International Mud Day | Funny Holidays

When we say mud, the first association that usually comes to mind is some unpleasantness associated with this phenomenon. Dirty shoes, muddy doormats, muddy wheels, sticky or slippery terrain - these are just some of the most common thoughts about soggy soil, and the predominant feeling is usually disgust.

However, mud also has its brighter side.

Many of us grow up and forget the joy and happiness that playing in the mud brings during early childhood. From digging tunnels for toy cars and holes for marbles, to mud fights playing "army" - wet soil is a kind of toy, albeit mostly for boys. For the fairer sex, soil and mud are not as attractive in childhood (although chocolate mud cakes are a real treat for little chefs), but they become more appealing in adulthood when various healing "muddy" masks are used for the care of facial and body skin.

When heavy rain falls, mud is all around us. Its purpose is multifaceted, so besides play and cosmetic purposes, mud was sometimes used as a binding material in house construction, and today it is used in treating various skin and rheumatic conditions.

As getting dirty during play is common for all children worldwide, an Australian and a Nepalese person established a specific holiday in 2009 - International Mud Day.

Apart from its humorous name, the idea behind this "holiday" is actually noble, aiming to symbolically develop and nurture global awareness that all children in the world are equal. Covered in mud, all children look the same, meaning they deserve equal opportunities in life regardless of race, social status, nationality, or religious affiliation.

International Mud Day can be symbolically celebrated in many ways, but one thing is common - it's worth getting a little dirty. For young children, that certainly won't be a problem, probably not even for their parents, and a little black under the nails on World Mud Day won't harm others either.