🐻 When is National Teddy Bear Picnic Day 2024

For most children and adults, Teddy bear is a gray friend from Me to you. However, comparing to its brown predecessors, the modern toy is still young. He is only a little over a decade old. How did the first soft toy appear? What and when the National Teddy Bear Picnic Day in 2024 is?

N.T.B.D., which is celebrated on 10th of July, is organized annually by an anonymous creator and without any clear aim to achieve. But, it seems the originators of this unofficial holiday want the parents to encourage the creativity of their children by taking them outdoors with their stuffed toys.

Also, the origin of a soft plaything is covered in mystery and explained by two legends, both are very amazing.

History

Well, let’s plunge into the topic mysterious story before shedding the light on what day National Teddy Bear Picnic Day in 2024 is.

As it was mentioned above, the history of stuffed toy contains 2 legends: American and German.

If you believe German history, then the birthplace of the universal pal is the small Geingen town. A seamstress, named Margret Steif, lived in this place. The girl was sick and chained to a wheelchair, so Margaret liked to sew soft toys. The creations of the young seamstress always came out extraordinary and amazing and soon took a place in the hearts of the town’s children. Parents appreciated the talent of their daughter and supervised opening a workshop, which gradually developed into a striving family business. So, the stuffed toy manufacture of Steif family emerged. The idea of creating a bear Margaret has achieved from the artist Richard Steif, who was her nephew. In 1902, according to Stephan’s sketch, the first Teddy appears.

The invented miracle bear appeared in the spotlight at the big fair in Leipzig, got the main prize and was appreciated by the Americans. Furthermore, he fell in love with the Americans so much that they even ordered the whole batch of future stuffed toy from the factory.

By the way, let’s turn to bear’s name. Its origin sends us to the 2nd legend — the American one. As the American story tells us, the teddy received its name from no one else than from US President Theodore Roosevelt.

Once, Roosevelt had to visit the Smiths District, Mississippi. The forests there were famous for animals, so the president couldn’t refuse to go hunting. Everything was spoiled by supervisors. They found somewhere a small bear-cub and offered the president to make a trophy from it. Roosevelt was aroused and released the lad.

Eager hunters for such headlines, journalists could not miss such an opportunity to note that fact. Over time, a picture with the participation of a bear-cub and a kindhearted Theodore was published in one of the local papers.

While working in their toy store in New York, Miht’s family suddenly came across this headline. Then a children’s toy — a bear was created and put on the showcase next to the picture. The toy was given a name Teddy and immediately gained fame among crowds.

After several years, the whole planet was wrapped in a wave of teddy mania. In 1914, stuffed toys began being produced in Great Britain, which was the 3rd homeland of Teddy bear.

https://youtu.be/SodPafKocF8

By the 1980s, the interest had flared up with renewable energy. The toys appeared in a new shape — a stuffed toy from Me to you. Over time, in 1995 the enterprise launches a production line of stuffed bears. The variants from Me to you were distinguished by a new design: they are gray cubs with a blue spout.

Such a story cannot help but intrigue the whole audience, and the decision whether to believe the German or the American story is still up to you.

Meaning

Knowing what does Teddy Bear Picnic Day mean will help you to shed the light on the sense of a holiday. So, when National Teddy Bear Picnic Day in 2024 will be held, the main aim is to take your favorite toy stuff and go for a picnic outside, watching the movies and singing the songs connected with the holiday.

It is told in case if you don’t have exactly Teddy bear, then it’s not a problem. You should take any soft toy with you and just enjoy this holiday.

Definition

What is the date of National Teddy Bear Picnic Day 2024? The calendar has clarified this issue and now we can turn to another one.

It was told above about the history nuances of the plaything, but what is the story and origin of “Picnic”?

Well, it comes from the French verb pique-niquer, originated in French vernacular of XVII century, although the practice of eating on the grass has always existed. It was said “to arrange a dinner like to nibble a little” (faire un repas à pique-nique), that is, joint food in a stock, when everyone brings something to eat. The verb piquer, meaning “to peck, eat a little,” made a comparison with the birds. The term nique called something insignificant. To arrange a picnic (faire un pique-nique) – meant a meal, less familiar than dinner at the table.

The French word “picnic” was borrowed by the British before returning to France in the middle of the 18th century.

Tradition

Each holiday has its own tradition in celebrating. National Teddy Bear Picnic Day is not an exception.

A celebration of this festival is often accompanied by going outside with friends and relatives and taking your favorite stuffed toy. More often, it is held by families, mummy, puppy, and a daughter who adores her soft friend. Then, there is a big variety of available activities to do on a picnic: to play frisbee, to look at the rainbow after the rain if such exists and so on.

So, whatever you want to do, this day is a good opportunity to feel yourself completely connected to the origin of a topic.

Teddy Bear Facts

Generally speaking, the history of celebrating the Teddy Bear Picnic Day has provoked the creation of world-known facts. Here are some of them:

• Hundreds of thousands of people around the world collect the brand bears. There are even about twenty museums, enthusiastically engaged in the same business. For example, designer Gemma Kage releases limited batches – just 2-3 copies – especially for serious collectors. It is well-known that it is rare luck to buy a brand soft toy from such a master.
• The most expensive one was made of mohair in 1929 and was sold to a collector for 90 thousand dollars.
• The Teddy bear is recognized as the most effective one in helping the children exploring the surrounding world, accustoms it to a meaningful activity, promotes the development of thinking, memory, speech, emotions.
• The smallest Teddy in the world is a toy with a height of 8.5 millimeters, created by Lynn Galifax, in England.
• Bears were seen on the first transatlantic flight without transplants. Pilots Alcock and Brown took them on board as talismans.
• In 1907, a song, dedicated to this toy, was created. The American composer wrote “Bear Teddy’s Picnic”. And only in 1932, Jimmy Kennedy’s text was written. Text remains popular to our days.
• In 1953, the company Steiff celebrated the Golden Jubilee of its first soft toy, in honor of which the baby-boy Jackie was released.