Readers may not be aware that International Accounting Day (sometimes referred to, if at all, as International Accountant’s Day) takes place on November 10.

Why that day? This is from anydayguide.com:

• The origin of International Accounting Day is unclear, but at least we know why it is celebrated on November 10. On this day in 1494, Luca Pacioli’s first book titled Summa de arithmetica, geometria, proportioni et proportionalita (Summary of arithmetic, geometry, proportions and proportionality) was published in Venice. But what does a book on mathematics have to do with accounting?
• The thing is, one of its sections, entitled Particularis de computis et scripturis (Details of calculation and recording), described the bookkeeping method used by Venetian merchants at the time, known as double-entry bookkeeping, which is actually used to this day, with some modifications. Although double-entry bookkeeping had been invented long before Pacioli published his book, he is credited with being the first person to codify the system.

This is how Nationaltoday.com celebrated the event:

• November 10th is designated as International Accounting Day. Does the sight of a ledger book make your head spin? That’s why we have accountants to figure it all out. Your job, school, bank, religious institution, and government wouldn’t survive without those dedicated number crunchers. That’s why we have a day out of the year “earmarked” just to celebrate them!

Among other things, the website had some examples of why we love accountants, such as…

• Accountants Know Parts of Us Better than We Do Accountants are privy to the most intimate details of your firm (and your life). They have access to facts and figures you could never collectively understand and could spell serious trouble if mishandled. It’s best to keep them happy, and International Accounting Day is an opportunity to help do just that!

…and of “5 Wild Things Accountants Accomplished,” including…

• An accountant wrote history’s first words​ The oldest surviving example of written language anywhere dates from around 5,000 years ago. It is written in Sumerian cuneiform and reads: “A total of 29,086 measures of barley were received over the course of 37 months. Signed, Kushim.”
• An accountant invented bubble gum Accountant Walter Diemer worked for the Fleer chewing gum factory and experimented with gum recipes in his spare time. He invented the modern formula for bubble gum in 1926 and was the first to market it commercially. ​The gum was pink because that was the only food coloring the factory had available.

The accounting contribution to bringing down Al Capone and to tabulating the annual Oscar vote was cited under both categories, suggesting a finite pool of inspiration. The website also had the following suggested list of International Accounting Day activities:

• Shout Them Out on Social Take into account how your favorite CPA might feel if you voice your appreciation for all their hard work on one of your favorite social media channels – and make sure to use the hashtag #InternationalAccountingDay!
• Buy an accountant a coffee Besides being a recognized gesture of appreciation, a piping hot caffeinated drink is a great way to make sure the accountant in your life is alert and focused while combing through all those numbers.
• Make an accountant’s job easier Take extra care to format all your spreadsheets the way your accounting department asks you to. It’s only one day out of the year. They’re worth it.

Well, that’s all better than nothing, but they missed some big ones:

• Save an auditor’s life Just hang around any big firm location and you’ll soon stumble over an overworked audit senior on the verge of ending it all. Offer that pathetic individual some meagre reason to keep going for a few more days and you never know, maybe it’ll be the gift that helps them turn everything around.
• Boost a preparer’s ego by pretending to read and understand the endless note disclosures they laboured over for weeks I know, much, much easier said than done…
• Have sex with an accountant I know, this makes the previous suggestion sound appealing. I’m only asking that you consider it. I mean, even accountants deserve to experience it once.
• Invite an accountant to play “match the quotation to the IFRS standard”  Start with this: “To achieve the objective of the modified retrospective approach, an entity is permitted to use each modification in paragraph C9-C19 only to the extent that an entity does not have reasonable and supportable information to apply a retrospective approach.” If he or she doesn’t immediately identify it as IFRS 17, then you’re not talking to a real accountant, whatever they claim.
• Buy an accountant a dog Because there has never been a happy accountant who was also a cat person. And that’s the most important thing you’ll learn today.

Really, the only question left to ponder is why International Accountants’ Day should be stuck in one of the dullest and coldest months, regardless of the historical significance of November 10th. I mean, it screams of summer to me!

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author.