August 13th, 2007 at 12:48 pm
Been visiting the in-laws for the past four days so it has been pretty quiet at The Foo Logs. Sorry!
Today is International Left-Handers Day. Being a left hander myself, I would like to wish all the left handers out there a Happy International Left-Handers Day… It is our special day!
How it all began?
An organization called Left-handers International first declared this holiday on Friday, August 13, 1976. They opened a business the same day that sold left-handed products for over 20 years before going out of business about ten years ago. They also published a magazine to clear up myths about left-handers to let them know that they’re all right (no pun intended).
How is it celebrated?
A good way to celebrate Left-handers Day, even if you aren’t left-handed, is to pay tribute to a famous left-handed artist, entertainer, author or anyone else left-handed you know. Left-handers are usually the butt of more than a few jokes so doing something nice for your left-handed peeps will let them know you care.
Some famous left-handers include Picasso, Prince William, Demi Moore, Tom Cruise, Queen Elizabeth 2, Ronald Reegan, Bill Clinton, Napoléon Bonaparte, Hellen Keller, Mark Twain, Paul McCartney, Michelangelo, Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci and Barty Simpson. Full list of famous left-handers can be found here.
Left-Handed Gene
Researchers at Oxford University announced this week that they have discovered a gene for left-handedness.
An international group of scientists, led by a team from the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics at the University of Oxford, have discovered a gene that increases the chance of being left handed. The study is published on-line by the journal Molecular Psychiatry.
This exciting development in genetic research, which involved over 40 scientists from 20 research centres around the world, revealed a gene called LRRTM1; the first to be discovered which has an effect on handedness. Although little is known about LRRTM1, the Oxford team suspects that it modifies the development of asymmetry in the human brain. The Left-Handers Club welcome these new findings, as a genetic link has long been considered the most likely cause of left-handedness yet a specific gene has until now remained elusive.
(Read the Full Press Release here)
Fun facts on Left-Handers
- Studies have shown that left-handers are more likely to have allergies than right-handers.
- Almost 15 percent of the population are lefties. However, very few are completely left-handed. Many left-handers golf and bat right-handed. On the other hand, there are a lot of righties who can’t do anything with their left hand.
- Most left-handers draw figures facing to the right.
- There is a high tendency in twins for one to be left-handed.
- Stuttering and dyslexia occur more often in left-handers (particularly if they are forced to change their writing hand as a child, like King of England George VI).
- Left-handers adjust more readily to seeing underwater.
- Christianity is strongly based towards the right hand. It is the right had that gives the blessing and make the sign of the cross.
- On one count, the bible contains over 100 favorable reference to the right-hand and 25 unfavorable references to the left-hand. E.g.: The right hand of the lord doeth valiantly, the right hand of the lord is exalted (Psalm 118 vv15,16)
- Officials in Mensa, the high IQ society believe as many as 20% of their members are left-handed.
Myths of Left Handers
- Passing or pouring wine with the left hand leads to bad luck.
- A left-handed toast is tantamount to a curse on the victim.
- A left hander is more likely to die in battle.
- Anyone who digs coal out of the ground from under his or her left foot in the Spring will have very good luck.
- If you apply an ointment with the forefinger of the right hand the sore will not heal. This is because this finger is said to be the ‘poison’ finger.
- Passing or pouring wine with the left hand leads to bad luck.
- A left-handed toast is tantamount to a curse on the victim.
(Facts and myths from lefthander.com and Anything Left-handed)
If you are looking for left-handed items, here is a good left-handed store based in the United Kingdom. I’ve purchased a lot of items from there and they offer free shipping to the USA too.
4 Responses to “Happy International Left-Handers Day”
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yoshi said: @ 3:53 pm
August 13th, 2007
Those are some things I’ve never heard of. My dad is left handed, and I thought I heard them all.
But yeah, one of my friends was left handed, and he golfed right handed for the longest time, and then realized, he should just try left handed golfing and lo behold, he had a better game! Who would have thought? :P
Kristyn said: @ 4:39 pm
August 13th, 2007
That’s awesome! I have a good friend who’s left-handed. I should call her and tell her about this. I wonder if there’s a day for the ambidextrous? I’ll have to check that out. :P
The Foo said: @ 10:08 pm
August 13th, 2007
Yoshi: funny thing is that i golf right handed and play the guitar right handed — when i was a kid, my parents thought that it would be good to do both of those things right handed as it would be easier to find right handed guitars and right handed golf clubs. i know regret golfing right handed as i have heard more than one instance where left handed people have the advantage in golf.
Kristyn: that would be interesting — an ambidextrous day. i’ll have to check it out too.
kristarella said: @ 11:36 pm
August 26th, 2007
I heard somewhat the opposite of the dying in battle thing. One of my lecturers said that there must be some advantage for left-handedness to be present in a small number of the population, otherwise it would have just disappeared. One of the advantages includes boxing and fighting, because right-handers don’t know how to defend against a leftie - we’re not really a fighting/dualing society these days though. I’m not sure what the other advatages are that make the characteristic remain among the population.