World Origami Days 2009: Oct 24 – Nov 11
Today marks the beginning of World Origami Days in the United States, the UK, and other parts of the world. October 24 to November 11 is a two and a half week celebration of the international community of origami.
The goal of World Origami days is to make origami as visible as possible. The organizers encourage you to “teach a class, fold on the bus, give your friends origami, exhibit your model”, or do whatever you can to bring origami to the attention of others.
Why these dates? October 24 is the birthday of Lillian Oppenheimer (1898-1992), who founded the first origami group in America. She was also one of the founders of the British Origami Society and Origami USA. A dynamic woman, she was delighted in the magic to be found in a piece of paper and wanted to share it with the world. The final day, November 11, is Origami Day in Japan and is recognized as the country that most fully developed the traditional art of origami.
For more information about World Origami Days, visit Origami-USA.org.
Why not try making an origami crane yourself. The video below has very detailed instructions for making an origami crane. Enjoy!
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October 25th, 2009 at 4:16 pm
I love origami! I haven’t made one of the 3-D balls or stars, but I’ve done a lot of complex figures.
October 26th, 2009 at 10:32 pm
great post…I actually knew Lillian Oppenheimer…she was my cousins husbands Grandmother…I sent him this link!! What a wonderful tribute to her to have World Origami Days starting on her birthday…
October 28th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
Thanks to both!
I’m still trying to master the simple crane Sharkbytes.
It’s great to hear about the connection Amy!
December 2nd, 2009 at 1:31 pm
I’m an origami fan and paper airplanes is one of my favorite forms of the art. It challenges not just your folding skills but also teaches you about aerodynamics. I remember a software called “The Greatest Paper Airplanes”. It teaches how to fold 50 different paper airplanes step by step with instructions and videos. Too bad the software is no longer distributed but there’s a website that teaches how to fold those 50 paper airplanes.
December 8th, 2009 at 10:50 pm
Folding paper is an art and requires patience and practice. There are 50 paper airplanes at http://www.paperairplaneshq.com and folding them all would really be a fun challenge.