Merry Boink Day

Our winter gives us about one hour of sunshine every two weeks. Hibernation is the only way through the dark, cold, wet, miserable November to March tunnel. Last year I spent those dregs locked in a basement building a stupidly detailed scale model of

a Second World War fighter plane. This winter it’s been obsessive guitar practice. (I am still total crap). Those are my examples; I’m guessing yours contain an equally anti-social hobby, loaded PVR, fatty foods and napping. If we have anything in common you too have forgotten how to carry on a proper conversation.

That ends next Tuesday. Because March 20^th is the first day of spring. It is the day more worthy of celebration than any other. Period. Christmas? We shop, eat, drink and pile up debt and if you miss a Charlie Brown Christmas, forget why. On Feb 14 we celebrate love and chocolate and remembering to make a dinner reservation. We celebrate birthdays and anniversaries and Easter Bunnies. We celebrate every form of New Year with resolutions, more excess and regret. Really, there is only one date on the calendar that does something worth actually celebrating. THE FIRST DAY OF SPRING. The day that marks the end of the season that sucks. Even the skiing’s better after that date. But the first day of spring is grossly overlooked and under-celebrated. We’re changing that. Why not? It’s our namesake.

On that hallowed day we’ll raise money for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank in the best and weirdest way we know, by jumping up and down on pogo sticks in public. More on that later.

And yeah, there’s an element of self promotion, after all what good holiday goes without commercial content? Besides, it also happens to be our little company’s birthday and as we enter our 7^th year, we’re ready to make this day happen for everybody.

We worked on the names: Like: Solstice Day (too new age). Vernal Equinox Day (too literal) Spring Day (too self-serving) 3:20 (too stoner) Unwinter (meh) Blossom Day (really? really?) and landed on BOINK DAY.

It’s Boink Day because: That’s the sound that springs make in all better quality cartoons. Boink because we’re all rebounding from the depression of winter. Boink Day because it has a nice ring to it. And spring is a time for fertility and reproduction and new life. Or for you “delete browser history” types, sex, or boinking if you will.

Every great day of celebration has its own rituals. There are rules. Rules such as giving, good will, and weird physical activities. Here are those that belong to Boink Day.

1) Giving: raise money for the local food bank. This time of year there is a real need.

2) Goodwill: see above

3) Weird physical activity: Get on a pogo stick and for every bounce (boink) Spring (we) give 10 cents to the Greater Vancouver Food Bank. Last time we raised/donated over $6,000.

See you there and Merry Boink Day. I will now compose a Boink Day Carol in its honour.