February 3, 2015

Today we celebrate:

Elmo’s Birthday - I have no idea how old Elmo is.  Before he was Elmo, he was just one of the background puppets in the early Sesame Street episodes.  In 1984, one of the puppeteers, Kevin Clash, created his personality and Elmo was born.  This is his birthday, according to Sesame Street.  According to Elmo, he is 3 ½ years old.  So I’m not sure if this is his 28th third birthday, or his 27th 4th birthday.

Four Chaplains Memorial Day – This day was declared by the United States Congress to be a holiday honoring the 70th Anniversary of the sinking of the United States Army Transport Dorchester. Four Army Chaplains from four different religions went down with the ship that day when they gave their life jackets to other passengers. They sacrificed their lives for men of all faiths.

The Day The Music Died – A line from Don McLean's song “American Pie” used to describe how the music world felt after the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson and their pilot, Roger Peterson on this day in 1959.

National Cordova Ice Worm Day – Cordova is a city in Alaska which explains a lot about this holiday. The winter is so dark and cold and difficult to endure that the people decided to have a celebration to lighten their spirits. They have an ice worm parade (the ice worm, by the way, is a real worm that lives in Alaskan glaciers.) with an ice worm King and Queen and a whole winter carnival.

National Carrot Cake Day – This is one of my favorite cakes since it carries with it the illusion of healthiness in the form of vegetables. You can sneak some pureed zucchini into it too and no one would ever know the difference. It was created hundreds of years ago when sugar was hard to come by so people learned to use sweet vegetables to sweeten their baked goods. It became useful again during World War II when the British government had to ration lots of things including sugar. Housewives around the world shared lots of different recipes like this cake that used carrots as sweeteners.

Tu B'shuvat – Beginning at sundown this evening, this is a Jewish holiday that celebrates the beginning of a new year for trees. Early blooming trees in Israel will wake from their winter sleep and begin their new growth cycle. It seems a little hard to understand for me in the Northeast of the United States where my trees are still covered in icicles but I guess the weather in Israel is a little different.

African American Coaches Day – Celebrated on the first Tuesday in February, this is a day to bring attention to the African American Community and the benefits of working with a coach, whether it's for personal or business interests. And just for a little clarification, this does not necessarily have anything to do with sports. There are many kinds of coaches and strong African-Americans can have a very positive influence over the lives of young people who just need someone to guide (or coach) them.

To celebrate today, make some carrot cake to eat while you watch Elmo on Sesame Street.  Then talk an African American friend (or yourself) into being a coach for some kids at the local high school before you head up to Alaska for the Ice Worm parade. Trust me, you don't want to miss it. On the way there, play some music by Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper in between chapters of an audiobook about four of the bravest Chaplains in history. I recommend the audiobook since if you're traveling, you should probably pay attention to what you're doing.