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3 It's a totally made-up holiday! Strange but true: any schmo can apply to the government or UN to have a day formalized as some special celebration. (Or skip the paperwork and just plain launch a campaign to put their crazy holiday idea into the public consciousness.) Which is why January features Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day (January 31), March claims National Goof-off Day (March 22), August boasts Bad Poetry Day (August 18), and September brings us Talk Like a Pirate Day (September 19 -- argh, matey!). So if you can't find a traditional holiday that inspires your inner host/ess, fear not: a quick online search for bizarre, wacky and obscure holidays will reveal more potential people, places, and things to celebrate than you could have ever imagined possible.

4 Seasonally speaking… Weather it's the winter or summer solstice, fall or spring equinox, May Day (May 1st) or the Mid-Autumn Festival (follows the lunar calendar and generally falls between mid-September and mid-October), the changing of the seasons offers a dandy excuse to have a gathering. Take advantage of the early garden's bounty for your May Day party, or plan a menu around fall harvest goodies for your autumn get-together; gather folks around the fireplace (if you're lucky enough to have one) for a winter indoor camp-in, or make the most of the long days of summer with a rooftop solstice barbecue.

5 Live on TV! Who says watching TV can't be social? Whether it's the Big Game or Oscar's Night or the series finale of your favorite TV show, the boob tube provides a perfect excuse to assemble some folks over chez vous. All that's required are a decent-sized TV set, good reception and plenty of comfy seating for all your guests. But for extra brownie points, theme out your party in accordance with the featured event.

6 Moving right along… Changing digs is always a good reason to throw a celebratory party -- whether it's a farewell party to bid goodbye to all your old friends, or a housewarming party to show off new digs. So what if you've already yard-saled all your furniture at the old abode, or haven't yet unpacked all the boxes at the new one? Remember: the pad doesn't have to look perfect to have guests over. Empty (or nearly so) spaces can actually work great for a party -- no need to worry about spilling wine on the sofa, and you have plenty of room for a dance floor too.

keep on amblin'

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