Celebrate Every Day

Transcript for May 15th

Welcome to May 15th, 2020 as we bridge the social distance on the National Day Calendar.  Today we celebrate food with “party” written all over it.  More after the break from Anna Devere.

Most National Days have an odd assortment of celebrations. But today the stars have aligned, my friends, and we get two of our favorite things at the same time. The first is chocolate chips. These delicious morsels are so commonplace that it’s hard to believe they weren’t invented until 1937. Ruth Graves Wakefield chopped up pieces of chocolate and added them to her cookie dough, hoping to put a new spin on her baked goods. The cookies were a huge success and a few years later, Nestle bought the recipe. On National Chocolate Chip Day, bake up a batch of cookies or sprinkle some chocolate chips and celebrate the magic of the morsel.

The second part of our all-star double header is… Pizza! This culinary favorite started as peasant food in Italy, but wasn’t introduced to the United States until soldiers returned from Europe after World War II. Since then, it’s become a food staple, with over 60,000 pizzerias throughout the US. It’s estimated that we eat an average of 46 slices per person every year! People have their favorites and there are dozens of regional variations, but the one thing we can all agree on is that there are few sentences as awesome as “It’s National Pizza Party Day!”

Learn more by following us at nationaldaycalendar.com or on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and thanks for joining us on our journey as we Celebrate Every Day!

Transcript for May 14th

Welcome to May 14th, 2020 as we bridge the social distance on the National Day Calendar.  Today we celebrate popular poultry and one tough cookie. More after the break from Marlo Anderson.

As soon as you hear the upbeat oom-pah-pah of the Chicken Dance, you know what happens next. Everyone heads to the dance floor and spends the next few minutes dancing in unison. Since it debuted in the 1950s, this silly little song has become a mainstay at wedding receptions and Oktoberfest celebrations. In 1996, fans of the song took things to the extreme, setting the record for the world's largest Chicken Dance—72,000 people all flapping their arms and shaking their tail feathers at once. Today on National Dance Like A Chicken Day, brighten things up with an impromptu dance, even if it’s just you in front of a mirror. It’s hard not to smile when you’re pretending to be poultry.

Today we celebrate a quick bread with stability, that’s been soaking up gravy since before the Civil War.  That’s because good old American biscuits are built for the task.  Don’t let the nickname “quick bread” fool you.  They can go against plain old dinner rolls anytime, because they’re made for slogging through butter and syrup, jelly, jam and yes gravy. Ok I am just like starving for one right now.  On National Buttermilk Biscuit Day bake up a batch from scratch or get the ready to bake kind because we celebrate that too.  This ain’t no cookie folks.  This side dish is an all terrain vehicle built for watering mouths.

Learn more by following us at nationaldaycalendar.com or on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and thanks for joining us on our journey as we Celebrate Every Day!

Transcript for May 13th

Welcome to May 13th, 2020 as we bridge the social distance on the National Day Calendar.  Today we celebrate American classics. More after the break from Marlo Anderson.

“It’s as American as…” well you know the rest. That’s right, apple pie.  But did you know that the first printed apple pie recipe was found in England in 1381?  Like any good thing, we brought this dessert classic across the pond and made it our own.  Teddy Roosevelt pined for it while traveling abroad in Africa, and World War II soldiers claimed they were fighting for it, along with Mom of course.  Maybe you like yours served a la mode, or topped with a slice of cheddar cheese, or even completely unadorned. On National Apple Pie Day rest assured that there’s plenty for all and you can have it any way you please.

Speaking of things that skip across the pond, Americans didn’t invent frog jumping but we know where the most celebrated contest originated.  That would be Calaveras County, California back in 1849 and thanks to Mark Twain these amphibian olympics are still celebrated throughout the country today.  While his short story had three different names, Twain landed on The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County and his frog Dan’l Webster immortalized this curious event.  For the record it’s Rosie the Ribeter who holds the title for highest jump coming in at a whopping 21 feet, 5-3/4 inches.  On National Frog Jumping Day join the fun at local event or take it easy on the couch with a good read that is still as American as apple pie

Learn more by following us at nationaldaycalendar.com or on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and thanks for joining us on our journey as we Celebrate Every Day!

Transcript for May 12th

Welcome to May 12th, 2020 as we bridge the social distance on the National Day Calendar.  Today we celebrate poetry that’s been around the block and checking in on how far you’ve been. More after the break from Marlo Anderson.

Marlo: There once was a man from Nantucket…

Anna: WHOA! You can’t read that on the air.

Marlo: I’m just reading a limerick.

Anna: Okay, but we can’t actually read a limerick. They’re simple five-line poems with a set rhyme scheme,  but they are usually…um…a little dirty.

Marlo: How about this one? There once was a woman…

Anna: Stop! We don’t want to know how that one ends. Today is National Limerick Day and everyone can google some for themselves if they want. And maybe write some clean versions.

Look at how far you’ve come. Not in the sense of evaluating your life. I’m talking literally—take a look at your car’s odometer and you may be surprised at the mileage. The odometer was invented in the 1600s to track how far wagons traveled and now we even have a digital version on our watches that can tell us how far we’ve walked. On National Odometer Day, it’s good to know how much mileage you’ve been racking and whether it’s because of your lease or for an oil change that info could come in quite handy.

Learn more by following us at nationaldaycalendar.com or on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and thanks for joining us on our journey as we Celebrate Every Day!

Transcript for May 11th

Welcome to May 11th, 2020 as we bridge the social distance on the National Day Calendar.  Today we celebrate pigging out and our favorite being in “the zone. More after the break from Anna Devere.

For the past few weeks, we’ve probably all been eating a lot of comfort food. I know I have. And maybe you’ve felt a little guilty about it. Today it doesn’t matter what you have, gobble it up and don’t count the calories. Chips, cookies, pizza, or maybe some cake. Just enjoy yourself. If anyone asks why you’re on your second bag of potato chips, tell them to lighten up. It’s National Eat What You Want Day and you’re allowed to pig out if you choose, though getting crumbs on the couch is probably too far.

We are taking a trip into another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. The opening narration and theme music from the Twilight Zone make up one of the most iconic TV show introductions ever.  Think of how many times something weird happens and someone starts humming that tune. It’s amazing that more than 50 years have passed since the show first debuted and it still holds up as some of the best television you’ll ever see. Watch some classic episodes like To Serve Man or Nightmare at 20,000 Feet to see what we mean. But whatever you do today, watch out for weird twists and turns that may lead you through a door into… National Twilight Zone Day.

Learn more by following us at nationaldaycalendar.com or on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and thanks for joining us on our journey as we Celebrate Every Day!

Transcript for May 10th

The idea for a national celebration of our mother’s came from Julia Ward Howe during the Civil War and while Julia campaigned around the world to make it official the idea did not catch on until 1905.  Most mom’s know that it’s an uphill battle to secure a little R&R and on Mother’s Day we politely smile at the burnt toast and pancakes, the messy kitchen we may or may not ignore and the homecards that we like best anyway. On Mother’s Day be sure to learn the love language of that special woman in your life and know she feels pretty rewarded just for being your Mom.

Anna:  For anyone who might be interested, my Mother’s Day wish is to eat some shrimp, which happens to be America’s most popular seafood.

Marlo: Barbecue shrimp, broiled shrimp, shrimp-kabobs… 

Anna: Marlo, are you just listing ways to eat shrimp?

Marlo: Yes. 

Anna: Well, this isn’t a scene from Forrest Gump. I’m trying to talk.

Marlo: Okay.

Anna: As I was saying… There are thousands of species and larger shrimp are called prawns.

Marlo: Shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo, shrimp cocktails.

Anna: Ugh. Anyway, today is National Shrimp Day. [pause] Just go ahead, Marlo. 

Marlo: Fried shrimp, coconut shrimp, shrimp fried rice, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, lemon shrimp, baked shrimp, shrimp salad, shrimp po boys…

Learn more by following us at nationaldaycalendar.com or on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and thanks for joining us on our journey as we Celebrate Every Day!

Transcript for May 9th

Welcome to May 9th, 2020 as we bridge the social distance on the National Day Calendar.  Today we celebrate a dog’s life and a sock’s afterlife. More after the break from Anna Devere.

Most moms agree that the key to enjoying Mother’s Day is to lower your expectations.  Best case scenario you get to put up your feet and take a pass from doing any housework.  On National Dog Mom Day this is a given.  We know our fur kids will never make us breakfast or learn to shop for presents online, unless of course they have some help and as Dog Moms we’re ok with that.  Just the sight of their adoring faces, warm cuddles and invitation to nap whenever you please says it all.  Go ahead and celebrate the Dog Days of Spring with your chip off the old block who knows exactly what you want most.

Some mysteries may never be solved: Stonehenge, Area 51, and perhaps the greatest of them all…why do so many socks disappear from our dryers? It’s so frustrating!  You do a load of laundry with all your perfectly good pairs of socks. Maybe they’re dressy, maybe they’re for the gym, or maybe they have your dog’s face printed all over them. It doesn’t matter. The great Dryer Mystery does not discriminate. It will consume any and all socks—but just one of each pair! We are gathered today to remember these lost items on National Lost Sock Memorial Day, to celebrate the joy they once gave us,  and to hope that our favorite green argyle friend will find a match as it frolics in sock heaven.

Today: National Moscato Day, National Butterscotch Brownie Day, National Sleepover Day, National Birth Mother’s Day, National Babysitter’s Day, National Train Day, National Archery Day, National Miniature Golf Day, 

Tomorrow: National Clean Up Your Room Day, National Lipid Day, National Shrimp Day, National Washington Day, Mother’s Day 

Learn more by following us at nationaldaycalendar.com or on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and thanks for joining us on our journey as we Celebrate Every Day!

Transcript for May 20th

Welcome to May 8th, 2020 as we bridge the social distance on the National Day Calendar.  Today we celebrate world travelers who make us feel right at home. More after the break from Anna Devere. 

Tropical fruits were a hit in the 1800’s as Americans and Europeans alike took great care to import pineapples and bananas from their exotic, faraway homes.  But people scratched their heads about how to ship coconuts.  It was the French who decided to shred and dry the coconut meat for easier shipping from Ceylon and voila, a new ingredient emerged on the culinary scene. From there it was a short hop, ship and jump into delicious desserts such as custards and pies.  On National Coconut Cream Pie Day we celebrate this creamy and intoxicating dessert that feels practically native to our storehouse of favorite recipes. 

Today we also celebrate those dedicated family members who travel far and wide to keep the home fires burning, that’s right we are talking about Military Spouses.  We recognize the profound importance of spouse commitment to the readiness and well-being of our military members. And on National Military Spouse Appreciation Day we honor the lifelong call of duty of these selfless individuals whose tremendous strength and patriotism can be seen in their significant contributions, support and daily sacrifices.

Learn more by following us at nationaldaycalendar.com or on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and thanks for joining us on our journey as we Celebrate Every Day!