December 13, 2013

Today we celebrate:

National Cocoa Day – This is a day to sit back and enjoy a good cup of hot chocolate. Hmmmm...I can smell that chocolate now. I like mine with mini marshmallows in it.

Asarah B'Tevet – This is a fast that begins at dawn to commemorate the siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylonia. The fast ends at nightfall.

National Salesperson Day – Celebrated on the second 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.

US National Guard Birthday – Today the National Guard celebrates its' 377^th birthday. It was created on this day in 1636 when the Massachusetts General Court mandated that all able-bodied men between 16 and 60 were required to join the Militia. It has since grown into a huge military force that is still firmly rooted in the community it has served for so long.

National Ice Cream Day – This day is a little confusing, Italo Marchiony applied for a patent on a machine that makes ice cream cups on Sept. 13, 1903. He received the patent on December 15^th so whoever decided on this day may have inadvertently mixed the two dates.

National Violin Day – We have been celebrating violins on this day for a while now and on this day in 2010, Violinist Ben Lee broke the Guinness World Record for the Fastest Violin Player. He played 14 notes per second which is pretty darn fast.

To celebrate today, go to a music store and ask a Salesperson for some help to find someone who can give you violin lessons. Then, practice hard so you can go to your local National Guard Recruitment Office and play Happy Birthday for them on your violin. After dark tonight have some hot chocolate and ice cream.

Today I'd like to thank all of my American readers.  I appreciate you giving me some of your time so that I can attempt to entertain and perhaps educate you a little bit.