Emma Witmer
Greene Publishing, Inc.
While you may not have them off from work or printed on your refrigerator calendar, hundreds of national holidays exist; several take place each day! Many of these holidays were created in jest, and others honor lesser known historical figures and public servants. Whether World UFO Day (July 2), Middle Children's Day (August 12) or National Cream Filled Donut Day (September 14), you can find a unique way to celebrate each day.
If you have ever attended a circus, you likely saw a long line of acts, each more impressive or silly than the last. One of these acts, stilt walking, seems to be ridiculous and difficult in equal measure. High above the crowd, stilt walkers balance and walk on long poles attached to their feet. Aside from its modern use for entertainment, stilt walking is actually an ancient, international method of transportation that has uses in farming, fishing, competition and everyday travel.
Archaeological efforts have uncovered evidence that stilt walking can be dated back to the sixth century B.C. in Greece. In France, shepherds once used stilts to traverse the rough country terrain and keep an eye on their flocks from above. Sri Lankan fisherman used stilts to fish from the water without having to stand in the surf. In 1411, the Count of Namur, Belgium issued a written document, which still exists today, banning the use of stilts in the city for walking or fighting. That's right, for more than 600 years, residents of Namur have formed teams to compete in what is known as “stilt jousting.” In these competitions, which continue today, stilt walking teams use their stilts to try and swipe the other teams' stilts, causing them to lose their balance and fall. When one team is eliminated, each remaining competitor has to battle his own teammates to be the last one standing and win the “Golden Stilt.”
Today, stilts are used in a select few professional fields. Workers installing drywall use modernized stilts to reach high up on walls. Fruit pickers and tree pruners use stilts to pick high-hanging fruit and trim branches at the tops of fruit trees. Window washers often stand on stilts to clean the windows above the first floor. Celebrate the rich, fun and diverse history of stilt walking by seeing a performance or ordering yourself a pair of stilts for beginners!