13 August
Celebrate being left-handed!
Struggling in a right-handed world? You are not alone! At least 10% of the population are left-handed, but fear not! We have a day to celebrate all things left-handed on 13 August every year!
Left-Hander’s Day was created in 1976 by Dean R Campbell, the founder of Left-handers International Inc, to raise awareness of the advantages and disadvantages of being left-handed, the differences between lefties and righties, and to raise awareness of the issues faced specifically by left-handed children as they try to become accustomed to living in a predominantly right-handed world.
Historically, left-handed has been seen as sinister or evil. Many nicknames for lefties come from the dark side: ‘devil’s spawn’ or ‘sign of the devil’ are often bounced around jokingly when referring to a leftie. Even the word “sinister” itself in Latin means “left”.
In the old days, many natural lefties were made to write with their right-hand, with their left sometimes tied behind their back. Forcing a leftie to change their dominant hand has, in later years, been recognised as creating mental illness, attention disorders and stuttering. King George VI (a famous stutterer) was a natural leftie but forced into writing right-handed by his father. Even today, some cultures around the world still see left-handedness as evil.
It’s not all doom and gloom, however; The Celts and Incas adored lefties and viewed them as sacred! And some of the most famous historical people in the world were left-handed: Leonardo DaVinci, Michelangelo, Napoleon, and Julius Caesar to name a few!
Whether you are totally dominant in the left (writing with your left hand; kicking a ball with your left foot; talking on the phone with your left ear), or whether you are semi left-handed using just your hand, foot, or ear, celebrating the fact that you are different is encouraged!
And you don’t have to put up with right-handed goods! There is a whole lot of left-handed products out there, waiting for the left-handed people of this world to use and rejoice! No longer will you feel ‘cack-handed’ or ‘ham-fisted’!
Cack-handed; Southpaw; cuddy wifter....Born left, proud to be left 😊
Happy Left-Hander’s Day!