7 Ways to Celebrate Winnie-the-Pooh Day

'You're braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think.'

Get ready for the cuddliest of holidays! Winnie-the-Pooh Day is celebrated on January 18, the birthday of author A. A. Milne, born in 1882. This year also marks a century since the publication of the first Winnie-the-Pooh story, which was commissioned by London's Evening News in 1925. Here are some of the sweet ways you can celebrate.

1. Read the original Winnie-the-Pooh books.

I think we dream so we don’t have to be apart for so long. If we’re in each other’s dreams, we can be together all the time.

The character of Winnie-the-Pooh was inspired by a stuffed bear that author A. A. Milne bought for his son, Christopher Robin, at Harrods Department Store, as well as a live bear, named Winnie, who they visited at the London Zoo.

Pooh made his first appearance in a poem in Milne's 1924 children's verse book, When We Were Very Young. Right now, you can also get the gorgeous gold-foiled Centenary Edition with all the printer marks and irregularities of the original and Ernest H. Shepard's glorious original black line illustrations. Below are a few more of the essential titles from Milne's whimsical series:

• The Complete Tales and Poems of Winnie-the-Pooh (1926)
• Now We are Six (1927)
• The House at Pooh Corner (1928)

2. Have a teddy bear picnic.

It is more fun to talk with someone who doesn't use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like 'What about lunch?'

Depending on the weather, your picnic could be al fresco in a park or you could just lay your blanket in a cozy nook of carpet or floor. Guests can bring their favorite stuffie and a treat to share with others. Honey-inspired fare is highly encouraged of course, perhaps something from The Winnie-the-Pooh Cookbook, with over fifty tried-and-true recipes for readers of all ages. We like the Poohanpiglet pancakes!

3. Enjoy a Winnie-the-Pooh movie marathon

If the person you are talking to doesn't appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear.

In 1961, some years after the author's death, The Walt Disney Company acquired the film rights to the Winnie-the-Pooh stories. Since then, Disney has released a number of charming animated films based on the series. Here are a few we love:

• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977)—All your favorite Hundred Acre Wood characters come alive in this timeless motion picture overflowing with rich animation, masterful storytelling and unforgettable songs.
• The Tigger Movie (2000)—Join Tigger on an epic journey to find other Tiggers in his "family tree."
• Piglet's Big Movie (2003)—Piglet disappears into the Hundred Acre Wood after being told he is "just too small" to help with the gang's hunny gathering scheme.
• Winnie the Pooh (2011): Return to the Hundred Acre Wood for a heartwarming original movie, and reunite with the beloved bear and his silly but steadfast friends for a magical family experience.

4. Adopt a Pooh attitude

People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.

While Eeyore frets, and Piglet hesitates, and Rabbit calculates, and Owl pontificates, Pooh just is. One of Pooh's great gifts is his serene contentment. The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff reveals the singular bear as one of the world's great Taoist masters. Wouldn't it be wonderful to be able to live a life so effortlessly calm, still, and reflective? The Te of Piglet shows how Pooh's best buddy exemplifies a different side of the fundamentals of Taoist philosophy.

5. Do some forest bathing

When you see someone putting on his Big Boots, you can be pretty sure that an Adventure is going to happen.

Spending time in lush green forests is a proven way to bolster your health and well-being. And it's also a lovely way to celebrate the legacy of Pooh. Here are some of our favorite books about forests and trees for a range of ages:

• Tree: A Peek-Through Picture Book by Britta Teckentrup—Through a hole in the book's cover, an owl invites you inside to meet a majestic tree and all its forest inhabitants during the changing seasons. (Ages 3–7)
• Forest by Kate Moss Gamblin—A child and grownup explore the forest together, appreciating its beauty, learning its secrets and enjoying moments of wonder. (Ages 4–7)
• Trees, Leaves & Bark by Diane L. Burns—An introduction to the world of trees including identification information, educational activities, and fun facts. (Ages 8–12)
• Peterson First Guide to Trees by George A. Petrides—This guide will help budding naturalists learn to identify trees by leaf type and arrangement. (Ages 11 and older)
• Your Guide to Forest Bathing: Experience the Healing Power of Nature by Amos Clifford—Whether you're in a forest, public park, or just your own backyard, this book will help you explore the natural world in a way you may have never thought possible.

6. Bone up on your Pooh trivia

What's wrong with knowing what you know now and not knowing what you don't know until later?

Entertain your family and friends with these fun facts about Winnie-the-Pooh and the Hundred Acre Woods.

• Winnie, the real-life bear who inspired Milne's stories, was a female black bear. She was adopted as a cub by Canadian veterinarian Harry Colebourn in 1914 and ended up having a pretty extraordinary life. You can read about it in this picture book by Colebourn's great-granddaughter.
• When Milne's son, the real-life Christopher Robin, first got his stuffed bear, he initially named him Edward, but after visiting Winnie at the zoo, he renamed his favorite toy.
• In addition to Winnie, many of the other characters that populate Hundred Acre Wood—Tigger, Piglet, Eeyore, Kanga, and Roo—were inspired by stuffed animals belonging to Christopher Robin. Since 1987, these toys have been on display at the New York Public Library.
• You might say that war brought Milne to Hundred Acre Wood. A combat veteran who had been wounded in World War I, he struggled with what was then called "shellshock"—now known as post-traumatic stress disorder. After the war, he moved his family from London to a rural area where he would often visit the forest that inspired his story's settings.
• Christopher Robin Milne came to resent being depicted in his father's stories. In his 1974 memoir, The Enchanted Places, he wrote, "it seemed to me, almost, that my father had got to where he was by climbing upon my infant shoulders, that he had filched from me my good name and had left me with nothing but the empty fame of being his son."

7. Catch up with friends, old and new

You can't stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.

The Winnie the Pooh stories are really all about the joys and challenges of friendship, so perhaps one of the best ways to celebrate the day is to enjoy time with your best pals.

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Read more by Ashly Moore Sheldon