Literature transports us to different worlds, evokes emotions, challenges established beliefs and even alters the course of our lives. To commemorate the profound impact of the written word, literary holidays are created by bibliophiles to show their affection for their favourite authors or book characters. Here are two of the most popular literary holidays in the world and some tips on what you can do to celebrate them.
Towel Day
The first Towel Day was on 25 May 2001, two weeks after the untimely death of Douglas Adams, the author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series. In loving memory of the comedy science fiction writer who had the answer to life, the universe and everything, fans were encouraged to carry a towel as a token of remembrance of and gratitude for the whimsical world that he created. Since then, celebrating Towel Day has become a tradition for readers across the universe.
But why a towel? According to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, the fictional electronic travel guide for galactic hitchhikers, a towel is “about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have”. What’s more, “any man who can hitch the length and breadth of the galaxy, rough it, slum it, struggle against terrible odds, win through, and still knows where his towel is, is clearly a man to be reckoned with.” Carrying a towel not only pays tribute to Adams, but also embodies the wit, imagination and perpetual sense of humour that permeate his works.
Presumably no one recognises the significance of a towel to interstellar travellers as much as astronauts do. On Towel Day in 2015, Commander Samantha Cristoforetti read the Guide aloud aboard the International Space Station, and threw out a towel at the conclusion of her reading to pay homage to the remarkable book series and its author. In the following year on the same space station, Major Tim Peake displayed a towel embroidered with the words “DON’T PANIC”, a phrase emblazoned on the cover of the Guide.
So, if you are looking to commemorate Towel Day this year, you could take a moment to stick up your thumb in a bid to hitch a ride on a spacecraft, read or re-read any of the five books in the series, or simply carry a towel with you wherever you go. The key message conveyed by this literary holiday is crystal clear: DON’T PANIC. No matter what the galaxy throws at you, take heart from the fact that you have your trusty towel with you.
Mad Hatter Day
Celebrated annually on 6 October, Mad Hatter Day is dedicated to the Hatter, a famous character in Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. The Hatter is described as “mad” in the book and becomes popularly known as the Mad Hatter.
The Mad Hatter first appears in Chapter 7 “A Mad Tea-Party”. While having tea with the March Hare and the Dormouse, he asks Alice, “Why is a raven like a writing-desk?” The riddle was meant to be unsolvable. However, after being badgered by readers one too many times, Carroll offered an answer in the preface to the 1896 edition of the book: “Because it can produce a few notes, tho they are very flat; and it is nevar put with the wrong end in front.” The purposely misspelled word “nevar” is “raven” written backwards, i.e. with the wrong end in front.
It seems natural to associate the eccentric Mad Hatter with the idiom “mad as a hatter”, which describes someone perceived to be insane or prone to unpredictable behaviour, but the expression was already in common use before the book was written. Many believe that it alludes to the mercury-maddened hat makers in the 18th and 19th centuries. It has also been suggested that this idiom may have evolved from the expression “mad as an atter”, “atter” being the Anglo-Saxon form of “adder” (a type of poisonous snake).
While the exact origin of the simile remains obscure, the Mad Hatter certainly has a distinctive look. In the original illustrations by John Tenniel, the Mad Hatter wears a hat with a price tag marked “In this Style 10/6”, which means a hat in that style costs 10 shillings and 6 pence. Taking inspiration from this, fans have come up with the idea to act in the style of the Mad Hatter on 6 October.
Celebrating Mad Hatter Day is simple. Just take a break from your usual routine and indulge in some laughable, absurd or even crazy things to bring out your silly side. You may throw a tea party, wear a top hat of some kind for the whole day, ask ridiculous riddles, propose new solutions to the Mad Hatter’s classic riddle, and so on.
Literary holidays not only give us the chance to immerse ourselves in the world of literature, but also add a bit of literary twist to our celebration routine. When marking this year’s calendar with birthdays of your loved ones and important anniversaries, remember to leave some time for yourself to enjoy the pleasure of reading and rekindle your love for books.
