National Good Neighbor Day

I bet you didn’t know that tomorrow is National Good Neighbor Day.  Well it is, and just like it sounds, it’s a day set aside to encourage people to be good neighbors. Sweet, huh? The inspiration for the holiday began in the early 1970’s when Mrs. Becky Mattson from Lakeside, Montana recognized the importance of good neighbors, and started the effort to make this a National day. With the help of congressman Mike Mansfield, she succeed in getting three presidents (Nixon, Ford, and Carter)  to issue proclamations, along with numerous governors.

In 2003, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution, sponsored by Montana Senator Max Baucus, making September 28, National Good Neighbor Day. Previously, this day was celebrated on the fourth Sunday of September.

At a loss for the best way to spread some neighborly love? Here are  few a simple ways to say thanks to your neighbors:

• Toss a few lost balls back over the fence and return those tools you borrowed last spring
• Roll in the empty trash cans from the curb
• Rake the first of the fall  leaves, even if they are not technically on your property line
• Hand deliver some homemade cookies or invite someone over for coffee
• Wave, smile, and say hello–  you’d be surprised how far a little gesture can go

To learn more about the type of people who live in your community, check out your neighborhood page on Zillow. There’s all sorts of juicy demographic details on your the other people living in your ‘hood.