When is National Pig Day?
March 1st is always National Pig Day.
The 1st of March is set aside especially for pigs. It was started by Texas art teacher Ellen Stanley in 1972 to honour and give thanks to our most intelligent domesticated creature.
Are there other Holidays related?
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Lets Learn about Pigs
Some breeds of pigs, such as the Asian pot-bellied pig, are kept as pets and make great pets because of their intelligence. Lets remember that pigs are sociable, intelligent mammals. They are much like us in many ways, they have noticable personality traits and soaring emotions. These pigs do not have to woller in the mud like we see farm pigs doing. Pot-bellied pigs are clean and can even be kept as inside house pets. What! Yep they sure can!
Pigs, also called hogs or swine, are ungulates which have been domesticated as sources of food, leather, and similar products since ancient times.
Native to Eurasia, they are collectively grouped under the genus Sus within the Suidae family. Despite pigs' reputation for gluttony, and another reputation for dirtiness, a lesser known quality is their intelligence. The nearest living relatives of the swine family are the peccaries.
Description and behavior
A pig has a snout for a nose, small eyes, and a small tail, which may be curly, kinked, or straight. It has a thick body and short legs. There are four toes on each foot, with the two large middle toes used for walking.
Pigs are omnivores, which means that they consume both plants and animals. Pigs will scavenge and have been known to eat any kind of food, including dead insects, worms, tree bark, rotting carcasses, garbage, and even other pigs. In the wild, they are foraging animals, primarily eating leaves and grasses, roots, fruits and flowers. Occasionally, in captivity, pigs may eat their own young, often if they become severely stressed.
A typical pig has a large head with a long snout which is strengthened by a special bone called the prenasal bone and by a disk of cartilage in the tip. The snout is used to dig into the soil to find food and is a very sensitive sense organ. Pigs have a full set of 44 teeth. The canine teeth, called tusks, grow continually and are sharpened by the lowers and uppers rubbing against each other.
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What do we use pigs for?
- Pigs that are allowed to forage may be watched by swineherds. Because of their foraging abilities and excellent sense of smell, they are used to find truffles in many European countries.
- Domesticated pigs are commonly raised as livestock by farmers for meat (called pork)
- Pigs are also used for leather.
- Their bristly hairs are also used for brushes.
- Some breeds of pigs are kept as pets and make great pets because of their intelligence.
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How can I Celebrate National Pig Day?
- Get outside and get to grilling! Nothing in the world taste like a BBQ Pork! - Visit our Grilling & BBQ Directory to learn great grilling tips and recipes. If grilling is not for you, then serve Pigs-in-a-blanket for a Lunch and have everyone bring a pig fun fact to tell at the table.
- Have a Pig Party! - Go Pink! The color pink has always been associated with pigs so have a pink pig party. Have everyone wear pink or come in pig costumes. The ladies can wear pig headbands and the men can wear pig tails. You can do this by cutting a pink circle around and arond toward the middle and then pining it on the back of everyones pants. Serve pink lemonade, use pink plates and napkins, find some pink barn material and use as a tablecloth.
- Take a field trip to a pig farm and learn about pigs! - Excite their senses. Children love to hear pigs snort. They love to hear them smack on corn and they love to watch them roll around in the dirt and mud.
- Make Pig Crafts! - Make pig snouts out of empty toilet paper rolls.
- Play Pig Games! - Instead of pin the tail on the donkey, play pin the tail on the pig.
- Blog with us about Pigs & Pork! - We have a blog called "Everyday is a Holiday" so visit our pages and tell us about your favorite recipe or your favorite pig memory.
Can you name 10 things your grateful for today?
I'm grateful for all the meat available to eat.
I'm grateful for pets which help us heal emotionally.
I'm grateful for the entertainment that animals bring.
I'm grateful for great neighbors who help me catch run away pets.
I'm grateful for the sound of the ocean as it waves crash on the shore.
I'm grateful for the singing birds in the morning.
