Annual "Holiday" celebrating penguins and drawing attention to their threatened status.
"We love penguins for lots of reasons: They walk around in tuxedos, they have a cute waddle, and they’re unique! And to show that we care, we observe National Penguin Day on January 20. While this day celebrates the penguins, it’s also a time to think about saving them. Many penguin colonies have been lost to climate change and it’s estimated that half the population of emperor penguins will vanish by the end of this century. We can start to help these endangered creatures by focusing on environmental issues."
—National Today
Yes, we all love penguins; they're comical-looking flightless birds, fun to watch. They are native to cold southern shores, so seen on the coasts of Antarctica, the southernmost parts of South America and even New Zealand. The only exception is the Galapagos Penguin. Whilst they can't fly, they swim well, eating the fish they catch in the sea. Flightless they may be, but not plightless; sadly, climate change and pollution are threatening their habitats and food supply. Penguin Day was therefore proposed to draw attention to their plight and ncoursgae people to take care of the global environment.
as an example, in 2018 a study estimated that by 2100, at least two-thirds of emperor penguin colonies will have dramatically declined. I knew nothing of this day until JD brought it to my attention in a recent daylog. Every four years, Penguin Day coincides with US Inauguration Day, the day when a newly-elected president is sworn in. Today it is the turn of the waddling Donald Trump, who probably gives zero fucks about the penguins, nor they about him.
I'm delighted to celebrate the day, not just because of the penguins, but it gives me a reason to wear my Tux penguin pin, and celebrate Linux at the same time. I told a pal of mine about it, and his suggestion was that we each learn about a new species of penguin every year. I suggested starting with Gentoo, he beat me gently about the head with a stuffed animal. Since then I have learned that there's a macaroni penguin, which I shall research. Penguins are cool, I have decided. There is also an International Penguin Day, sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund, which covers similar ground with the added bonus of enabling one to adopt a penguin, something I undertake to do soon. ¹
^1 Adoption
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