For 11 years now (some of) the world has celebrated World Emoji Day on July 17th. Why July 17th? Because that was the preselected date on the emoji calendar. And why July 17th? I didn't find much of a concrete answer. 

Emoji Calendar
Emoji Calendar
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Where Did Emojis Come From?

There are THOUSANDS of emojis now, which is incredible considering just 15 years ago, the extent of expressing our emotions via text was through a colon and parenthesis :) You can read more about the history here, but the brief background on the shapes that have evolved into one of our standard forms of communication, Japan took our simple :) and simply expanded on it and made emojis popular worldwide beginning in 2010. Could we even imagine life today without emojis 😢?

What Maine-Themed Emojis Need to Be Added?

Every year, new emojis are added to our perpetually growing Emojipedia (click the link - it's actually a thing). The Emojipedia is a source of all the emojis created the past 14 years and what they mean. Here are a few missing for Mainers.

  1. Lighthouse
Marshall Point Lighthouse in Maine
David Bugenske/TSM Maine
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As of July, 2024, there is NO lighthouse. How do we tell our loved ones to meet at the lighthouse? One way could be 🔦🏠, but that is aesthetically disappointing and one too many steps. Hopefully, we will get a lighthouse emoji soon (sad face).

2. A PUFFIN!

Puffins
Getty Images
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Sure, Maine is the only state in the contiguous United States that has puffins. And yes, smartphones already offer a penguin emoji and both birds have very similar characteristics. A need for a puffin emoji still feels necessary, and I will personally advocate many times and often.

3. A Pinecone

Pine Cone
ThinkStock
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The pine cone is the state flower of Maine for crying out loud. How is this NOT an emoji? Granted, a pine cone is not a flower, but that doesn't mean there isn't a need for an emoji depiction of these cones produced by a group of plants called gymnosperms

What existing emojis apply to Maine? Which emojis need to be added. Comment on our Facebook post and let us know!

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Marshall Point Lighthouse and Museum, Maine

Marshall Point Lighthouse in Maine on July 13th, 2024. This lighthouse was featured in the film "Forrest Gump."

Gallery Credit: David

Hike Around the Clearest Water in Maine

Photos from hiking Jordan Pond Path & South Bubble in Acadia National Park, Maine.

Gallery Credit: David

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