Let’s talk about skyscrapers for a moment, because they’re insane. The Burj Khalifa in Dubai is so tall that when you’re at the top, you can actually see the curvature of the Earth. That’s not a joke—it’s 2,717 feet of “please don’t sneeze near the edge.” Meanwhile, the Empire State Building gets lightning strikes about 100 times a year. It’s basically a giant metal straw for God’s static electricity. And yet, people still pay $50 to go to the observation deck and take selfies like it’s no big deal.
Here’s a surprising fact that will make you the life of any party: The tallest building ever built by humans that’s now abandoned? It’s not a skyscraper. It’s the Ryugyong Hotel in North Korea. It’s a 1,080-foot pyramid of concrete that looks like a UFO crash-landed in Pyongyang. They started building it in 1987 and then stopped for decades. It’s been called the “Hotel of Doom.” So, celebrate today by being grateful you don’t live in a half-finished death pyramid.
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And don’t forget: skyscrapers have personalities. The Chrysler Building has art deco eagle heads. The Seattle Space Needle looks like a flying saucer on a toothpick. The Taipei 101 has a giant golden bamboo vibe. But the real star? The tapering design. Without it, they’d all just be giant shoe boxes that tip over in a strong breeze. It’s the physics of “stick it to the wind,” and it’s beautiful.
The Cheese Toast Alternative
But maybe architecture isn’t your jam. Maybe you’re a carb-conscious hedonist. Then National Welsh Rarebit Day is your calling. This dish is dangerously simple: melted cheddar or Gloucester cheese, beer (yes, beer), mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and a dash of cayenne. You slather it on toast, broil it until it’s bubbling like lava, and then eat it while burning your tongue. Tradition.
The best part of Welsh Rarebit is the name. It’s a pun gone wild. In the 1700s, the Welsh were known for being poor and eating cheese as a substitute for meat. The English joked that they were “rabbit hunting” when they were actually just having cheese on toast. But the Welsh leaned into it. They called it “rarebit” as a joke, and now it’s a legit holiday. Talk about owning the narrative.
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So, how do you celebrate September 3rd like a pro? You go outside, find the tallest building you can see, and point at it dramatically. Then you go home, make a plate of Rarebit, and eat it while watching a documentary about the Burj Khalifa. You’ll feel like a genius. And if someone asks you, “What’s the big deal?” you can reply, “It’s National Skyscraper and Welsh Rarebit Day, obviously.” They’ll either be impressed or confused. Both are acceptable.
One last surprising fact to drop on your friends: The first skyscraper was the Home Insurance Building in Chicago, built in 1885. It was only ten stories tall. Now, we have structures that can hold entire cities inside them. And the oldest known recipe for Welsh Rarebit? It dates back to 1390. That’s before the printing press. So, today you’re celebrating both ancient cheese technology and modern vertical ambition. You’re a Renaissance human.
So, go forth! Look up. Eat cheese. Bend your neck backward until it cracks. And if anyone tells you September 3rd is a boring day, just laugh and say, “You clearly don’t appreciate the majesty of a building that makes God laugh.” Happy Skyscraper and Rarebit Day, you glorious, confused soul.