Hold the phone - it’s the first day of October. Halloween is thirty days away and it is officially National Pizza Month (you’re welcome). As I was perusing the web with a venti PSL in hand, I started to think to myself, “What else should I be thrilled about on this first day of the tenth month of the year?” My first choice would be to check my calendar on Facebook to see whose birthday I forgot again. So I did, and it looks like a trip to Target will be happening in the near future. The next move was to ask our dear friend Google about the random holidays and facts about the first day of October, and I was surprised.
It’s as if we didn’t have enough awesome holidays to celebrate. October 1st marks a day that happens to celebrate two at the same time: one being an international and the other a Chinese holiday. Both of these holidays celebrate very important aspects of our daily lives. Without the main focus of these holidays, you wouldn’t even be able to read these very words!
I’m talking about the International Day of Older Persons and Chinese National Day. We wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for those who are older than us, and many of the goods that we enjoy today are made or manufactured in China! But these holidays go far beyond just appreciating material goods and obligations.
Let's start with breaking down the International Day of Older Persons. They say that by 2050, over 20 percent of the world’s population will be 60 or older (source: www.un.org). This means that we are living longer lives, with the average lifespan in the US is 84 years. Back in the 1900s, we were expected to only live up to an average age of 60. In 2005, that age jumped up to 74, according to the US Social Security Administration. The nations that lead the world in estimated median age are Japan, South Korea, Germany, and China.
The International Day of Older Persons is a featured day designated in December 1990 and launched 1998; it was created as a response to the opportunities and challenges that people over the age of 60 may face in the 21st century. The day brings to light that the under-appreciated contributions of older people are to be recognized and promoted. According to the United Nations website, the goal of the 2017 International Older Person day is to strengthen the participation of older persons in a wide-ranging array of life experiences. The official theme is “Stepping into the Future: Tapping the Talents, Contributions, and Participation of Older Persons in Society.” Any good reason to hug your older family members.
Next, let’s hop over to the country of China. The Chinese National Day is celebrated every year starting from the first to the third of October to commemorate the founding of the People’s Republic of China. And while September 21st is the actual Chinese Independence Day, October 1st is the day that the grand ceremony took place back in 1949. It’s a legal holiday that’s part of a celebratory week called Golden Week.
October 1st is a pretty important day, and I am reaching the end of my Starbucks drink. Now that I’m pretty caffeinated and inspired, I’d say that now would be a great time to stay at home and watch a movie or something about China or the older generation. Maybe it should be about both? Maybe it should be one that was nominated for and won a couple of awards while giving its viewers a fantastic view of China’s beautiful landscape and culture.
The movie I’m talking about is called The Nightingale; it’s a cheery little gem of a film that I recommend everyone to watch. Rather than dealing with the hectic madness of Golden Week in China, The Nightingale explores the gorgeous countryside of China while giving us a whimsical slice-of-life experience between a grandfather and his granddaughter.
You can find it here at our movie store web page.
