Do you recall how crestfallen Dumbledore looked when he confessed that “one can never have enough socks…another Christmas has come and gone, and I didn’t get a single pair. People still insist on giving me books.” If this statement from an all-powerful wizard doesn’t help you comprehend the importance of socks, then maybe the fact that socks helped someone attain independence from a life of servitude should make you understand the significance of the same; Dobby the elf did attain freedom with the help of a single slime-covered sock gifted to him by Harry Potter!
In the fictional world as well as the real world, you cannot overlook the hold a pair of socks has on your lives; you lose one and all hell breaks loose. In spite of the efforts you put into looking for the lost twin, the chances of seeing it again are quite thin. You aren’t the only person in the world who has a drawer full of socks that lost their twin. To pay homage to the lost sock, and for you to move on and accept the fact that the lost sock is never going to meet its better half and adorn your feet, people celebrate the Lost Sock Memorial Day on May 9. This is an unofficial holiday and is celebrated by people across the country.
The origin of the Lost Sock Memorial Day remains shrouded in mystery; no one knows who came up with the genius idea of letting go of your single sock whose partner was either dragged into one of the corners of your house, never to be found, or the washing machine decided that it had to be separated from its soul mate. Irrespective of how you lost your precious sock, this day is meant for you to steel yourself to perform one of the most heart-wrenching tasks – getting rid of the one sock that was left behind by its partner.
Before the Lost Sock Memorial Day, you have one last chance to look for the lost sock in the nooks and crannies of your house; check every place that can likely shelter the lost sock. If toward the end of the day, you couldn’t trace the lost sock, then prepare yourself for the arduous task the next morning. If on the Lost Sock Memorial Day, you cannot throw away the only reminder of your favorite pair of socks, you can convert those into sock bunnies, and entertain yourself and the people around you.
In case you are wondering how you can celebrate this unique holiday, here are some ideas to make the day more entertaining.
A sock party – You can hold a sock party! Invite your friends to your place with the instructions to wear mismatched socks, i.e., their favorite sock that no longer has a pair with some other sock. In fact, to add to the whimsical nature of this day, your guests can wear mismatched shorts and shirts; in short, everything that will set them apart from the rest of the crowd. Then get the music on, and party away!
Gift a sock – Remember the socks you used to receive as Christmas presents, which you wouldn’t like? So, here’s something you can do with those socks. Gift it to someone! As sinister as it sounds, it is incredibly fun watching your friends accepting such horrid socks with a straight face. If you do not want to torment your family or friends with these socks, you can get novelty socks for them; these radiate happiness and are quite adorable.
Hide the sock – To celebrate the spirit of the Lost Sock Memorial Day, you can play “hide the sock.” Though it is quite ironic, you have to use the sock that still has its pair and hide it somewhere. Let others embark on the seemingly impossible task of finding the other sock. This is fun, and you won’t be actually “losing” the sock since you know where you hid it.
Start a trend – Well, this seems a far-fetched idea, and requires a ridiculous amount of courage on your part. You can wear mismatched socks to work or to visit your friend. You have to be brave enough to carry off this trend. However, there are certain circles where mismatched socks are hailed as the next-best-trend. You can try your luck there.
On a serious note, this not-so-serious Lost Sock Memorial Day paints a bigger picture; it allows you to ponder on a matter, deliberate about it, and finally introspect whether you are ready to let that thing go.
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