Did you acknowledge January as National Bread Machine Baking Month or National Bath Safety Month? How about celebrating the strange people in your life on Jan. 10 for Peculiar People Day or perhaps Dress up Your Pet Day six days later?

If you didn’t participate in these obscure events or know that a day dedicated to wrapping a tutu around your dog or tying a bonnet on your cat’s head existed, you’re not alone. It’s the people who are aware and acknowledge these special days and months we need to worry about.

Anyone can declare a random day to appreciate or acknowledge something, such as kazoos and squirrels (yes, there are actually days for these), but to officially stamp the calendar with a national day or month, calling a congressman is in order. However, even lawmakers are at fault for adding offbeat commemorative dates, which desensitizes us for the more important ones.

The U.S. Senate and House spend a considerable amount of time proposing and voting on commemorative legislation. In 2009, President Barack Obama declared June as Great Outdoors Month and recently named January Stalking Awareness Month.

It’s obvious June is a desirable month for outdoor projects and sports. We don’t need anyone to tell us being outdoors in June is favorable.

In this issue, The Chronicle covers an event held by Lisa Madigan for Stalking Awareness Month, pointing out obvious problems with technology and even more palpable solutions.

Stalking is a problem, but U.S. citizens don’t need a month to raise awareness about how wrong it is or how it manifests. If you’re being stalked, you’ll know and the police should be contacted immediately.

It’s disheartening to know we voted officials in office to make these “big” decisions on our behalf. This means the war and ravaged economy are set aside so well-paid public officials can vote on commemorative days and months for various, and I’d argue, mostly unnecessary topics.

There are some dedicated and popular months celebrated regularly, such as October’s National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and February’s Black History Month. These are prime examples of passing commemorative legislature with the right intention.

Some national months are worth recognizing year-round and having a designated space on the calendar has its benefits. However, their important messages and efforts to raise awareness are trampled by random people naming a day for something as trivial as fruitcakes and lawmakers wasting time making June a month to be outdoors.

As February begins and Black History Month kicks off, know it’s also shared with Canned Food Month, National Cherry Month, National Children’s Dental Health Month, National Grapefruit Month and National Weddings Month, to name a few.

While some commemorative calendar dates are well-intentioned, the majority veered off course, and oatmeal and tea were given their own special month.

This makes other declared national dates seem inconsequential and just plain annoying.