Did you know that May 20th is globally recognised as World Bee Day?
This celebration dates back to just 2017, when it was formally recognised by the UN. This means that many people are still unfamiliar with the day – so what’s all the buzz about?
We’re going to cover the relatively recent origins of World Bee Day, along with the best ways to celebrate and our favourite bumble bee jewellery picks to get you in the spirit!
How and when did World Bee Day start?
World Bee Day began in Slovenia, a country with a rich beekeeping history. Beekeeping is an integral part of their agricultural industry, dating back centuries. Today, 1 in 200 Slovenians keep bees!
By the end of 2015, they had the support of the world’s largest beekeepers’ organisation, Apimondia.
Over the next couple of years, the Slovenian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food travelled across the world to educate the public and raise awareness of the initiative.
December 20th 2017 marked the date of their success: the United Nations unanimously approved Slovenia’s proposal to make May 20th became World Bee Day, followed up with the support of 115 non-member countries including the USA, China and Australia.
Why May 20th?
There are two key reasons for the selection of this specific date.
Firstly, the entire month of May is important for bees across the world: in the northern hemisphere, it marks an important developmental period for bees and nature as a whole; in the southern hemisphere, it’s the time when harvesting of hive products such as honey begins.
In addition, May 20th marks the birth date of Anton Janša (1734-1773), a Slovenian beekeeper who is widely recognised as the pioneer of modern beekeeping methods.
What is the purpose of World Bee Day?
Since 2017, the purpose of World Honey Bee Day has been to raise awareness of the importance of bees and beekeeping.
As major pollinators, bees are vital to us. Did you know that a third of the world’s food production depends on bees? In other words, every third spoonful of food depends on pollination.
As well as maintaining global food security, bees play an important role in ensuring biodiversity and environmental conservation. They also have a significant impact in the fight against climate change!
Studies have shown that bees are increasingly endangered, and so it is imperative that we come together to protect them and their habitats. Through getting involved in events and activities around World Bee Day, everyone can do their bit to help save the bees!
How to celebrate World Bee Day in 2021
This year, while we’re on the way to alleviating lockdown measures, World Bee Day will take place mostly virtually. The theme is “Bee Engaged”, with the goal of highlighting how important it is that both organisations and individuals get involved to help save the bees.
With that in mind, what things can we be doing at home to help preserve the bees and their habitats here in the UK? We’ve listed a few ideas below:
- Plant lots of flowers: especially pollen-rich flowers!
- Buy honey from your local beekeeper.
- Make a bee house: also called “bee hotels”, these are simple to make, but you can buy them if DIY isn’t your thing!
- Don’t use pesticides: or make sure to avoid those which contain neonicotinoids (thiacloprid and acetamiprid).
- Plant a tree: did you know that bees get most of their nectar from trees? They also provide excellent nesting materials and shelter.
Bee-autiful Bumble Bee Jewellery at Joshua James
Remember that every time you place an order with us, we commit to planting one tree! If you’re not yet familiar, you can read all about our partnership with Trees for the Future here. As we’ve mentioned, trees are a vital source of food and lodging for bees which is how this fantastic cause comes into play for World Bee Day. Why not treat yourself to a beautiful piece of bumble bee jewellery today, and we’ll plant a tree on your behalf?
What’s more, to celebrate World Bee Day 2021, we have decided to partner up with Bee Friendly Trust and donate 10% of all profits made between the 17th-31st May 2021 on our bee-themed products. This allows the trust to continue protecting bees and maintaining their livelihoods. If you want to do your part in helping our bees thrive in the UK, while also bagging yourself a stunning piece of bee-themed jewellery, head over to our Bee Jewellery Collection now.
Here are some of our top bee jewellery picks, especially for World Bee Day:
We absolutely love how we’ve captured the beauty of the bee throughout our honey bee jewellery from the UK. Don’t forget, our entire Serenity collection is full of nature-inspired jewellery pieces that are a true sentiment to our wondrous planet. We have 9ct gold bumble bee jewellery, as well as the sleek 925 Sterling Silver pieces, depending on your preferred choice of metal.
It’s time to join the buzz! Will you be out gardening today in support of World Bee Day 2021? Or are you an experienced beekeeper yourself? Let us know in the comments below! Looking for our collection of bee jewellery UK? We’ve got you covered!
