For the longest time, even as a blogger, writing here on TSM and elsewhere about mountains, I didn’t really understand International Mountain Day. My outdoors blogging peers and climbers and hikers never seemed to celebrate it the way dads celebrate Father’s Day or Veterans celebrate and are celebrated on Veterans Day.

In fact, I was a little disappointed after learning what it was, that it was a poor excuse to tell the boss that I was taking the day off to go skiing.

So here are the facts:

• International Mountain Day is held every December 11th.
• Established in 2003 when the United Nation’s General Assembly “encouraged the international community to organize events at all levels on that day to highlight the importance of sustainable mountain development.“
• Each year, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, which is in charge of International Mountain Day, promotes a new theme toward the day’s goal.

Still, I wish International Mountain Day was more of a celebration to encourage people to go outside and appreciate these places. Japan does this on their own national Mountain Day — a bona fide public holiday — on August 11th. What do you think…? Do you think the UN’s goals might actually be better reached that way?

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