Reading and other Important Days in September

Reading and other Important Days in September

My 3rd Post for the #MyFriendAlexa Challenge

While checking the list of important days in September 2019 I found Reading and other Important Days in September of national and international importance. I found that 5th September is Teachers Day, 6th is Read a Book Day, 8th Literacy day and 25th my favourite Comic book day. This gave me the perfect subject for my third blog. for MyFriendAlexa.

5^th September, Teachers’ Day

Books and Teaching go hand in hand and Teachers make the written word come alive. Teaching is the most revered profession across the world.  India has an ancient tradition of Guru-Shishya relationship where Guru is respected more than even God or parents. To commemorate the birth anniversary of our second president Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, a renowned academician, and Teachers’ day is celebrated in India, every year on the 5th of September. Internationally, World Teacher’s day is a celebrated month later on 5th Oct. The theme for this year’s World Teachers’ Day has been stated to be, “Young Teachers: The future of the Profession.”

Reading and other Important Days in September

Let us remember: One book, one pen, one child, and one teacher can change the world said Malala Yousafzai, How true is that. My best and the satisfying job was as a Spoken English Teacher. The students would be in my class just for 5 weeks. The other day, while I was crossing the road, one guy walked up and said, you were my teacher, ten years ago and those were the best days of my life. What joy in imparting skills and being remembered after all those years?

The 6th of September is Read a Book Day

To create awareness about reading. Start from home….read and inculcate the same reading habit in your kids and see their world becoming a better place. Why do you read? 

Because?

•        It’s the best excuse for some peace and quiet.

•        Chance to curl up in your favourite chair.

•        All your friends are busy.

•        Walking to the library is a good exercise.

•        A book can change your life (The Alchemist).

•        You’re going through a difficult time and you just need to escape into a beautiful, made-up world.

•        You need to polish your rusty imagination.

•        Fed up with the voices and sounds in your head.

•        Escape from the screens and gadgets

Or if you have other reasons, do grab a book and just READ.

Literacy day falls on 8th September

International Literacy Day is a day to highlight improvements in world literacy rates and reflect on the worlds remaining literacy challenges. The topic of literacy is a key element of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. One of its objectives is to ensure all young people attain literacy and numeracy and adults who are lacking these skills are given the chance to gain them.

The development of skills and literacy will help to improve the lives and work of people. It will contribute to equitable and workable societies. This day also concentrates on the various skills and proficiencies required for occupation and income, mainly technical and vocational skills besides transferable and digital skills. It is an essential tool to eliminate poverty, lower child mortality, control population growth and attain gender equality. It is rightly said that literacy has the capability to elevate family status. Consequently, this day is celebrated to encourage the people towards getting continuous education and comprehend their duty for the family, society and the nation.

International Comic Book Day is on 25th September.

In 1837 there came a trivial, seemingly insignificant change in the way stories had been told. One Obadiah Oldbuck created as a series of successive pictures with text blurbs. This random creation became unbelievably popular in both the US and France. Rodolphe Töpffer is the father of the Comic and Obadiah Oldbuck the first comic character. We honour this man on Comic Book Day for that first unassuming publication created in jest.

History of Comic Book Day

In 1933 the publication known as Famous Funnies, considered to be the first actual comic book. Published in the United States, compiled from a collection of comic strips that had already been printed in newspapers.

How to celebrate Comic Book Day

If you grew up bonded to the pages of comic books, Comic Book Day cheers you to get out and cuddle this unbelievable storytelling medium. This isn’t a day to simply read the funny strips in the newspaper, but to head out to your local book store and pick up and read the amazing stories in the pages of your favourite comic books; Tin tin, Asterix, Archie’s, Richie Rich or the Marvel series. Remember Dennis the Menace or Phantom, Snoopy or Dilbert?

If you hate to read then you have not found that one book that can change your life. Literacy is like a bridge from ignorance to knowledge. Literacy can transform lives and words can change worlds.

When I was growing up, the major genre of Comics was humour, plain and simple. We should bring back those fun comics as humour is greatly lacking in our lives.

If you want to know what writing means to me? Check it out here

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