they love the sound it makes. However, there are also many other benefits to playing the piano. Some of these benefits include:

  • It’s a great way to learn how to read music.
  • It sharpens fine motor skills and improves hand-eye coordination.
  • It boosts cognitive and intellectual abilities, including improved memory.
  • It’s great for mental health, as those who play the piano experience less depression and anxiety.

  With so many benefits of playing the piano, today is a great day to sign your kids up for piano lessons, or take them yourself!

  HOW TO OBSERVE WORLD PIANO DAY

  To celebrate this musical day, pianists give free concerts featuring piano music. Other people that take part in this day include composers, performers, piano movers, tuners, and piano builders. There are also many ways for you to participate:

  • Commit to taking piano lessons.
  • Thank a piano teacher.
  • If you are a pianist, gather your courage and play the piano in a public space.
  • If you took piano lessons as a child, think about reviving your skills.
  • Attend a piano concert.
  • Listen to piano music online.
  • Explore other musical instruments by reading 5 Tuneful Origins of Celebrated Musical Instruments.

  Learn about the best pianists of all time, such as Ludwig van Beethoven, Frederic Chopin, Vladimir Horowitz, Myra Hess, and Lang Lang.

  To help spread awareness for this day, use #WorldPianoDay on social media.

  WORLD PIANO DAY HISTORY

  The German musician, Nils Frahm, founded World Piano Day in 2015. He chose the 88th day of the year because the piano has 88 keys.

  March 30, 2020

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  Michele

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  Education & History, International, March, March 29, Music

• MANATEE APPRECIATION DAY – Last Wednesday in March

  MANATEE APPRECIATION DAY

  Manatee Appreciation Day on the Last Wednesday in March focuses the world’s attention on an herbivore with no known natural enemy. Also known as the sea cow, manatees are a vulnerable species due to their contact with humans. Boating and pollution, as well as other external forces, threaten the manatee. 

  #ManateeAppreciationDay

  These slow-moving herbivores inhabit slow rivers, canals, saltwater bays, estuaries, and coastal areas around the world. All three species of manatees are considered gentle giants, spending most of their time eating, sleeping, and traveling. 

  • Amazonian – Inhabiting the Amazon River Basin in northern South America, this species lives exclusively in freshwater. 
  • West Indian – This species includes two subspecies – the Florida Manatee and the Antillean manatee. The Florida manatee ranges from the Caribbean and up the coast of Florida toward North Carolina. They have also been spotted near Texas in the Gulf of Mexico. The West Indian manatee prefers slow-moving freshwater but is also found in saltwater, too.
  • African Manatee – Inhabiting both salt and freshwater, the West African manatee travels all along the West African coastline. While mostly a herbivore, the West African manatee also occasionally eats fish. 

  Manatees weigh between 300-540 kg (600-1200 lbs) and live up to 60 years. Spending most of their time underwater, unpolluted habitats are vital to their survival. While they do surface occasionally to replenish their oxygen, manatees can remain submerged for about 20 minutes at a time. When they do surface, they are capable of replenishing 90 percent of the air in their lungs. By comparison, humans only replace about 10 percent. 

  More Manatee Facts:

  • Belonging to the scientific order, Sirenia, they are also related to the dugong.
  • Manatees are related to the elephant.
  • Due to their immense size, they graze up to 8 hours a day.
  • Manatees continually replace their teeth. A new set is always growing behind the current set of teeth. 

  The observance aims to bring awareness to some of the manatees’ most significant challenges. Due to loss of habitat, pollution, hunting, and climate change, manatee numbers are declining. While conservation efforts have brought the manatee back from the brink of extinction, more must be done. 

  HOW TO OBSERVE MANATEE APPRECIATION DAY

  • Learn more about this amazing water mammal.
  • Support saving their habitat.
  • Take precautions while boating to prevent harming the manatee.
  • Read a book about manatees.
  • While celebrating National Manatee Appreciation Day, be sure to use #ManateeApprecicationDay to post on social media.

  MANATEE APPRECIATION DAY HISTORY

  National Day Calendar continues researching the origins of this appreciation day.

  Manatee FAQ

  Q. What do manatees eat?
  A. Manatees are herbivores meaning they eat plants. In this case, they eat seagrass and other plants that grow in the water where they live. Some manatees will eat fish.

  Q. Do manatees live in salt or fresh water?
  A. Some breeds of manatee live in both fresh and saltwater while others live in one or the other.

  DATES
  30 March 2022
  29 March 2023
  27 March 2024
  26 March 2025
  25 March 2026
  31 March 2027
  29 March 2028
  28 March 2029
  27 March 2030
  26 March 2031
  31 March 2032
  30 March 2033
  

  June 12, 2014

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  National Day Calendar

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  Animals & Wild Things, March 29, March 29, National Day, Pop Culture & Lifestyle