by Gail Kavanagh

Created on: May 16, 2010

Not too many people have heard of it. Unlike those top dog days such as Christmas and New Year, Underdog Day is itself the underdog of celebration days. It is held on December 17 in 2010, but is hidden in the shadow of bigger things in that month. Even fewer people know what it means. What is an underdog anyway? Most people agree that it is someone who does the dirty work, while others get the credit. 

The term comes from the old ship building days. The over dog stood on the overhead planks and shouted down orders to the underdogs doing the real work below. It is a feeling that underdogs know well. It has also come to mean someone who climbs up to the top plank, in spite of the obstacles in the way. Thus US president Harry S. Truman won an unwinnable election in 1948 in true underdog style.

Underdog Day started in 1976, or thereabouts, and occurs in December, on variously the 17th, 18th, or 21st - in true underdog style, it has a hard time getting noticed.

As actor Samuel Jackson said, “Everyone likes stories about underdogs that overcome.” But still they get overlooked – even their special day gets overlooked. So what can you do to make Underdog Day stand out and do its job of giving the underdogs a chance to be noticed without having to win US presidential elections? Embrace your favorite underdog – even if it is yourself – and proclaim that poor dog loud and proud.

Buttons and stickers are a great way to celebrate Underdog Day. Is your favorite underdog a literary character, such as Dr. Watson, the sidekick of Sherlock Holmes? Is he the ‘second banana’ in a team that never really got the credit for his or her genius, such as Carl Reiner, self confessed second banana to a host of funny men on TV? Or does your favorite underdog come from the sporting world or the political arena? Have stickers and button printed with your favorite underdog’s name and hand them out.

Go online with your underdog. Set them up a Facebook or MySpace page and invite your friends to be fans. Make note of your underdog’s achievements and how the overdogs would be nothing without that unstinted support. Ask your friends to nominate their own favorite underdogs.

Give an underdog party. It may end up being somewhat low key, with most invitees having lost their invitation, forgotten the address, or who were just too shy to turn up, but for those who do make it to your door, make them feel at home with underdog food and music.
The best underdog food is probably rice or pasta, which is always being covered in fancy sauces and stir fries and rarely has a chance to shine in its own right. Don’t forget underdog vegetables like broccoli. Check the supermarket shelves for products that don’t have ‘new’ or ‘improved’ on them. Anything that hasn’t been given a new flavor boost or ingredient is a candidate for underdog in the food category.

Play such famous musical underdogs as British talent show contestant Susan Boyle, or just cut straight to the chase with Florida based blues band the Underdogs. Play Pin the Top Hat on the Underdog, and put up pictures of famous underdogs who made it to the top to give your underdog guests encouragement.

It’s your day! Go for it!

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