December 5, 2016

Today we celebrate:

National Communicate With Your Kids Day - While I am sure that you communicate with your kids every day whether you want to or not, there is a more specific kind of communication that the creators have in mind. This is your opportunity to talk about more challenging topics in order to open (and keep open) the lines of communication between you and your kids so that hopefully when they are older, they will still be willing to talk to you about serious subjects.

National Commute With Your Baby Day - I’ve seen mention of this day on several sites dating back at least four years. However, I do not see anywhere any description of what it is about and why we are to celebrate it. Usually in this case I wouldn’t include it in my blog, but it is an intriguing day. Do you have a baby? Will you be commuting somewhere with your baby? I confess that my baby days are long over so I guess I will not be able to celebrate. Unless the baby can be a stuffed one. We might still have a baby doll around here somewhere that can stand in for the real thing.

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 we know that the guests loved the cake, we don't hear about it again until Sacher's son, Eduard Sacher, became a chef and perfected his father's creation in 1876 when he opened the Hotel Sacher in Vienna.

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 out the schools of martial arts near you to see if one of them appeals to you. You, too, can learn to be a ninja, or at least, more ninja-like than you are now.

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, like mine, isn't big enough for more than one, maybe you can fill it with ice and some beverages to share with your guests instead.

National Blue Jeans Day - On this day in 1880, Levi Strauss designed the first blue jeans. They didn’t look as fancy as they do these days, of course. They were strictly for working in. But they lasted a long time and were comfortable so they were very popular.

Repeal of Prohibition Day – On this day in 1933, prohibition was ended with the 21st 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 Congress decided to repeal it.

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.

December 4, 2016

Today we celebrate:

National Kitten Day - Created by Colleen Paige, a Celebrity Pet Lifestyle Expert and Animal Welfare Advocate who has created many pet related holidays, this is a day to focus on the millions of unwanted kittens in shelters all over the world. Cats make excellent pets for busy people because they are generally more independent than dogs and don’t require regular trips outside to use the bathroom since they can use kitty litter.

Extraordinary Work Team Recognition Day - This is a day to recognize everyone on your team at work that makes it possible for you to do the fantastic job you do at work. We all depend on others in some way to get our work done. Make sure the people you work with know how much you appreciate them.

National Cookie Day – It is cookie season! Bakers everywhere rejoice! Although why on earth this is just a one day celebration I have no idea. I usually start baking cookies right after Thanksgiving and don't stop until a few days before Christmas although this year I got an early start and already have a few dozen in my freezer.

National Dice Day – Casinos in Las Vegas, and probably elsewhere as well, celebrate this day by hosting “craps games” and giving free beverages to patrons who win. Dice are one of the oldest gambling devices that we know about. They were originally made out of sheep ankle bones which is why they are sometimes called 'bones'.

Santa's List Day – This is the day that Santa Claus checks his list. I believe that this is the first check, not the second one so if you've been naughty you might still have time to make amends and show Santa that you are working to improve your behavior. But I wouldn’t delay too long, you’re running out of time.

Wear Brown Shoes Day – This is one of those wacky days that do not seem to have an explanation. I have no idea who created it and why, but all you have to do to celebrate is wear some brown shoes today.

World Wildlife Conservation Day – On this day we work together to protect the wildlife in our areas. There are people who poach or capture wild animals for money and they must be stopped before we run out of wildlife that is actually wild. Take a pledge to “Stop Wildlife Crime” today.

December 3, 2016

Today we celebrate:

Let’s Hug Day - Hugs can help reduce heart disease, high blood pressure and stress. That’s more than enough reason to give as many hugs today as you can. But if you need another one, hugging your significant other can increase their loving feelings toward you, and hugging a friend can make even the most difficult circumstance feel a little bit better.

National Green Bean Casserole Day - This is one of the most popular side dishes and is often served during holiday meals such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. Wow. I guess I have been a poor hostess to my guests. I haven’t served this dish in many years. Well, people, now that I know how popular it is, I’ll make sure I add it to the menu for next year.

National Apple Pie Day - As far as we know, the first apple pie recipe was printed by Geoffrey Chaucer in 1391 in England. So while America is famous for its’ apple pies, they were not created here. But they are still the most popular pie in America.

Make a Gift Day - This is a day that I can get into. Today, instead of buying things to give for gifts for your family and friends, this is a day to make something. I intend to make some special breads for the people on my list. When you make something, it is more meaningful as a gift because one of the things you put into it is your love.

International Day of Persons With Disabilities – This is a day to support the 15 percent of the world's population who live with some kind of disability. The theme for this year’s celebration is, “Achieving 17 Goals for the Future We Want.” This recognizes the 17 Sustainable Development Goals that were recently adopted and the role these goals will have in helping to create a world that is more adaptable for people with disabilities.

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 this day with a parade every year. Marchers in the parade are sure to be seen wearing earmuffs.

National Roof Over Your Head Day – This is a day to appreciate the roof we have over our heads. Life would be pretty miserable without the comfort of things like shelter and warm clothing so take some time to appreciate the things that we have today.

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. They give first hand observations to the National Weather Service from all over the country so the Weather Service can better predict what the weather is going to do as it moves across the continent. This day seems to be celebrated on the first Saturday in December.

Coats & Toys for Kids Day - Celebrated on the first Saturday in December, this is a day to donate new or gently used coats for kids who do not have a way to buy a coat to stay warm this winter, and new, unwrapped toys for kids who won’t otherwise get anything for Christmas. There are a lot of struggling families in this country, so those of us who have enough for our own families, should step up and give a little bit to help one that doesn’t have enough. If everyone gives a little bit, as your finances allow, there will be more than enough for everyone to go around.

December 2, 2016

Today we celebrate:

International Sweater Vestival - Celebrated on the second Friday after Thanksgiving, this is a day to wear a sweater vest to work. This is a holiday that kind of makes fun of some of the other odd holidays we celebrate. Knoxville, Tennessee celebrates a day like this in May, but it’s a little too warm for sweater vests then, in my opinion.

Popping Corn Day - For all of the popcorn lovers out there, today is a day to eat all the popcorn you want. It’s one of my children’s favorite snacks so you know they’ll jump on this one as soon as they get home from school. I don’t even have to tell them about it.

National Fritters Day – My husband will be very happy for this day. I make some pretty good corn fritters. They are the only kind I know how to make but I'm sure there are lots of other kinds of fritters that you can make. Maybe this website will help you, who knows, maybe it will help me, too!

International Day for the Abolition of Slavery – On this day in 1949, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the United Nations Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others. Slavery still exists all around the world but instead of enslaving whole races of people, individuals are enslaved and forced to do things the rest of us do not even want to think about, but we have to if we want to fight this despicable practice.

National Mutt Day – This is a day to celebrate the Mutt. As you probably know, a mutt is a dog that is not a purebred dog so it has the genes of more than one breed of canine. Some people look down on these dogs, but I can tell you that they are wonderful. Mutts are generally healthier than purebreds because of their mix of genetics, the stronger ones will win out. They also carry many wonderful characteristics of different breeds so if you are looking for a dog with certain traits and you can't find just one breed that has all of them, look at a mutt. This day is also celebrated on July 31st because mutts can’t get too much love.

Special Education Day – This is the tenth celebration of this special day. It was created in 2005 to acknowledge the 30th anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. We've come a long way in educating everyone. Children with disabilities are receiving quality education in schools and people without disabilities have learned a lot about how to treat those with disabilities. More and more businesses and public places have made allowing access to those with disabilities to be a priority. Of course, they had the added incentive of having a law telling them they have to do so, but why point out the minor legalities of it all. But, we are not done, there is still more work to do so we can’t rest yet.

Faux Fur Friday – Faux fur is man made material that resembles animal fur in texture and appearance. It is cheaper than real animal fur and far less devastating to the animals in question. It was first invented in 1929 but has been increasing in popularity because it is very animal friendly. This day is celebrated on the first Friday in December.

Salesperson Day – Also celebrated on the first Friday in December, this is a day to recognize how much we depend on salespeople. They help us decide what we need, answer our endless questions, help us solve problems and offer advice. We depend on them to have all the answers we might ever need so they must keep up to date on the latest technology or fashion which are both constantly changing. This is different from National Salesperson Day which is the first Friday in March. Don’t bother asking me how it is different because the only thing I notice is that in March it’s a National day and today it’s just a day.