July 10th is officially "Teddy Bear Picnic Day" in which all participants should give their favorite teddy bear a little break from snuggling and fix up a nice lunch to share with their best buddy. Celebrated in classrooms, the park and backyards everywhere, these cute picnics are a tradition for many children and parents alike.
The origin of this joyous day can be traced back to many stories in history, starting with Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt and the creation of the Teddy Bear. Popular account has it that in November of 1902 Teddy Roosevelt, President of the United States and also a well-known hunter, was presented with a bear tied to a tree since he had failed to shoot one on a hunt earlier in the day. When he refused to do so a popular cartoonist at the time, Clifford Berryman, recreated the scene in the Washington Post which then led to the creation of a stuffed bear nicknamed "Teddy's Bear" that instantly became an overnight sensation. Soon after Teddy Bears were mass produced as a novelty item with millions now sold worldwide.
