Umbrella covers are the little sleeves, slipcovers, cases, sheaths, that come on new umbrellas when you buy them. Made of the same material as the umbrella, they are a tight and attractive bit of packaging, but can sometimes impair the speed of releasing the umbrella in a sudden shower. People are on the fence about whether they are critical bits of umbrella apparel, or a waste of material. It is this very ambiguity that has inspired a museum of Umbrella Covers and a Guinness World Record.
So whether your umbrella was purchased during the onset of a sudden spring shower, or an advanced purchase for a drizzly day, chances are that your umbrella’s cover comes with a bit of history, and has a story to tell. Umbrella Cover Day celebrates the stories behind the cover, and encourages you to hold onto and dig out your umbrella covers from the bottom of drawers, the backs of cupboards and from, unsurprisingly, on your umbrellas, and to celebrate the mundane and everyday things in life. Of course, umbrella covers can have practical uses, too – why not keep your plastic utensils in them, store your plastic bags, pencils, makeup, loose change. Use them to decorate your room – or maybe as ear warmers for your pets.
