February 2nd: It isn't just for groundhogs any more.
I still maintain that August 23rd is Ukulele Day. That is the day the Raven's Craig landed in Hawaii with Manuel Nunes. This other so called ukulele day seems to have just been picked arbitrarily a few years back and heavily promoted as THE day by the person who randomly decided it.
Maybe there should be two?
or how about 365?
I still maintain that August 23rd is Ukulele Day. That is the day the Raven's Craig landed in Hawaii with Manuel Nunes. This other so called ukulele day seems to have just been picked arbitrarily a few years back and heavily promoted as THE day by the person who randomly decided it.
Umm, March is next month, though I hate to rain on the parade.This is amusing. I get your point. Yes, Ukulele Mike personally declared Feb 2 as a day to celebrate the ‘ukulele. Some people seem to be offended simply because he added a TM to the T-shirt he produced. That doesn’t bother me. A lot of people have heard about this date, and repeated it. I found numerous mentions on the Web. Does it come down to which date is most heavily promoted?
You say that August 23 is a more appropriate date—perhaps you're right. It is the day the Ravenscrag arrived in Hawaii, but it’s probably not the date the first ‘ukulele was made (or sold). That’s okay. Pick that date and promote it. On the other hand, I cannot find any mention of an official holiday on August 23. I did find this page recognizing August 23 as the birthday of the ‘ukulele;
http://www.hawaii-post.com/2004-23AUG.html
On this page, Howlin’ Hobbit says that August 23 was officially declared International Play Your Ukulele Day, but I cannot find any evidence of that.
http://www.ukulelia.com/2011/02/today-is-world-ukulele-day-2011.html
This page comes close, but the dates are inconsistent;
http://www.kidderminsterukuleleclub.com/index.asp?pageid=562244
This video claims May 2nd as Ukulele Day;
http://www.kidderminsterukuleleclub.com/index.asp?pageid=562244
as does this Web page;
http://www.playukulelebyear.com/general-posts/may-2-2012-national-play-your-ukulele-day/
as does this video;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjXidxfUc0Y
(with a chord sheet)
http://www.kanikapila.us/Lyrics/Play%20Your%20Ukulele%20Day.pdf
So is the day really May 2? Hey, we get to party again next month! Go ahead, celebrate all of these dates. What’s the harm?
Umm, March is next month, though I hate to rain on the parade.
Agreed.Its a shame when it all boils down to thinking about tee shirts and trade marks. Its better to think about people and music.
This makes sense.The legends of the Ravenscrag that I have read, true or not, are that the Ravenscrag docked at Honolulu on 23 August 1879. Soon after docking, after a long time at sea, the passengers, indentured labourers from the island of Madeira understandably decided to dance with joy or play some tunes on their string instruments. The Honolulu locals were so impressed with the dexterity of the celebrating Madeirans that they apparently coined the term "jumping flea" which turned into Ukulele after some translation. If this legend is accurate, the word "ukulele" actually started on 23 August 1897.
February 2nd: It isn't just for groundhogs any more.
I'd rather see ukulele day not on Groundhog Day.
Boy am I learning some interesting stuff today!
August 23rd it is, for me! Besides, along with Groundhog Day, today is my AA anniversary so I already have plenty to be grateful for.
Now... About that 365/6 ukulele days a year... Fantastic idea! In fact, I think everyone should aspire to have a collection big enough with at least one for each day!
Ok, I'm off to see about a second mortgage.
Scooter