There are many potentially fun unofficial holidays in the United States, especially at this time of year, starting probably with Saint Practice Day, observed on the weekend before Saint Patrick’s Day to give celebrators a head start on drinking. That’s followed by Pi Day on March 14, or 3/14, since the mathematical constant starts with 3.14, which people celebrate by eating pie. Next comes 3/16 honoring professional wrestler Steve Austin, who famously misappropriated a Biblical verse from the Book of John and coined the term Austin 3:16.
The fun continues into May with Star Wars Day on May 4th (because, “May the Fourth be with you”).
In the middle of it all is April 20, which for many mostly obscure and apocryphal reasons is international cannabis day.
420, or 4/20, or 4:20, is now widely recognizable shorthand for cannabis, and April 20 is celebrated by aficionados and casual pot smokers alike. Now that the drug is legal for recreational use in 21 states, and in our nation’s capital, and legal for medical use in another 16 states — even though the federal government still classifies it as a Schedule 1 narcotic, as illegal as cocaine and heroin — numerous restaurant chains have announced promotions to mark this most mellow of occasions.
