Friday the 13th is National Pigeon Day!

Photo by Dietrich.

Sunday may be Father's Day, but today is reserved especially for what Woody Allen dubbed "rats with wings" (the New York Bird Club is still demanding an apology from him).

The NY Times has some ways to celebrate the pigeon on this Friday the 13th (wonder how the pigeon coop keepers will be celebrating); the main event being the National Pigeon Day celebration, which will take place from 4 to 8 p.m. at Pilgrim Hill in Central Park (5th Avenue and 72nd Street). Expect "entertainment, political activism, materials distribution" and (you can't make this stuff up) "candlelight prayer service with guitar accompaniment and pigeon shaped cookies." Along with a flock of performers and speakers, Nellie McKay will even be on hand to perform "Feed the Birds" on her ukelele.

Felicitously named founder of the New York Bird Club, Anna Dove, explained the June 13th date in a letter lobbying elected officials to make today for the birds, so to speak. It was chosen to commemorate the death of Cher Ami, a messenger pigeon who died on this very day in 1919 from war wounds (her letter ends, "we respectfully request that June 13th be declared National Pigeon Day in honor of pigeons who are war heroes"). While pigeons today have managed to stay out of Bush's Iraq, why not toss them some crumbs anyway, though it may land you a fine.