..so much to think about - we almost missed wishing you happy Valentine's (didn't forget in the morning mind you!).

So much to think about. We have to buy tulips, we kiss the one we love on Alla Hjärtans Dag (Valentine’s Day) and in March we have to eat våfflor (waffles), this year if we religiously stick to formalities also eat semla on Fettisdagen (late this year, on March 8).

More and more days are loaded with special meaning. Some of these dates are planted firmly in our collective consciousness, such as Alla Hjärtans dag (February 14), International Women’s Day (March 8) and United Nations Day (October 24), but who knows about the Day of the Lefthanded and the Day of World Taxation? Over 100 days of the year have been bribed by international organizations and campaign makers―the UN is behind the majority of them, including a day for the keeping of the ozone layer, one for the milk served in schools and one for tolerance.

“It’s become more and more days and perhaps that undermines the whole purpose with some of them,” says Berith Granath at the United Nations Associations of Sweden. But the thought is that member countries are supposed to use the days that seem relevant to highlight important topics. Sometimes it backfires, though. October 4 is the Day of the Cinnamon, a day created by Hembakningsrådet as a way of upholding the tradition of baking at home; on that day bakers in Sweden sell three million cinnamon buns.

Other days to remember (or not): January 15―Day of the Tulip; March 2―World Poetry Day; June 19―Day of Wild Flowers; and, July 9―International Gun Destruction Day.
As for us, well, March 1 is 'Share a Smile Day' this year - we'll instead try to make 2011 a Share a Smile Year.