Narwhal Day

Sympathetic Narwhal Day to all & sundry! Yes, I know that "all & sundry" is redundant, since all encompasses sundry, but I still find it a pleasing turn of phrase. As it was in the beginning, there are three elements to the proper observance of Narwhal Day, each of which helps to engender the appropriate spirit of sympathy & celebration:

{1} Wear at least one article of clothing that is gray in color, as is the narwhal itself. This can range from as much as a gray suit to as little as a pair of gray unmentionables, both extremes being acceptable.
{2} Faithfully recite "The Oath of Narwhal Day." Woe to him who breaks his oath.
{3} Listen to "Sympathy for the Narwhal," by the Seaghost, an old ally of The Aquabats!



This is the sketch Red Patton drew last year, as he was caught up in the Narwhal Day spirit. He also helps to spread knowledge of both the narwhal & Narwhal Day to the youth, proving that the public schools are in fact good for something.

The Oath of Narwhal Day
The narwhal is a noble, pitiable creature,
A magnificent, monstrous visage.
An asymmetrical tooth for a horn,
Or sometimes two, or sometimes none,
Half again as long as the beast.

I swear my sympathy for the narwhal.
I will not lie and convince it all is well,
But I will be a friend to the narwhal.
The mocking dolphins and snobby manatees
Will get their well-earned comeuppance,
And the narwhal will frolic all day.

I dream this dream of the narwhal
And celebrate it in all its improbable, oddball glory,
On this the fourteenth Narwhal Day.



the narwhal (Monodon monoceros)—also narwal or narwhale

The Rebel Black Dot Sea Shanty of Narwhal Day!
D.J. Seaghost, "Sympathy for the Narwhal" from The Aquabats! and Horchata Records Presents Rice Capades Music Sampler, Vol. 1 (Captain Thumbs Up!)

Commentary: "Sympathy for the Narwhal" is a largely instrumental piece, the only words seeming to be excerpts from old motion pictures. Then again, I often theatrically intone words & phrases of my own devise, only then to be asked, "What's that from?," so the words could well be the Seaghost's own.

"All I can get is static, variations on a central musical rhythm."

"Play something sad. Convince it all is not well."

"Wow!"



Some months back, K. Steeze sent me a photograph (not the one above) of a bottle of Narwhal Imperial Stout. The increased pop cultural awareness of the narwhal pleases me to no end, & my hope is that one of these years Narwhal Day itself will register on the broader cultural "radar." This week, two of my FaceSpace friends, one a brother Knight & the other my confirmation sponsor, a friend of my mother's who has known me my whole life, asked me about Narwhal Day. He asked, "What is 'Unicorn Day'?" She asked, "O.K., Mike, what is Narwhal Day?" Narwhal Day's message of sympathy for the narwhal is spreading. The day draws nearer when, as the Oath predicts, "the narwhal will frolic all day." Thank you all for your sympathy for the narwhal; my great hope is that on this Narwhal Day you seize the chance to frolic in the narwhal's stead. The narwhal would want you to frolic. Frolic!

The Wayback Machine Tour of Narwhal Day
Narwhal Day '13 | Narwhal Day '12
Narwhal Day '11 | Narwhal Day '10
Narwhal Day '09 | Narwhal Day '08
Narwhal Day '07a & Narwhal Day '07b
Narwhal Day '06 | Narwhal Day '05
Narwhal Day '04 | Narwhal Day '03

Sympathetic Narwhal Day!