International Left Handers Day is day set aside each year to celebrate people who go through life predominantly using their left hand.
Yes, there's a holiday for everything, and for the past 30 years now, Left Handers International has dedicated August 13 to raising "awareness [about] the everyday issues that lefties face as [they] live in a world designed for right-hander," according to the group's official website.
Over the past few decades, this day has been marked by left-versus-right sports matches, a left-handed tea party, and in the United Kingdom, nationwide “Lefty Zones” where right-handed people are encouraged to try out everyday left-handed objects to see just how awkward it can feel using the wrong equipment.
In all seriousness, these events have led to product redesigns with left-handed people in mind, and that's a win for everybody!
In honor of the uniqueness of left-handers around the world, here a few facts that you may not have known about this portion of the population, according to Left Handers International:
- "The Simpsons" creator Matt Groening is left-handed, and he made the lead character of the long-running animated series, Bart Simpson, left-handed as well.
- Left-handers tend to perform well in tennis, baseball, swimming and fencing.
- Most left-handers draw characters facing to the right.
- In sets of twins, there is a high chance the at least one of them will be left-handed.
- There's even a free club you can join if you're left-handed, called The Left-Handers Club.
Now armed with this new information, you're ready to celebrate your left-handedness, or the left-handed person in your life.
You can take part in the internet fun revolving around left-handers today using the hashtag #lefthandersday.
