December 5, 2013

Today we celebrate:

National Sachertorte Day – A Sachertorte is a type of chocolate cake that was invented by Franz Sacher, an Austrian, in 1832 for Prince Wenzel von Metternich. The story goes that the Prince asked his personal chef to create a special dessert for some important guests. The chef was ill so the job fell to 16 year old apprentice Franz Sacher who was in his second year of training. While the guests loved the cake, we don't hear about it again until Sacher's son became a chef and perfected his father's creation in 1876.

AFL-CIO Day – On this day in 1955 the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations merged together into the largest federation of unions in the entire United States. For many years they represented nearly all of the unionized workers in the country.

Bathtub Party Day – I cannot find out where this day came from or what its' origins are but it's a fun day to celebrate anyway. You can either take a long, leisurely soak in your tub all by yourself or you can invite some friends. If your bathtub isn't big enough for more than one, maybe you can fill it with ice and some beverages to share with your guests instead.

Repeal of Prohibition Day – On this day in 1933, prohibition was ended with the 21^st Amendment to the Constitution. Prohibition was supposed to protect families, women and children from the effects of alcohol abuse but it didn't work and in fact, made things worse. It was found that child neglect and violence increased during the years of Prohibition so there wasn't much arguing when it came time to repeal it.

International Ninja Day – This is a day to dress like a ninja and spend the day sneaking around making sure no one sees you. You can also celebrate by checking into the schools of martial arts near you to see if one of them appeals to you. You, too, can learn to be a ninja.

International Volunteer Day for Economic & Social Development – This day was created by the United Nations and is designed to offer opportunities for volunteers and volunteer organizations to make their contributions to society known at local, national and international levels.

To celebrate today, invite all of your fellow volunteers and local union members to a bathtub party at your house. Have everyone come dressed as ninjas and see who can sneak into your house without you knowing about it. Serve some sachertorte and alcoholic beverages, although not so much that they are a danger to themselves and others when driving home.