Monkey Day– December 14, 2021
U.S.

December 14 is Monkey Day! We might look simply a bit different from our primate friends, however we shouldn’t forget that we share a common ancestor with them in chimpanzees! Heat up those singing cords and prepare yourself to release your wildest calls and cries in observance of this holiday, which celebrates not simply monkeys, however whatever simian.

HISTORY OF MONKEY DAY
It’s an uphill struggle to determine the precise minute that monkeys first became a special types within the animal kingdom, but it is thought that their look took place roughly 60 million years back. This large amount of time would pass, month by year by millenia, both creeping and speeding along, without the presence of a National Monkey Day! At long last, though, thanks to two pioneering college students, this would change in the year 2000.

Casey Grief and Erik Millikin, both studying art at Michigan State University, are accountable for the development of this simian-centric celebratory day. Sadness (fittingly) would confess to the Detroit City Times that he experienced a kind of malaise around the holiday season and felt forced to find a method to combat these December blues. After jokingly writing “Monkey Day” in a good friend’s calendar, Sadness took the concept and kept up it: when December 14th rolled around, he and his art school buddies dressed up as monkeys and ran amok, placing on their finest monkey impressions.

They would go on to include ideas connected to their newly-formed vacation into their artwork and homemade comics. Publishing these pieces online permitted the idea of a Monkey Day to spread, and now, decades on, the day is observed throughout the world in countries including Germany, India, and Thailand.

What started as a bit of enjoyable has progressed into a full-blown operation. Monkey Day acts as an important anniversary each year for raising awareness of modern-day dangers to monkeys, with entities such as National Geographic, the Smithsonian Institution, and Greenpeace promoting the day. Sadness and Millikin have actually also contributed in utilizing monkey-themed art as vehicles to serve this end, as well. Their work has actually brought an entirely brand-new comprehending to the term “monkey business!”

MONKEY DAY TIMELINE
1580
Origins of Monkey
The word “monkey” originated in a German variation of the Reynard the Fox myth.

2000
Dawn of Development
Casey Sadness and Erik Millikin celebrate the inaugural Monkey Day with their fellow schoolmates at Michigan State University.

2005
Suitable for a King
Peter Jackson’s 2005 movie King Kong is launched on the fifth anniversary of Monkey Day.

2013
Monkey Mail
Erik Millikin sends out a number of works of Monkey Day themed mail to complete strangers; among the recipients were Koko (the gorilla that can use sign language) and then-president Barack Obama.

TRADITIONS OF NATIONAL MONKEY DAY
Develop Monkey-Themed Art

The very first Monkey Day might have been just a couple of college kids getting together to monkey around, but the day gained appeal because of the art produced by Sorrow and Millikin. Continue this custom by painting or drawing some monkey art of your own!

Make Monkey-Shaped Foods

Bananas are the very first food that enter your mind when we consider monkeys, and cooking up some banana muffins would not run out place on this day. You could also bake monkey-shaped cookies, or, if you want to get even further from a monkey’s natural diet, scoop up some Chunky Monkey Ben and Jerry’s ice cream!

NATIONAL MONKEY DAY STATISTICS
2 main groups of monkey

Not all monkeys are considered to be a part of the very same whole; they are frequently separated into 2 groups: Old World monkeys live in Africa and Asia, while New World monkeys reside in South America.

120 grams

The pygmy marmoset species is the smallest type of monkey; fully-grown grownups weigh between just 120 and 140 grams. The are thought about a New World monkey and are typically found throughout nations found in the Amazon basin.

262 types of monkey

There are 262 types of monkey worldwide, half of which are currently engangered.

MONKEY DAY FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is nationwide Monkey Day?
National Monkey Day is a day committed completely to celebrating monkeys all over! It was begun by a group of enthusiastic and fun-loving college students in 2000.

Why do we celebrate Monkey Day?
We commemorate Monkey Day not just to give monkey-lovers the chance to voice their love for these animals, however likewise to help raise awareness for the obstacles dealing with the continued presence of monkeys on the planet.

Which day is celebrated on 14th December?
National Monkey Day is commemorated on the 14th of December, together with National Free Shipping Day and National Bouillabaisse Day!

MONKEY DAY ACTIVITIES
Primate, contribute, commemorate
Assist collect funds to support ethical animal research study, primate awareness programs, or protects for aging monkeys.

Go to the zoo
It’s fun to see the animals we enjoy a lot, and lots of zoos around the nation will have special programs and initiatives that focus particularly on monkeys throughout the week of December 14th!

Consume monkey media
From Curious George to Aladdin’s Abu, entertainment including primates can be fun for the whole household. So discover an ape-propriate movie and get viewing!

WHY WE LOVE MONKEY DAY
It’s a great day to monkey around
Feel free to translate Monkey Day in a less actual method and utilize it as an opportunity to cut loose! Bum around, mess around, keep it fun … Everybody requires a great reason to get silly sometimes!

It raises much-needed awareness
Though not everybody might know it, half of the 262 types of monkey in the world are threatened with extinction. Monkey Day plays an important role in educating people about today threats these animals face.

Monkeys are adorable
Not just are they lively, smart, and friendly, but monkeys are likewise some of the prettiest animals around!