It’s April 22, guys.  Happy Earth Day!

Though commenced in 1970, the beginnings of the Earth Day celebration can actually be traced to as early as 1963, when Senator Gaylord Nelson approached then President John F. Kennedy, sharing his concerns about the environment and asking for urgent actions regarding the same.  President Kennedy realized the alarming nature of Senator Nelson’s concerns, and that solutions must be found quickly.  One such solution was awareness, hence, President Kennedy embarked on a 5 day tour to make drawn attention to the fading state of the environment.  Many believe that this formed the beginnings of Earth Day, though the formal celebration would only be held 7 years later.

Earth Day, of course, is more than a symbolic commemoration.  It is meant as an inspiration for people to rally around initiatives that will alleviate the state of the environment.  It is that day in the year whereby the mere occasion itself is enough to call people to action.

April 22 is not a day picked at random.  It is symbolic as well, making it the perfect date for the celebration of Earth Day.  Traditionally, the period that covers April 22 marks the start of spring in the northern hemisphere and the start of autumn in the southern hemisphere.  In many literary works, spring has represented beauty and autumn has represented new beginnings.

Earth Day is celebrated differently in various parts of the world.  In the coming days, we will be reporting how cities and countries commemorated Earth Day 2009.

How about you?  How are you going to celebrate Earth Day?

Hippygreen’s Hippy Fact Of The Day: Did you know that the number one problem addressed by the first Earth Day in 1970 was population control?  How times have changed, eh?