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.

December 4, 2013

Today we celebrate:

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 start baking cookies right after Thanksgiving and don't stop until a few days before Christmas.

National Dice Day – On this day, casinos in Las Vegas celebrate 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 anklebones which is why they are sometimes called 'bones'.

Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting – Today is the annual Tree Lighting ceremony which will take place from 7 to 9 pm this evening.

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.

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.

Wear Brown Shoes Day – This is one of those wacky days that do not seem to have an explanation. But all you have to do to celebrate is wear some brown shoes today.

Special Kids Day – Celebrated on the first Wednesday in December, this is a day that is dedicated to helping children with disabilities and their families have some fun with events happening all over the place in places that are accessible to their special needs.

To celebrate today, make sure you engage in only Santa sanctioned activities today so you stay on (or get back on) his good list. Wear brown shoes today and play a dice game with some of the special kids in your neighborhood while you share some of your cookies and get them to pledge to stop wildlife crime. Tonight watch the tree lighting at the Rockefeller center.

Today I'd like to thank my readers in China for taking the time to read my blog.

December 3, 2013

Today we celebrate:

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 years celebration is, “Break barriers, open doors: for an inclusive society for all”. 

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.

To celebrate today, renovate that building that puts a roof over your head so that people with disabilities can come to visit you.

December 2, 2013

Today we celebrate:

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.

Cyber Monday – This is the Black Friday for online businesses. This is the day to focus your buying power online. If you look, you will find some great deals to snatch up.

International Day for the Abolition of Slavery Day – 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 know, a mutt is a dog that is not a pure bred dog so it has the genes of more than one type of animal. Some people look down on these dogs, but I can tell you that they are wonderful. Mutts are generally healthier than pure breds 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.

Special Education Day – This is the ninth celebration of this special day. It was created in 2005 to acknowledge the 30^th 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.

To celebrate today, finish up your holiday shopping online while your mutt snuggles in your lap. Then call someone you know who works to educate those with disabilities and thank them for their hard work. Make some fritters for dinner and go online to find out if there is anything you can do to stop the slave trade.