9th Day of
September
Presented by
the Palm Springs Guru
National Teddy Bear Day takes place in the
USA, every year, on September 9th. Initially an American specific holiday National Teddy Bear Day is
increasingly being celebrated by teddy bear aficionados across the world.
The
Palm Springs Guru has done considerable research and still cannot locate the
record of the origin of this holiday or why this particular date was chosen.
Research will continue and I will interview more teddy bears in my attempt to
learn the answer.
Teddy
bears are, of course, named after America’s 26th President, Theodore
"Teddy" Roosevelt.
The
name came about after a 1902 hunting expedition. The hunt had found no game, so
at the end of the day someone brought out a baby bear and suggested that
Roosevelt might like to shoot it instead. Roosevelt understandably felt that
this was not exactly sporting and refused.
The
incident was illustrated in a newspaper cartoon entitled "Drawing the
Line" - which also referred to the political situation at the time.
An
enterprising New York toymaker saw an opportunity and brought out a cute
stuffed bear named "Teddy's Bear". The rest, as they say, is history.
Today
people buy teddy bears across the world, not just for young children but often
for themselves as collectibles. Some early teddy bears by well-known names such
as Steiff or Gund are rare and much sought after by enthusiasts.
So
if anyone deserves an annual holiday it's certainly the teddy bear. How they
celebrate their special day depends on their owner. Some people like to take
their teddy bear out on a trip, others like to organize a toy party and perhaps
even buy their teddy bear gifts. If all inspiration fails, there's always the
traditional teddy bear picnic - I've never known any teddy bear turn down a
teddy bear picnic.
For
the record, there is another National Teddy Bear Day. It is in the month of November.
That special day was created by the Vermont Teddy Bear Company in 2000
to celebrate the contribution the teddy has made to popular culture.
Notice for all Teddy Bears: Teddy Bear Day is NOT an official
holiday. You do not get the day off. You still have an important, two-fold, job
and that is to be hugable and loveable.
Teddy Bears love Palm Springs and the greater Palm
Springs area. In fact, when I interviewed teddy bears, nine out of 1o teddy bears
agreed that Palm Springs is the ideal place to visit, shop, dine, stay, work,
play, relax, refresh and rejuvenate.