December 7, 2013

Today we celebrate:

National Cotton Candy Day – Known in other countries by other names such as candy floss or fairy floss, this is a sweet treat that is most commonly found at carnivals or fairs. I find it to be too sweet and sticky, but my children love it, of course. It was first invented way back in the 18^th century in Europe but it was spun by hand and so was expensive and time consuming to make. The first machine to do the trick was invented in 1897 by a dentist, of all people, named William Morrison. You would think that even back then, a dentist would know better than to make sugar more readily available.

International Civil Aviation Day – Begun in 1994 by the International Civil Aviation Organization and endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1996, this is a day to celebrate the fact that we, as average citizens of almost any country, can get on a plane and fly mostly wherever we want to fly.

Earmuff Day or Chester Greenwood Day – Celebrated on the first Saturday in December, this is a day to celebrate Chester Greenwood of Farmington, Maine, who invented earmuffs in 1873 at the tender age of 15. He came up with the idea because his ears got cold while he was ice skating and his grandmother helped him out by sewing bits of fur between loops of wire for his prototype. He got a patent and improved on his design over the years. He had a factory in Farmington for almost 60 years making earmuffs and supporting his community. He invented a number of other things as well. Farmington celebrates his day with a parade every year. Marchers in the parade are sure to be seen wearing earmuffs.

National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day – This is a day to honor and remember all those who died during the attack on Pearl Harbor on this day in 1941. The United States Flag is to be flown at half-staff until sunset today in their honor.

SKYWARN Recognition Day – Created by the National Weather Service and the American Radio Relay League in 1999, this is a day to recognize the importance of the volunteer SKYWARN radio operators to the National Weather Service.

To celebrate today, watch the weather forecast and realize that without the SKYWARN volunteers, you would probably still be sticking your head out the window in order to guess at what the weather is going to do that day. Wear some earmuffs today when you go out to take a plane trip with your children to Pearl Harbor so you can show your children where it happened 72 years ago. Before you leave, find someplace that sells cotton candy to get your kids all sugared up for the plane trip home. Your fellow passengers will thank you.