This will never happen again this century. 12/12/12! I have seen people call it Terry Bradshaw day. Or Aaron Rogers day. But it's really Bonza Botler day...squared.
When Anne Peck was in college, she had a classmate named Elaine Freemont, who loved holidays. She probably liked them even more than Hallmark. She liked them so much, she invented twelve of them. 1|1, 2|2, 3|3, 4|4, 5|5. 6|6, 7|7, 8|8, 9|9, 10|10, 11|11, and 12|12. Every time the month and date were the same number, Elaine called it Bonza Bottler day. In fact, there is a bit of a cult following for Bonza Bottler.
Now, one complicating factor is that a couple of these days were already holidays. February 2 is Groundhog Day. February 2 is Groundhog Day. February 2 is Groundhog Day. And May 5 is Cinco de Mayo (which is Spanish for ... May 5). I doubt this would have mattered much to Elaine. She probably would have celebrated these just like all the others (and would have skipped the Margaritas on 5|5). But it does erode the claim of originality a bit. But only a bit.
Elaine was a happy lady, and her idea was that we should seek out (or invent) reasons to celebrate. Her vision included friendship, joy, goofiness, quippiness...but it excluded artificial celebratory aids (such as alcohol).
These last twelve years, we have enjoyed annual Bonza Bonza Bottler days. 1|1|1 - 12|12|12. Month, day, and year. That's it for this century. Sadly, Elaine celebrated these double bonzas from heaven. She was killed (perhaps ironically) by a drunk driver back in the 1990s. I am certain she would have loved the double doses of bottler.
In any case, this is your last chance. 12|12|12. It is likely that anyone old enough to read this will be around for 1|1|2101. So...
Make a funny face.
Hug someone who seems not to like hugs (but you know in your heart that they want one).
Wear things that don't match. Like, not even close.
Stand on one foot (one of yours).
Stand on one foot (someone else's...but not too hard).
Get giggly over stuff that would only be funny today.
Sip a cup of tea with your pinky up.
A pinky raised to salute...
12|12|12...Bonza Bottler Bottler. And our dear sister, Elaine
