by Barbara Miller Beem

“You say it’s your birthday? Well, it’s my birthday too, yeah!”

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Just when you thought you were in for a holiday from the holidays, here it is—January, my birth month. And, as the Beatles song reminds us, “We’re gonna have a good time too.”

As it turns out, my birthday isn’t the only thing to celebrate in January. For those looking for an excuse to party every day of the month, there is a wide array of so-called holidays, some of them serious, others, well, rather “out there.” Best of all, many of them might inspire us to use old things in new ways. Talk about a charm…

Let’s begin at the beginning, with New Year’s Day, also dubbed by some as “National Bloody Mary Day.” The rationale for this is the belief that tomato juice, in conjunction with a few other ingredients, might be good for a hangover. Even though this is an excuse to put my favorite vintage cocktail shaker to work, I think I’ll pass.

A favorite shaker, made by Reed & Barton, bearing the words “The Homestead Club/Hot Springs, Virginia.” But Bloody Marys on New Year’s Day? Maybe not.

Moving on to January 4, “National Trivia Day.” On the subject of random information, consider the fact that some vintage calendars work for 2026, a year that begins on a Thursday and is not a leap year. Check your stash. Maybe you’ve kept or recently purchased an advertising paper
calendar from 1931, 1942, or 1953. How about a china calendar plate from 1959 or 1970, or even a linen towel calendar from 1981, 1987, or 1998? Lucky you—they’re all good for 2026. As for those from this century, calendars originally used in 2009 and 2015 will once again work this year. Looking ahead, hold on to any calendars from 2026 and save them for the kids; they can confound their friends by reusing them in 2037.

Enough of that. January 7 is “National Bobblehead Day.” As we all know, there seems to be a museum for everything, and so it is that Milwaukee is the home of the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum. (Could I make this up?) I’ve been trying for several years to
get in touch with these folks, but to no avail. If you’re out there, send me an email.

An homage to Grandmom: Cuttings taken from her variegated screw-pine house plant continue to thrive, now in a handsome jardiniere that was made in Baltimore more than a century ago.

January 10 is a good one, that being “National Houseplant Appreciation Day.” Now, I’m not much of an outdoor gardener; I plant marigolds and geraniums in pots, arrange them on my terrace, and faithfully water them every day. Some years they’re spectacular. Others, well, not so much. But I do have pretty good success with indoor houseplants. I’m especially proud of my collection of variegated screw-pines, “offsprings” of a single plant nurtured by my maternal grandmother more than 80 years ago.

What better way to display these vintage plants than in antique and vintage containers? Some of my houseplants preside in lovely examples of pottery made in Baltimore at the turn of the last century. Other larger plants are doing just fine in jardinieres made by RRP Co., the Robinson Ransbottom Pottery Company—not to be confused with Roseville Pottery. Smaller specimens seem to thrive in my array of vintage milk glass planters.

Phew! I need a cup of tea. Thank goodness for January 12, “National Hot Tea Day.” I am a tea drinker, and I’m trying to use the “good china” more often, rather than just looking at it in a cabinet. Somehow, even chamomile tea seems to taste better when served in a Minton teacup and saucer.

Celebrate “Hot Tea Day” by sipping from the “good china.”

Which brings us to the midpoint of the month, that being “National Brooch Day” on January 15. As it happens, I have a rather decent collection of vintage pins. Many of them were inherited, but a lot of them are ones that caught my eye and were purchased for just a few dollars. I particularly enjoy my selection of vintage milk glass pins. I’ve heard the rule of thumb that a woman should look in a mirror before leaving home and remove one piece of jewelry. But I would suggest a better plan might be to add one more brooch—especially on the Ides
of January.

What lurks in jewelry boxes
everywhere? Dazzling brooches that were made to be worn and enjoyed.

“Clashing Clothes Day” is celebrated on January 22. For groovy inspiration, watch a rerun of The Brady Bunch. Enough said.

January 27 is “National Geographic Day.” Remember how people used to subscribe to this monthly publication and read just a little bit of it, saving the rest for later? Well, at last check, it appears that the magazine lives on, in print and online. Not surprisingly, back issues do not sell for big bucks. Enjoy them, donate them, or repurpose the pretty pictures.

Winding down, there’s “Curmudgeon’s Day,” on January 29. Never mind. Ditto “Backwards Day” on January 31.

Finally, just for the record, my fellow Capricornians include Sir Isaac Newton, born on January 4; the late, great David Bowie on the 8th; and the fabulous Cary Grant, née Archibald Alec Leach, on the 19th. Although Edgar Allan Poe and I do not share a birthday (his was
January 19), I was born in Baltimore at the same location where he breathed his last. How’s that for a literary legacy?

A postcard mailed in 1908, picturing The Church Home and Infirmary, birthplace of the columnist and the spot where Edgar Allen Poe departed this world.