Accueil - August 13th - August 13th, Left-handers’ Day
Date : 04 May 2025Categories : August 13thEntertainmentHistoryNewsUnusual
Ah, left-handed day… Apart from my little sister’s birthday on 9 August, I can’t think of a worse date for an event. Yes, it could have been 25 or 31 December, but those dates were already taken. The same goes for 14 February, which is my international birthday, as everyone knows. Saint’s Day what? I don’t know, no!
So August 13th, World Left-handers’ Day, generally falls in the middle of a lot of people’s holidays, and you’re more likely to be wondering what time it’s a decent time to have a drink than whether you’ve got a left-handed friend.
Getting back to that darn August 13th… It was an American soldier, Dean R. Campbell, who chose this famous date in 1975. He first set up a left-handers’ union. Don’t look any further, I’ve done it for you and if you type ‘left-handed union’ into a search engine, you’ll invariably come across political parties that don’t give a damn about our laterality.
So, Mr. Campbell thought: “What’s next year’s Friday the 13th? Well, August 13th! That’s perfect.” He liked Friday the 13th because it’s a date that’s supposed to bring bad luck, and since we’re inverted, it should bring good luck to us, lefties. So, we were in the middle of a heatwave, the 1976 heatwave, which unfortunately we weren’t used to yet, and Mr. Campbell, who wasn’t just left-handed, was perhaps getting bored on the edge of August…
After all, why have an international day? Or a world day, for that matter. Obviously, it wouldn’t make any difference.
It’s meant to highlight a cause or an international interest, according to Wikipedia.
So, I suggest we turn this non-event into a festive occasion: it’s time to kick the crap out of our right-handed friends. So, pour yourself a nice rosé from the pool, and you’ll have a left-handed team-mate for a game of ping, padel or pétanque! Or better still, a right-handed versus left-handed Olympics.
We don’t have enough reasons to celebrate, so let’s invent some. Suggest to your friends that they have a left-handed party. All right-handed people put one hand behind their back or in their pocket for a “left-handed live-my-life”. Now’s the time to get out your left-handed corkscrew and can opener.
There are some causes that obviously need to be highlighted, and international or world days are there to put them in the spotlight at least once a year, and they deserve it. Rest assured, there are also several international days of varying importance depending on the people involved. I’ve picked out a few with my innocent left hand…
25 March, World Procrastination Day – my day 🙂
30 May, World Potato Day – my sisters’ day :):)
15 October: International Handwashing Day – my teenage son’s day 😉
3 and 13 November: International Day of Kindness – this cause is worth 2 days!
13 December: World Raclette Day – it’s more like World Season Opening Day!