Appreciate a Dragon Day is celebrated annually on January 16. With loud flapping wings, flaming breath, and steely scales, dragons are viewed as unstoppable masters of chaos. However, they are also presented as tamable and friendly creatures that can be great buddies with humans. This day is set to encourage people worldwide to appreciate the history and socio-cultural significance of the mythical creatures.
HISTORY OF APPRECIATE A DRAGON DAY
The word ‘dragon’ first entered the English language in the early 13th century from Old French dragon, which in turn comes from Latin’s ‘draconem,’ meaning ‘a serpent of huge size.’
Dragons have always been a part of world history, with the first depiction of dragons being as far back as 4500 B.C. during the times of the Romans and Egyptians. Since then, dragons and dragon motifs have featured in many works of modern literature, particularly within the fantasy genre.
Appreciate a Dragon Day was created in 2004 by Donita K. Paul. The author was promoting the release of her novel “DragonSpell,” which is part one of a five-book series. The book is about a former slave that changes her fate and is the savior of dragons. It is a celebration of dragons in literature, as well as literacy in general and pop culture.
Dragons are diverse in presentation with the fire-breathing variety, some like gargoyles found in medieval churches. Others are many-headed hydras that pop out of the ocean. Others are wyverns, basilisks, and other mythical creatures with loose connections to the real world.
Ultimately, the idea of dragons interacting with humans fills our minds with awe and inspires us to delight our minds with fancy.
APPRECIATE A DRAGON DAY TIMELINE
1260
Ancient Depiction The oldest recognizable image of a modern, western dragon is in a medieval bestiary. 1392 The Dragon Wall is Built The Nine-Dragon Wall is built in Datong, China, by the Ming Dynasty.
1890 Dragon Sightings Arizona’s “The Tombstone” paper reports two cowboys shooting down a ‘winged dragon.’ 2007 “Beowulf” The movie –— based on an old poem of a warrior who defeats a dragon —– is released.