November 9th is Neon Sign Day

If you're looking for something to do then go enjoy the flashing lights because it's Neon Sign Day!

I can hear the buzzing already!

So let's get into celebrating Neon Sign Day!

Why is this a holiday?

Because this is the day way back in 1911 when Georges Claude was awarded the patent for neon signs. The idea for neon signs idea was inspired by Geissler tubes and the Moore tube, but was improved even more by neon gas in a sealed glass tube. These signs come in a variety of different shapes, sizes and colors and they always seem to catch your eye. Hmm... if a type of sign does its job better than all the other signs, do you think you should celebrate it? Maybe that's why they celebrate today!

But we kind of have taken the meaning of the phrase "neon sign" and made it a pretty generic term. Why do I say that? Well, sometimes the neon signs we see don't contain any neon at all; the glass tubes are filled with a different kind of gas. So if you see a blue neon sign, it probably has argon and mercury in it, instead of neon gas. If you see a purple neon sign then it probably has xenon gas in it. But true neon signs, with neon gas in them, will have a reddish-orange glow to them.

And regardless of what type of gases are in the tubes, they really twist that glass into some interesting shapes, don't they? They have to heat up the glass before they can bend it, but doesn't that make you wonder how they keep it from melting shut as it bends? Well, they cork one end up the tube and blow a steady stream of air into the other end and, when you bend the hot glass, the hole stays the same diameter inside.

Pretty creative, huh?

So, how can you celebrate today?

Well, why don't you play a little game to see who can point out the most neon signs tonight? It's a pretty simple way to celebrate and it gets you out and about, in town. You might be surprised at how many neon signs are lit up tonight. Plus you could up the ante and have people running around town looking for neon signs with certain colors or words in the sign. And you can even hook the winner up with something from wherever they see the last neon sign.

And if you're "of age" then you can have your own little neon sign bar crawl. Go around town with some friends and, when you're bored of one bar, head on over to the next bar you see that has a neon sign lit up. That's right; you're only going to give your money to bars that proudly display neon signs. There's more than one way to appreciate a good buzz!

And you know, you could always buy your own neon sign today. Your sign could say just about anything and it might add a little something special to a room in your house... some extra mood lighting, perhaps? Do you know what's even cooler? You can have your own custom neon sign made! Now you can finally have that neon unicorn sign you always wanted.

Have a great day and enjoy the lights!