Celebrate Winnie the Pooh Day With 8 Fun Facts You Probably Didn’t Know
Today, Jan. 18th, is National Winnie the Pooh Day, in honor of author A.A. Milne's birthday.
Sweety High is celebrating the man behind the beloved bear by sharing the below fun facts—as well as smearing a generous dollop of honey over every meal.
(The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh via Disney Television Animation)
Whether you're a fan of this willy, nilly, silly ol' bear or you simply pride yourself on your knowledge of interesting trivia, check out the list below of facts we're certain you didn't know:
1. For all the grammar fanatics out there, let's start by talking hyphens. While the bear's name was originally written as Winnie-the-Pooh, Disney dropped the hyphens before animating the bear that we all love today.
2. Many of the main characters of the Hundred Acre Woods are based on the stuffed animals that belonged to Milne's son, Christopher Robin. While Pooh, Tigger, Kanga, Roo, Eeyore and Piglet were all based on real stuffed animals, Owl and Rabbit were imagined by the author and Gopher didn't come around until the Disney days.
(The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh via Walt Disney Productions)
3. The history of Pooh Bear's name is a long one. Christopher Robin named his stuffed teddy bear, Winnie, after a black bear at the London Zoo. The black bear, who had been bought and then later sold to the zoo, was named after the buyer's hometown of Winnipeg, Canada. Pooh was the name given to a swan that Christopher used to feed.
4. When you think of Winnie the Pooh, it's impossible to imagine him without his iconic red shirt. But the wardrobe wasn't the idea of author A.A. Milne or original illustrator E.H. Shepherd. The red shirt was actually given to Pooh Bear by Stephen Slesinger, a producer who owned the rights to the cuddly bear 30 years prior to Walt Disney. Once Disney purchased the rights, they decided to keep the wardrobe staple.
(The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh via Walt Disney Productions)
5. The bear's first name is Winnie, but have you noticed he's never gone by that name alone? You can refer to the bear in full as Winnie the Pooh, or shorten it to Pooh or Pooh Bear.
6. Winnie the Pooh's theme song was written by the Sherman Brothers. You may not know their names, but you certainly know their other famous songs such as "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious," "I Wan'na Be Like You," from the Jungle Book, and more infamously, "It's a Small World."
7. The name above Pooh's front door, Sanders, is not actually the bear's last name. It's implied that Mr. Sanders was the previous owner of Pooh's tree house.
(The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh via Walt Disney Productions)
8. Winnie the Pooh's sport, Poohsticks, has not only been turned into a real game, but it's one of the largest competitions in England. The World Pooh Sticks Championships takes place in Oxfordshire, England, and looks like a grand ol' time. Who's up for a hop across the pond?
No one can deny that bears are some of the cutest and cuddliest animals ever. Get comfy with this totally cute Care Bears-themed althleisure collection HERE!