dbo:abstract
- Newman Day is a collegiate drinking tradition in which 24 beers are consumed over 24 hours. The ritual was initiated by students of Bates College, in Lewiston, Maine. At its inception during the college's annual January 1976 Winter Carnival, a student exclaimed that Paul Newman once said "24 hours in a day, 24 beers in a case. Coincidence? I think not," as a rhetorical mandate. Originally named Paul Newman Day, it was renamed Newman Day (sometimes known as Newman's Day), and became an unofficial student tradition at Bates in the years to follow. As time went on the tradition was picked up by his alma mater, Kenyon College, as well as Princeton. At Bates, Newman Day occurs on the Friday of Winter Carnival, although other schools have opted to celebrate on April 24th. In all cases, the event begins at 12:00 am and concludes at 11:59 pm. During his life Newman publicly opposed the tradition and asserted that the quote inspiring it was misattributed. The tradition has been spun off into new traditions and similar activities by West Virginia University and the University of Virginia. At the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University in Minnesota, the same tradition is celebrated annually under the name of "Case Day". (en)