January 18th is National Winnie the pooh day, the day commemorates the birthday of author and Winnie the Pooh creator A A Milne in 1882. Winnie the Pooh is a much loved children’s character. The first book was published in 1926 with illustrations by E H Shepard and the stories have now been translated into over 50 languages and are considered to be children’s classics.
The inspiration for Winnie the Pooh came from a black bear named Winnie that lived at London zoo during World War I. Christopher Robin (A A Milne’s son) would visit the bear often and named his own teddy bear after her.
A A Milne created the ‘bear of very little brain’ and his friends Piglet, Eeyore, Christopher Robin and Co. The characters adventures took them through the Hundred Acre Woods. Each of Pooh’s friends played a unique role in the books and the characters are beloved around the world. There are many reasons for this but one in particular might be the wonderful friendships that are demonstrated throughout the books. Pooh and his friends very much seem to have the right priorities. In fact, rather than having very little brain Pooh often seems very wise indeed.
In 1961 Disney bought the rights to the Winnie the Pooh characters which led to a few changes in illustrations.
Ways to Celebrate Winnie the Pooh Day
- Snuggle up and read or reread the Winnie the Pooh stories.
- If you are out and about why not take the time to play Pooh sticks!
- Watch Winnie the Pooh animations or films.
- Take the time to enjoy some Winnie the Pooh wisdom and quotes. A favourite of mine is ‘A friend is one of the best things you can have, and one of the best things you can be’
