It's Jandal Day...

Yes, today is National Jandal Day. New Zealand is the only place in the world where you have a quirky event called the "Jandal Day". On this "auspicious" day, you get to wear your jandals to work. Hooray!

So what exactly is "Jandal Day"? It turns out to be fund raising event organised by Bach 22 wines and Surf Life Saving New Zealand. The significance of this day is to raise money to promote beach safety awareness and help our dedicated Surf Lifeguards.

Which is a very bad timing because we have been doused generously with the "nectar of the gods" for the past 2 days so I cannot wear my jandals the whole day. I only wore them briefly to keep my feet dry because my shoes and socks were soaking wet thanks to the rain. After a while, my feet gets too cold and I had to put my shoes back on to keep them warm. Anyway I have done my part to support this day, if only for just a brief moment... :)

Update: The definition about jandals by New Zealand Immigration is incorrect. Thanks to Tom for pointing this out. :)

Here's the list of different names for jandals in different localities:

1. In Argentina, they are known as ojotas.
   
2. In Australian English these are known as thongs, double pluggers is the name used to differentiate thongs with two plugs instead of the standard one plug on each side making them last longer.
   
3. In Brazil they are known as sandálias or chinelos.
   
4. In Canada they are known as flip flops or thongs.
   
5. In China, they are known as traditional Chinese: 拖鞋; pinyin: tuōxié (referring to shoes which drag to the floor).
   
6. In Croatia, they are known as japanke, meaning Japanese (slippers is implied).
   
7. In Czech republic and in Slovakia they are known as žabky (translated means frogs)
   
8. In Denmark they are known as klip-klappere.
   
9. In El Salvador, they are known as yinas and chancletas.
   
10. In Estonia they are known as plätud.
    
11. In Flanders, they are known as teensletsen
    
12. In French they are known as tongs or claquettes, but in Quebec they are known as gougounes.
    
13. In Francophone Africa they are known as tapettes.
    
14. In Ghana they are known as chale wotes
    
15. In Gibraltar they are known as shanklas (from Spanish chanclas)
    
16. In Greece they are known as sagionares (from the famous Japanese farewell Sayōnara)
    
17. In Guam they are known as "zorries" (from Japanese zōri 草履).
    
18. In Hawaii, sandals are known as slippers or slippas. Flip-flops specifically are known as jap-slaps [sic] .
    
19. In Hungary they are known as vietnami papucs (translates as Vietnamese slipper)
    
20. In India, similar sandals are known as Hawaii Chappals. Some kinds of chappals are made of leather, and some have a strap over the big toe.
    
21. In Indonesia, they are known as "sandal jepit".
    
22. In Israel, they are known as כפכפי-אצבע (transliterated into English: kafkafey-etsba, meaning toe slippers)
    
23. In Italy, they are called infradito , literally inter-toes.
    
24. In Jamaica, they are known as slippers or sandals.
    
25. In Malawi they are known as "ma slippas" or "ma pata pata".
    
26. In Malaysia, they are known as selipar jepun, literally "Japanese slippers"
    
27. In Malta, they are known as "karkur".
    
28. In Mexico, they are called "chanclas."
    
29. In Myanmar they are known as "Pha Nut".
    
30. In The Netherlands, they are known as teenslippers
    
31. In New Zealand English they are known generically as jandals (JApanese sANDALS).
    
32. In Pakistan they are known as chappals, qainchey chappals or Hawaiian chappals
    
33. In Philippines they are known as tsinelas and slippers.
    
34. In Poland they are known as japonki which literally translated means "Japanese women", but its real meaning is simply "The Japanese"
    
35. In Russia they are known as vyetnamki meaning "Vietnamese", or slancy - by the name of a town (Slancy), where they have been made since Soviet era.
    
36. In Spain they are known as chancletas or chanclas.
    
37. In Sri Lanka they are known as slippers or Bata, after the name of the most popular flip-flop brand in the country Bata.
    
38. In Trinidad & Tobago they are known as slippers
    
39. In Turkey they are known as tokyo, şipidik, parmak-arası.
    
40. In Uganda they are known as makambos
    
41. In the United Kingdom, they are generally known as flip-flops
    
42. In the United States, they are generally known as sandals, flip-flops, go-aheads, thongs, and zories
    
43. In the United States Army, they are known as shower-shoes
    
44. In the United States Navy, they are known as go-slowers (a play on "go-fasters", the Navy term for running shoes)
    
45. In Uruguay, they are known as chancletas
    
46. In Venezuela, they are known as cholas