There are 365 days in a year (unless it's a leap year) and every one of them has a holiday or occasion attached to it. Well it just so happens that September 9th is Teddy Bear Day!
I can't think of a holiday that is more fun. Everyone loves Teddy Bears!
From the youngest babies to even older folk, everyone has their special Teddy Bear that they have grown up with. My 96 year old uncle has a whole shelf of them! I guess at that age it's not surprising that he would have a few at least. I even have a whole shelf of Teddy Bears (and I won't tell you how old I am!)
Many people already know the story about how the Teddy Bear got it's name, but just in case you don't know, I'll fill you in.
In 1902 Theodore Roosevelt was invited to go hunting. They hunting party came upon a young bear cub and had it cornered just waiting for the President to shoot it. He looked at the young cub and could not and would not shoot it. This incident caused many people to ridicule their President with unflattering cartoons and write ups.
A savvy store owner in New York was inspired by the cartoon and decided to create a new toy. He even wrote the president asking for permission to name him "Teddy Bear". Who knew that this toy would take the country and the world by storm?
A baby's first gift from someone special in the family is usually a Teddy Bear. They are cute, cuddly, soft to the touch and oh so easy to fall in love with. But today there are kids of all ages who are as much in love with Teddy Bears as the babies are who get them.
We have all kinds of bears today that have become famous. Stories have been written, that have brought these loveable characters to the forefront again and again. Just think of Paddington (who even had a commercial spot with the late Queen) and of course Winnie the Pooh. Here in North America we also had the wonderful Care Bears with their own TV series.
All of this just helps to keep our darling Teddy Bears right there in the forefront of everyone's mind when it come to getting a gift for a child or someone else special. Teddy Bears can cover a multitude of occasions for gift giving, from birthdays, to get well wishes and even "I Love You" sentiments. Think of a reason and I'm sure you will find a Bear to fit.
With 7 pages of Teddy Bears on Amazon, and hundreds of other hand made (think original crochet ) , or original Teddy Bear kits to make yourself, you won't run out of a reason not to get one for yourself. Especially if you don't have one!
I don't know of another toy or gift that puts an instant smile on everyone's face like a Cuddly Teddy Bear!
Just for a little extra fun, if you click on any of the BLUE COLORED links, when you see the word Teddy Bear, you will find a different bear just for you to enjoy!
Oh just for your information, I decided to stick to "stuffed" bears, there is a whole bunch of others out there that aren't so stuffy! But these ones are just so much fun to take on a Teddy Bear Picnic.
Darling story about the Teddy Bear for "Teddy Bear Day", Olivia. My first born son's first baby gift was a brown teddy bear with a big red bow. I propped it in the corner of his crib so he could see it long before he was old enough to hold and hug it. Don't you know, that bear became his constant companion for the next four years, going everywhere with him. He named him teddy, of course! Teddy bear was finally put aside and I think he thought that was the end of it. No, I had saved it, just in case. Fast forward a few years. Now he's 13 and we had just moved. My son was helping me unpack a box when he came across 'teddy bear' wrapped carefully in plastic. He said (in that 'tone' teenagers usually use) "why did you save this old thing?" (like it hadn't been the most important thing in the world to him for his first 4 years!). So I flippitantly said "to give to your wife when you get married". Of course my son laughed. Well, I did. I saved Teddy and gave him to his fiancee the day they were opening the wedding gifts ~ with a letter welcoming her to the family and with 'teddy' telling her all about her new hubby's first 4 years when they shared so much! She loved it! :)
ReplyDeleteI think we all love Teddy bears! Yes, I have previously read how the Teddy bear got his name, but it is still fun to be reminded of it. The reminder is totally appropriate for Teddy Bear Day. I suspect my love for bears may have something to do with my own childhood teddy bear, which I named after my father. (yes, I still have that bear) Happy Teddy Bear Day, Olivia! And, thanks for the fun review.
ReplyDeleteI knew that teddy bears were named after President Theodore Roosevelt, but I never knew the wonderful story behind it! From one teddy bear lover to another, thank you so much for this fun review.
ReplyDeleteMy dad's nickname was Bear - He had a lot of "Bear' gifts given to him including Teddy Bears :) - I love the background to how the Teddy Bear came to be
ReplyDeleteThank so much for sharing the back story about teddy bears, Olivia. I didn't know that. I don't recall having a teddy bear growing up, however, I did have a cat!
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