Umbrella Day was a few days back (February 10th to be exact) but I thought it was a holiday that need not be ignored. Umbrella Day is the celebration of the invention of the ingenious contraption that keeps you out of the hot sun in the summer and dry in the rain. The first umbrella was invented over four thousand years ago and evidence has been found of them being used by the ancient Greeks, Egyptians, and Chinese. It was the Chinese, however, who took the first step in waterproofing them. The first modern umbrellas were sold in an umbrella shop called "James Smith and Sons" in 1830 in London. Umbrellas at that time were made of wood or whalebone and covered with alpaca or oiled canvas. They were very popular in that area of Europe because of the typically rainy weather. The first steel-rimmed umbrella was made around 1850 and made its way to the United States shortly after.Today, umbrellas are made of nylon, plastic, or a cotton-based material. They are made in hundreds of different colors and styles to ensure everyone can find an umbrella that suits them. There is the classic black umbrella for the businessman type, the cute pink frilly umbrella for little girls, even umbrellas that look like superheroes for little boys. Personally, I have a brown umbrella with multi-color polka dots. My umbrella also came with a handy little case to put it in when it's folded up so it doesn't get the other things in your bag wet.
Rainy days are always interesting on Purdue's campus. There are many different methods that people use to cope with the rain. There are the people who go about their day as usual, walking to class like everyday just with the addition of an umbrella in one hand. Others, and I would have to say this is the majority from what I've seen, choose to take the bus. The buses on rainy days are unbearably crowded and when there is the slightest amount of humidity in the air from the rain, they get very warm very quickly. I tend to take the bus on rainy days unless the temperature outside is nice enough to still enjoy walking outside.
The umbrella seemed to make a comeback after Rihanna came out with her hit song "Umbrella" in 2007. The song has a very catchy beat and I'm sure if you've heard it you have caught yourself singing " under my umbrella-ella-ella-eh-eh" multiple times before. After seeing what a big hit the song was, Rihanna got a deal with the umbrella line "totes" to have her own line of umbrellas at Macy's! Who knew a hit song could turn into a business deal!?
I thought this post was very entertaining. I like how you not only did research to find a random "holiday", but you also did research on the history of umbrellas. This gives you some credibility and makes your readers want to read your blog. I also like how you related it to Rihanna's song, which is something that most people would be familiar with. You also related this to your readers even more by talking about what happens on campus when it rains. I'm sure this is something that most of your readers have observed so it is a way they can connect with what you are saying.
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