Today is Appreciate a Dragon Day!

Illustration by Lars Grant-West. (c) 2008 Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

In the spirit of our new feature, the Analog Gamer, I’m going to take a few minutes to tell you guys about something a little different. Today is a holiday. It doesn’t appear on most calendars, but it’s a holiday nonetheless. Today is Appreciate a Dragon Day.

Dragons have long been iconic characters of myth and legend. Whether you’re referring to dragons of fantasy, hunted by valiant knights; dragons of literature in works of fiction; or MMO raid bosses, dragons have captivated everyone who has thought of them.

So, the question now becomes, how do we celebrate this holiday? How do we pay homage to these mythical beasts? Certainly you could get your gaming buddies together for a rousing game of Dungeons and Dragons. You can even have your party go dragon hunting! If you’re an WoW player, how about heading into Onyxia’s Lair and downing the fearsome wyrm?

If you’re looking for more ways to celebrate, the folks over at Wizards of the Coast have a helpful little list:

• Invite a friend to try Dungeons & Dragons for the first time
• Show your appreciation for Fourth Edition’s new metallic dragons by “friending” the Adamantine dragon on Facebook and giving him gifts
• Visit Enworld.com or other D&D fan sites and share stories of how you’ve used dragons in your 3.5 campaign
• Google “dragon” and see what shows up! Read about the way dragons have infiltrated popular culture and some of the classic dragon myths
• Pop some popcorn and watch movies about dragons, both the friendly and unfriendly varieties – Dragon Heart, Eragon, Dragonlance, Reign of Fire, the Shrek series, Pete’s Dragon
• Pull out your old Halloween costume and dress like a dragon

For a little more on this holiday, check out the Wizards of the Coast news post on it, which includes the little known fact that Winston Churchill employed a small dragon to help light his ever-present cigar.

If any of you guys decide to observe this holiday, we’d love to see some photos of your celebration. Send them off to podcast@filefront.com, and you very well may see yourself on the site in the near future! Remember, like the wise man says, “Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.”