NATIONAL PAUL BUNYAN DAY

On June 28, we fondly remember the tales of the big blue ox and a mighty lumberjack. It is National Paul Bunyan Day! Described as a giant and a lumberjack of unusual skill, Paul Bunyan is one of the most famous?North American folklore heroes.? First appearing in print in 1906, in a story published by Northern Michigan journalist James MacGillivray, Bunyan’s character originated in folktales circulated among lumberjacks in the Northeastern United States and Eastern Canada. One account states that the tales began during the Papineau Rebellion of 1837. In 1914, William Laughhead reworked the stories for a logging company’s advertising campaign. The campaign breathed new life into the growing legendary character of Paul Bunyan. It was the 1922 edition of Laughead’s tales that inspired many others and soon the character's plaid shirt and far-fetched characteristics spread across all of the United States and Canada.

Paul Bunyan Festivals in the U.S.

1. Every year the town of Oscoda, MI?hosts the Paul Bunyan Days Annual Festival in September.
2. Paul Bunyan Logging Show is also held in St. Maries, Idaho, in September.
3. Paul Bunyan Fest takes place in Eagle River, Wisconsin, in June.