So, as a quick, tangentially relevant aside: y’all. I love this gig. And today’s relatively obscure holiday is one of the biggest reasons why. I volunteered to take this piece because I had never heard of it before, and I like learning about things, and because, I guess, I am an intellectual onanist or something, I like to talk about what I learn. This holiday had two things going for it—I like purple and I like peace—so, I signed up to write this piece. And—gais!—it is so much more awesome than I was anticipating! So, strap in!—it’s about to get interesting.
Going into this, I was expecting something along the lines of International Day of Peace, but with a different sponsoring organization. It really did sound like one of any number of aspirational holidays to rededicate ourselves to more noble goals and pursuits. What I found, though, was nothing nearly so orthodox. One could say that it’s totally far out. *groan* I’ll see myself out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sXQoGcMN1U
Really—really—bad puns aside, I wasn’t kidding. There is really not a lot out there about Wear Purple for Peace Day: no one seems to know who started it, why they chose May 16, how long it has been around, or why purple was chosen (is purple, the color of royalty, luxury, and power—a color arrived at with the combination of faithful, loyal blue and ever-sanguine red—even an appropriate color to mean peace?). Though this observance really does leave one with more questions than answers, Wear Purple for Peace Day is actually meant as a signal to other intelligent life who may have been perpetually postponing first contact because of how decidedly not peaceful we are—at least, not historically. Basically, the whole premise of this observance is to express our collective desire for a peaceful encounter and to avoid living out Independence Day.
Definitely shooting for more this…
…and way less this.
I’m not entirely sure that any exoplanetary species are keeping special tabs on how many of us Earthicans are sporting purple ribbons or purple attire specifically on May 16th —then again, you never know. Extraterrestrial fashion may be the biggest pastime this side of the Crab Nebula. But, really, if our options are Kang and Kodos or Thermians—I think playing it safe and rocking some purple is the way to go.
I mean, it may not be a regulation uniform, but again… Kang and Kodos or Thermians? Purple it is!
So, if you are a believer or maybe, like me, you are agnostic but perfectly willing to consider whatever evidence may come, let’s don some purple threads. I mean, it can’t hurt (well, unless an extraterrestrial species finds purple to be an abhorrent color)! And if you don’t believe, that’s fine. You’ll get know judgment from me. Still, I ask that you maybe rock a little hint of purple somewhere, because it is pretty. But also because you do not want to end up missing your barbecue.
Live long and prosper, folks! And, for goodness sake, purple up!
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