November 10 is Sesame Street Day, which seems like a holiday we can all get behind! According to Days of the Year:
Sesame Street Day was first established in 2009 to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the show's original broadcast. While initiated in New York City, it should come as no great surprise that this occasion is now recognized by tens of thousands of individuals from all over the planet. In fact, the number of followers for this particular day continues to grow each year.
Days of the Year also provides a brief history and description of the show:
Beginning in 1969 in the United States, Sesame Street is a creation of the Children's Television Workshop (CTW), which is broadcast on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). It's an educational series that combines live actors with animation as well as special puppets by Jim Henson, known as "Muppets."
Many of the recurring characters have remained with the show for many years, particularly Kermit the Frog, friends Ernie and Bert, Big Bird and Cookie Monster. Elmo came into the scene in the mid-80s and many more characters have joined since then as well.
Through short vignettes, songs, skits and cameo appearances, the show seeks to create educational opportunities for children of all ages by fostering learning, engaging their minds, building social skills, promoting self-esteem and offering basic academic skills.
To celebrate Sesame Street Day, I'm going to go watch some of my favorite guest musical performances that have been featured over the years. Paste Magazine has a great compilation here. Truly, they're all terrific, but I think my favorite is R.E.M. performing a very muppet-y version of Shiny Happy People. Enjoy!
