Who’s Ready for Summer? – written by GiGi’s NYC participant, Fatima

Hoping everyone is enjoying the outdoors since summer is near and the weather is getting nice and warm out there. Also, there are some occasions celebrated in June. For example, National Chocolate Ice Cream Day, National Best Friends Day, the National Puerto Rican Day Parade, National Sewing Machine Day, World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, Father’s Day, Juneteenth, National Ice Cream Soda Day, International Yoga Day, National Peaches and Cream Day, and National Onion Ring Day.

National Chocolate Ice Cream Day was on Wednesday, June 7th, and a lot of people celebrate the occasion by having a sundae with whipped cream and strawberries on top with brownies for a delicious dessert. Also, people celebrate the occasion by enjoying a scoop or two of their favorite flavor ice cream. Chocolate ice cream is my favorite flavor after vanilla.

National Best Friends Day was celebrated on Thursday, June 8th, and a lot of people do different things with their friends. For example, people like to make friendship bracelets, have fun in the sunlight, see a movie together, make sweet treats, get artistic and paint each other’s nails, go on an adventure, and go out for dinner. I have a lot of best friends to honor on this day from the past until now. 

The National Puerto Rican Day Parade takes place in Manhattan every June in honor of the 3.5 million people who live in Puerto Rico and over 5 million Puerto Ricans who live in the United States. It is the largest celebration of Puerto Rican cultural pride in this country. The parade celebrates and honors Puerto Rican leaders, educators, artists, and celebrities that have had an influence on the United States. This year the parade took place on Sunday, June 11th.

National Sewing Machine Day was on Tuesday, June 13th. The sewing machine was invented in 1790. The best way to celebrate this day is to get stitching and make something for yourself and your family. Other ways to celebrate this day include sharing your favorite sewing tips and tricks and posting a photo of your favorite sewn item on social media.

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) was celebrated on Thursday, June 15th. The purpose of WEAAD is to provide an opportunity for communities around the world to promote a better understanding of abuse and neglect of older people by raising awareness of the cultural, social, economic, and demographic processes affecting elder abuse and neglect. 

Father’s Day was celebrated on Sunday, June 18th. A lot of people do special things with their father like golfing, fishing, going to a barbecue, attending a baseball game, creating a card for him, going out to dinner with the family, going camping, having a picnic, treating him ice cream, going to the movie theater or watching a movie at home, spending quality time with him, or taking your him to a restaurant for a meal and paying for it. 

Juneteenth was on Monday, June 19th and honors the end of slavery in the United States when the Union declared on this day in 1865 that all slaves in the state of Texas were free. Texas was the last state in the Confederacy to free slaves. This holiday is also called Emancipation Day or Juneteenth Independence Day.

National Ice Cream Soda Day was celebrated on Tuesday, June 20th, and a lot of people celebrate the occasion by having an ice cream float with something sweet in it like strawberries, bananas, chocolate syrup, or whipped cream on top. 

International Yoga Day was celebrated on Wednesday, June 21st, and a lot of people around the world do yoga on this day. Yoga is one of the programs that I enjoy participating in at GiGi’s NYC, and it is one of my favorite things to do outdoors in my free time.

National Peaches and Cream Day was also celebrated on Wednesday, June 21st. A lot of people celebrate the occasion by having peaches and vanilla ice cream in a shake. I enjoy eating sliced peaches in a sundae. Also, people enjoy some peaches and cream products or try making their own peaches and cream with homemade whipped cream. 

National Onion Ring Day was celebrated on Thursday, June 22nd and a lot of people celebrate the occasion by having burgers, BLT sandwiches, and gyros with coleslaw and onion rings on the side. 

This summer, I am planning on drinking more water everyday, going to the bowling alley, going to the movie theater and eating popcorn and nachos while there, going for walks in the park, socializing with friends and my family, having ice cream for a snack during the day, drawing and coloring pictures on paper during my free time, making pizza from scratch, going to dinner on date nights with my boyfriend Peter, working at Citi Field, seeing the Liberty Bell, and visiting Albany, New York.

What are your plans for the summer of 2023? Please let me know in the comments below.

Until the fall, have a happy summer!

Love always,

Fatima 

xoxo