The following are events, holidays and special days designations that you can use to help in planning marketing campaigns for your business or practice during the month of DECEMBER 2007. We've included website, email addresses and other contact information from sponsoring organizations if we have the information available.

All Month — December 2007

National Write a Business Plan Month. Perfect time to make those business and marketing plans for next year when things are typically a little quiet around the office. Join my teleclass series and create your own unique marketing plan. Learn more here.

Bingo Birthday Month. To celebrate the innovation and manufacture of the game of Bingo in 1929 by Edwin S. Loewe. Bingo is a five-gillion-dollar-a-year charitable fund-raiser. Learn more by emailing Tara Snowden.

Choose a Summer Camp Month. In December?? Every year more than 11 million kids go to summer camp. To find the right program, parents begin looking at summer camps during December so they can sign up their kids while there are still vacancies. Learn more from the American Camping Association.

The Civil Air Patrol was founded in 1941 by former New York mayor, Fiorello H. LaGuardia (now you know how the airport got its name) as an auxilliary to the US Air Force and celebrates its Anniversary in December. Learn more by calling 205-933-5463.

Colorectal Cancer Education and Awareness Month. To educate consumers, patients and professionals regarding the need for early diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer. Information available from PPSI, c/o Pharmacy Council on Colorectal Cancer Education.

Identity Theft and Awareness Month. Increase awareness and prevention of identity theft, especially during the holidays. Call 248-745-0286 to learn more.

National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month. By presidential proclamation to bring awareness to the prevention of drunk driving.

Safe Toys and Gifts Month. Sheds light on the most dangerous toys to a child's eyesight. More info from Prevent Blindness America.

Spiritual Literacy Month. Promoting respect for and among the world's religions by engaging people in exploring the sacred texts of the world's many religions. Learn more from the One River Foundation.

DECEMBER 1

Basketball Anniversary. Basketball was created by James Naismith in 1891.

Day With(Out) Art. An annual observance of the impact that AIDS has had on the visual arts. Learn more from Visual AIDS organization.

Playboy first published in 1953 by Hugh Hefner in Chicago.

Rosa Parks Arrest Day Anniversay. Rosa Parks, the famed civil-rights heroine was arrested on this day in 1955.

DECEMBER 2

The first artificial heart transplant was made on this day in 1982 into Barney C. Clark who was 61 years old at the time.

The Safety Razor was patented in 1902.

Special Education Day. In 2007 it will be celebrated on Nov. 30th so plan ahead. A day to celebrate the first special education law enacted in 1975. Learn how you can participate this year by clicking here.

DECEMBER 3

First Heart Transplant Anniversay. Successfully tranplanted by Dr. Christiaan Barnard in Cape Town, South Africa, 1967.

Special Kids Day. A day set aside to honor children who are developmentally delayed or physically challenged. More info from Special Kids Day.

DECEMBER 4

National Dice Day. A day for everyone to enjoy playing the game of dice.

Chanuka (Dec. 4 - Dec. 12). Feast of Lights in the Jewish faith.

DECEMBER 5

Bathtub Party Day. Forget the shower just for today and take a nice, long, hot bath. More info at Wellcat.

Ratification of the 21st Constitutional Amendment. 1933. End of prohibition with the appeal of the 18th amendment. I'll drink to that!

DECEMBER 6

Miner's Day. Honors the contributions of miners past, present and future. More info.

DECEMBER 7

Pearl Harbor Day. Annual day set aside to honor those who lost their lives at Pearl Harbor in 1941.

DECEMBER 8

International Shareware Day. Reward the efforts of those computer programmers who graciously share their expertise in hopes you'll like what they do enough — and appreciate them enough — to give them a little cash. More info.

National Day of the Horse. To honor horses and their historical contribution to the success of this country.

DECEMBER 9

Emmett Kelly's birthday. Clown around a bit. Don't take life so seriously. Have some fun for a change.

DECEMBER 10

Human Rights Day. Presidential proclamation in 1949 that we all have basic rights as human beings.

DECEMBER 12

Bonza Bottler Day(tm). To celebrate when the number of the day is the same as the number of the month. (In January it'll be the 1st, in February the 2nd, March the 3rd and so on. Get it?) It's really just an excuse to have a party at least one day of every month. So party! More info.

Poinsettia Day. The poinsettia is a favorite holiday time of year plant.

Frank Sinatra's birthday. Born in 1915. He did it “his way” and you should do it “your way.” Celebrate your way today!

DECEMBER 13

Nostradamus birthday. Born in 1503. French physician best known for his predictions of the future. I predict that you have an exciting future ahead of you in 2008.

South Pole Discovered. In 1911 by Roald Amundsen and a few others.

DECEMBER 15

Cat Herders' Day. For those who feel as though their job and their life is “like herding cats.” We feel that way about once or twice a month. More info from Wellcat.

Bill of Rights Anniversary. First 10 amendments to the US constitution was ratified on this day in 1791 and they've held strong ever since despite the efforts of many to destroy every single one.

Gone with the Wind premiered in 1939. “Frankly Scarlett, I don't give a damn.”

DECEMBER 16

Barbie and Barney Backlash Day. If you've got young kids, today is the day you can tell them that both Barbie and Barney do not exist. More info from Wellcat.

Battle of the Bulge Anniversary. No, not your waistline, the famous World War II Battle in 1944. (Although this might be a good time to get on the scale and make a plan for 2008.)

Anniversary of the Boston Tea Party. In 1733 some patriots — rebels? — dumped 350 chests of tea in the Boston Harbor in protest of unfair taxation on the colonists.

DECEMBER 17

Discovery of the Aztec calendar stone in 1790. Learn more about natural time here.

Anniversary of the First Flight in 1903 by the Wright Brothers. Flyin' high. Well maybe low then, high now! Also celebrated as Wright Brothers Day.

DECEMBER 20

It's a Wonderful Life premiered in 1946. It IS a wonderful life no matter what is happening around us. Learn more about living your best life every day here.

DECEMBER 21

Humbug Day. Allows all those anticipating Christmas to complain about it and vent their frustrations. You are only allowed 12 “humbugs” so use them wisely. Learn more at Wellcat.

Underdog Day. A day to celebrate all the unsung heroes of our time, past and present.

DECEMBER 22

The First Annual Haiku Poetry Day. A day to celebrate Japanese poetry known as Haiku. Learn more here and enjoy a haiku here:

the shortest
day...
snow-suited
branches
dive into the creek
(© 2007 Sari Grandstaff)

DECEMBER 24

Christmas Eve. Get ready for Santa. Woo hoo!

DECEMBER 25

A'phabet Day. Or “No-L” Day. For folks who don't want to send Christmas cards but want to greet their friends anyway by sending out cards showing the alphabet with a large gap where the “L” would be.

Christmas Day. Traditional Christian holiday. Whatchagonnagetme?

It's About Time Week! Starts today and runs through Dec. 31. Innovative week dedicated to time-to-give, time-to-live, and time-to-remember.

DECEMBER 26

Boxing Day. Celebrated in Canada, the UK and many other countries always the day after Christmas. It's when the postman brings all those boxes that should have arrived before Christmas.

Kwanzaa. Swahili for “first fruit,” celebrated Dec. 26 through Jan. 1st. Stresses unity of the African heritage family.

DECEMBER 27

Howdy Doody premiered on television in 1947. What time is it? It's time to get busy! The year's almost over!

DECEMBER 29

Tick Tock Day. Time is running out! If you're gonna accomplish everything you wanted to do in 2007 you better get busy! More info at Wellcat.

DECEMBER 31

Make Up Your Mind Day. A day for all those people who have such a hard time making up their minds. Make a decision today and follow through with it! (Like the decision to do something every single business day next year to market your business.)

No Interruptions Day. Minimize or eliminate as many interruptions to your day as you can. This is a day for quiet and to focus and to renew our energies and prepare for the new year ahead. Learn more here.

Universal Hour of Peace. Starts at 11:30 pm and ends at 12:30 am on January 1st. Every man, woman and child is asked to spend this hour in meditative silence — or whatever helps you concentrate — on peace. Learn more.

World Peace Meditation. One hour, beginning at noon, Greenwich Mean Time which is 7-8am Eastern time in the USA. An opportunity for people around the world to focus their thoughts and energy on peace. Learn more.

New Year's Eve. Party time all over the world. Say goodbye to the old, welcome the new. It's the last evening of the Gregorian calendar year, traditionally a night of merrymaking.

You can get a whole year's worth of holidays, birthdays and special events from Chase's Calendar of Events for 2008. Available from Amazon.