This was intended to be a Tuesday Ten, a list of ten items on any topic I choose. But I couldn't narrow my list to only ten. Seeing as how the alliteration still works, I'm now calling it my Tuesday Twenty.

Here are some of the best official offbeat holidays of this month. These are (mostly) in order of date, not ranked by preference.

  1. Ginger Cat Appreciation Day (SEPT 1). The ruler of my former street, ginger cat Vivaldi, approves of this holiday but would like to expand it to 365 days a year.
  2. National Hummingbird Day (SEPT 4). We've been enjoying watching the family of hummingbirds in our yard this summer -- mother Molly and twins Fred and George -- so I am an enthusiastic supporter of this one. So are the little Weasley hummers.
  3. Be Late for Something Day (SEPT 5). I have been known to be punctuality-challenged on occasion, so I am happy to have a day in which lateness is celebrated.
  4. National Cheese Pizza Day (SEPT 5). As an Italian and a pizza aficionado, I heartily approve.
  5. National Samosa Day (SEPT 5). Along with, of course, Italian food (see the previous item), Indian is one of the world's greatest cuisines. And you just can't beat a really good Samosa.
  6. Read a Book Day (SEPT 6). I'm also adding in with this one another holiday, Read a Child a Book You Like Day (SEPT 28). Reading is one of my very favorite things ever, and definitely worth at least two holidays per month.
  7. Wonderful Weirdos Day (SEPT 9). You can't get a much better Weird Holiday name than this one. This holiday was created in Austin, Texas, by the same people who brought us the slogan, "Keep Austin Weird." It's a great day to express your unique weirdness!
  8. International Chocolate Day (SEPT 13). No explanation needed.
  9. National Cream-Filled Donut Day (SEPT 14). See previous entry.
  10. National Guacamole Day (SEPT 16). Because guacamole is among nature's perfect foods.
  11. National Talk Like a Pirate Day and National Meow Like a Pirate Day (SEPT 19). Aye, Maties, this is another one of those two-for-one things. Humor writer Dave Barry founded Talk Like a Pirate Day in 1995, and still going strong. More recently, cats were added to the mix. Why? Why not? So shiver me timbers and blow me down. Drink some rum, tie an eye patch onto Fluffy, and hit the high seas. Arghhh.
  12. Hobbit Day (SEPT 22). It's the birthday of both Bilbo and Frodo Baggins, the day Frodo's Lord of the Rings adventure began. That makes this an excellent time to celebrate Middle Earth's furry-footed Shirefolk. Don't skimp on Second Breakfast!
  13. National Punctuation Day (SEPT 24). English major that I am, punctuation is near and dear to my heart, on this day and every other day of the year. So make sure to use an Oxford comma, and maybe even some semicolons, if you're feeling daring.
  14. National Bakery Day (SEPT 25). This is another one of those needs-no-explanation ones. Who doesn't like a good bakery?
  15. International Rabbit Day (SEPT 25). Put on your bunny slippers, pull out those chocolate bunnies you saved from last spring, and spend the day reading Watership Down.
  16. World Dream Day (SEPT 25). Technically, this one is about being inspired to follow our dreams. But when I first saw the name, I thought of it as a day to celebrate our sleeping dreams. I like that idea, because I enjoy my bizarre and sometimes byzantine dreams. So let's use this day for both kinds of dreaming.
  17. National Voter Registration Day (SEPT 28). If you're not registered to vote, this is a good day to make sure it's taken care of before Election Day. Decisions are made by those who show up. Make sure you do.
  18. National Woman Road Warrior Day (SEPT 29). This one is sometimes said to fall on September 19, but we won't quibble about dates. Besides having a cool name, this holiday honors working women who fight the odds to be successful and influential. In particular, it honors women who travel for business.
  19. National Poisoned Blackberries Day (SEPT 29). This holiday sounds off the wall, but it's based on ancient lore around Michaelmas Day, an early Christian feast day. On this day, the story goes, Lucifer was expelled from Heaven and fell from the skies, straight onto a blackberry bush. He cursed the berries, scorched them with his fiery breath, and spat and stamped on them. So after this day each year, we are advised not to eat blackberries.
  20. Extra Virgin Olive Oil Day (SEPT 30). The first olive oil of the year is traditionally pressed around this time, so it's a good day to drizzle some over your Caprese salad and enjoy! The really excellent stuff is hard to find in the U.S., but it's worth the effort.