The song “Rain, Rain, Go Away” is a popular mantra for most people on most days, but not on Rain Day. This holiday, observed annually on July 29th, embraces and celebrates the concept of rain as a virtue. And why wouldn’t it? After all, rain brings life to us all.

It’s responsible for our drinking water, and for sustaining our livestock and the crops we grow. Without rain, this planet would be desolate, and life wouldn’t even be possible. That’s why maybe we should worry less about warding off potential rainstorms and instead spend our energy praising the rains when they come. This holiday is a good start to do just that.

The History of Rain Day

Rain Day is a holiday that we were able to trace all the way back to the 19th century. It officially began when a Pennsylvania farmer named William Allison told a group of people that he felt it would rain on July 29th, 1874.

Although it was a sunny day, it did indeed rain later that day, and he quickly became a legend in the area. The holiday has been observed ever since by people not only across Pennsylvania and the U.S. but also around the world.

Some Cool (And Sometimes Weird) Facts About Rain

Okay, we all know that Rain Day is dedicated to rain and that people are encouraged to celebrate rain on this day. But how much do we really know about rain? That is the question.

We didn’t think that most people were well-versed in the science of rain, and that’s why we went ahead and listed some cool and weird facts about rain below. Let’s take a look at them before we move on with our discussion of this holiday.

• In some hot and dry places, rain may evaporate before it hits the ground. This type of rain is known as phantom rain.
• People like the smell of rain because of a molecule known as geosmin. This molecule is responsible for the “earthy” smell, and the human nose can detect it at concentrations of about 5 ppt.
• It’s been estimated that rain has been falling on Earth for about 2.7 billion years.

Observing Rain Day

We think that there are probably a few dozen ways to observe this holiday. People can learn more about rain and its importance to the world, watch a documentary about rain, or even take the time to pray for rain. People can also spread the news about this holiday across the World Wide Web simply by using the hashtag #RainDay.