Celebrate Every Day

In this episode of "Celebrate Every Day" hosts Marlo Anderson and Anna Devere discuss the origins of sour dough bread, and how it came to be associated with San Francisco.  They also find out some strange facts about each other!

In this episode of "Celebrate Every Day", hosts Anna Devere and Marlo Anderson delve into the fascinating stories behind two unique holidays: National Tater Day and National Crayon Day. They explore the history of potatoes, including how physician Antoine-Augustin Parmentier's ingenious PR tactics helped make this once unpopular vegetable a culinary staple in Europe. The hosts also discuss the colorful world of crayons and share the incredible story of Emerson Moser, Crayola's senior crayon maker who created nearly 1.5 billion crayons despite being colorblind. Join Anna and Marlo as they take a bite out of history and explore the rich and varied stories behind these two unique celebrations.

Welcome to March 30th, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate a walk in the park and a taste of our own medicine. Anna: Hey Marlo, it's Walk in the Park Day so I made a list of all the ways we say something is a "Walk in the Park"; It's easy, it's a cinch, it's a breeze, this is kid stuff, what a pushover, it's a no-brainer, a piece of cake, it's duck soup, it's a picnic, it's a cake walk... Marlo: um...wait...Anna? Anna, it's not Walk in the Park Day, it's TAKE a walk in the park day, a great day to get out and enjoy the outdoors. Anna: Oh. Marlo: C'mon Anna, I think you've been working too hard, let's go for a walk in the park. Anna: Thanks Marlo, that sounds good. John: On National Walk in the Park Day, get out and enjoy a little time off. In ancient times, when indigenous tribes called on a medicine man they believed that illness was caused by evil spirits or magic. Hippocrates dispelled this myth and became the father of modern medicine in ancient Greece. He viewed illness as a physical notion, and helped to move the needle forward. No pun intended. To this day physicians still take the Hippocratic oath. We owe thanks to countless medical professionals, but on this day in 1842, one doctor made a significant stride. Crawford Long M.D. administered the first ether anesthesia and the patient reported felt no pain. On National Doctors Day, we honor those who sacrifice to put the health of their communities first. I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to March 29th, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate a right of passage and the Silver State. If you never had a Radio Flyer little red wagon as a kid, then you have missed out on something truly American, hauling stuff around. When we grow up we buy trucks and let our hair blow in the breeze. Our dogs ride shotgun with their noses out the window. And the back is full of gear for our next great adventure. This all starts with our first set of wheels, and anyone who sees a kid at the park pulling his version of the important stuff knows it. There goes an entrepreneur, an engineer, the next great lemonade stand! Keep your eyes open for this right of passage. It's a good one and it's bound to pull on your heart strings. On National Little Red Wagon Day, you can bet these kids hauling stuff around are going some place good. Nevada is well known for its casinos and tourist attractions, but it’s also home to something not nearly as lively. Ghost towns. Because of its mining history, the state has over 600 of them. One of the most interesting is Berlin, Nevada. Not only will you find the remains of a mining community, with abandoned buildings and a cemetery, but also something much much older. The remains of Ichthyosaurs, aquatic dinosaurs that lived in the oceans covering the state 225 million years ago. The fossils are on display in the museum at the state park. On National Nevada Day, we celebrate the Silver State and its long standing history. I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to March 28th, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate wicked good cake and food on the go. In Southeastern Germany lies the world-famous Black Forest. It’s known as the setting for several Grimm fairy tales. But many more know it because of the dessert that bears its name: Black Forest cake. Some people may dismiss it as plain old chocolate cake, but they’re missing out entirely. This chocolate cake layered with whipped cream and topped with cherries is nothing short of magical. The star of the recipe is cherry liqueur, which is distilled in the Black Forest region of Germany and gives this cake its delicious allure. Celebrate National Black Forest Cake Day with a slice of decadence, but beware of any witches who serve it up from gingerbread houses. If you’ve ever been to the Minnesota State Fair, then you know just about everything tastes better on a stick. And nothing beats this method for food on the go, while you casually stroll through exhibits. It may seem like a uniquely Midwestern thing to put corn, Nashville hot chicken or even cookie dough on a skewer, but this practical solution goes way beyond geography. It turns out that even gorillas use sticks for their meals by dipping them into an anthill. And cooking shish kabob over an open fire can be traced back to the invention of fire. On National Something On A Stick Day consider your connection to the caveman, and count yourself lucky for hotdogs and marshmallows that don’t have to be hunted or gathered. I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to March 27th, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate a regular Joe and a spicy history. Ordinary Joe, Joe Sixpack, Joe Blow, Joe Schmoe, Average Joe...did you ever wonder if other cultures have their own "Joes"? These Joe terms are used primarily in North America to refer to a completely average person but there are parallel terms in other languages such as Old Mate in Australia, Herr und Frau Osterreicher in Austria (meaning Mr and Mrs Austria), Israel Israeli in, you guessed it, Israel and even Tizio, Caio e Sempronio in Italy, the equivalent of Tom, Dick and Harry! It seems that pretty much everyone around the world has their own way to refer to their own Average Joe. On National Joe Day take your pick of what it means to be you. The Spanish rice dish known as Paella, has an interesting history. Rice was first brought to Spain by the Moors around 1,200 years ago. Because of this, the word for rice or arroz does not come from Latin, but rather from Arabic. Then there’s the word paella itself which refers to the pan in which the meal is cooked. The word comes from the old French for pan or paelle. Are you following along? Good. Because there’s more. Some people claim that the word paella is a contraction of para ella, which means for her, because the man who supposedly came up with the recipe did so for his love. Celebrate National Spanish Paella Day with this uniquely delicious dish and its spicy history. I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to March 26th, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate knowing who your friends are and a veggie that gives us super strength. If you’re celebrating today’s national day, you’re going to need a friend along, if you for no other reason than to check your teeth. For one thing nougat seems designed to get stuck to your smile. The white kind is made by whipping egg whites and honey - think divinity or Milky Way candy bars. Brown nougat is even stiffer and stickier, like Bit o Honey or Fast Break. But the serious smile busters are the German kind that add nuts to the mix. If you like this variety, better have some friends on hand to make sure you’re ready for a selfie closeup. Marlo, John - do I have anything in my teeth? On National Nougat Day, make sure you know who your friends are. The town of Crystal City, Texas survived the Great Depression thanks to an unlikely hero, Popeye the Sailor Man. In the 1930s, Popeye cartoons became very popular, which meant that kids everywhere saw him chomping away on his favorite snack, spinach. And, as luck would have it, Crystal City was a huge producer of spinach. Moms were thrilled that their kids wanted to eat the healthy food and business boomed as spinach was added to menus across the country. To this day, the town is known as the Spinach Capital of the World and they even have a Popeye statue erected outside city hall. On National Spinach Day, celebrate the veggie that still gives us our super strength. I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to March 25th, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate strange new worlds and acts of bravery. To say that JRR Tolkien had an impact on popular culture is an understatement. Without The Lord of the Rings, we might never have experienced Harry Potter or played Dungeons & Dragons. Before he wrote anything about a Hobbit, Tolkien was a professor of Old English literature and a student of language. So when he created Middle Earth, he came up with an entire history for his fictional world. And wrote not one, but FIVE different languages exclusively for the books. Quite the perfection. On National Tolkien Reading Day, celebrate your favorite escape into a perfectly curated world. The Medal of Honor is bestowed upon our military for extraordinary acts of service. In the case of Teddy Roosevelt it was awarded for his acts of apparent defiance during the Spanish American War. But not until many decades later. Colonel Roosevelt grew impatient as progress was stalled on a charge of the San Juan hill. He managed to convince his immediate supervisor to allow his Rough Riders to push ahead. With only four or five men, Teddy was the first American to arrive in the Spanish trenches. This brave act turned the tide of the entire battle. Roosevelt was nominated for a Medal of Honor during his life, but wasn’t awarded it until 2001, 82 years after his death. On National Medal of Honor Day we remember the more than 3500 souls who have received this award by going above and beyond the call of duty. I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to March 24th, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate saucy tails and movie sidekicks. Considering how long alcohol has been part of human culture, it’s surprising that the first cocktail wasn’t invented until the 1800s. Antoine Peychaud created the Sazerac in New Orleans using cognac, sugar, absinthe, and a dash of bitters. The name Sazerac comes from the brand of French cognac that was used, but these days the primary ingredient is rye whiskey. And why do we call these drinks cocktails? Supposedly, that first cocktail was served in an egg cup—or, in French, a coquetier—a word that morphed into cocktail. On National Cocktail Day, mix yourself a glass of your favorite drink. Raisinets are number 3 on the list of all time best selling candies. Created by the Blumenthal Brothers in 1927, Raisinets along with Snowcaps and Goobers are still manufactured to this day. That’s a pretty good run for a candy that’s been around for nearly 100 years, although Nestle has been making them since 1984. The best explanation for their longevity seems to be their association with movie theaters. Popcorn enjoys this same claim to fame and we are not complaining! On National Chocolate Covered Raisin Day, make your home theater pop with your favorite movie sidekick. I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to March 23rd, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate dynamic duos and useful pups. If you enjoy chips and dip, you can thank a tea company for the idea. In the years following World War II, the American suburbs grew rapidly, as did the demand for food and recipes for entertaining. Lipton, the British company known for its tea, marketed its onion soup mix as a way to make dip. Just add it to some sour cream and voila!—an American snack legend was born. For a while, this became known as the California Dip, but now we just know it as good ol’ chip and dip. On National Chip and Dip Day, whip up this dynamic duo, and let the celebration begin. And if you invite your friends just be sure not to double dip. Anyone who has ever adopted a puppy knows they are lots of work. But most dog lovers know they are well worth the training. When Chloe Johns was only 7 years old, she was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. Her mother Kathy worried night and day because her blood sugar had to be monitored every two hours. Thanks to a flat coat retriever named Ruby, the girl has a constant companion who can even tell by her breathing whether Chloe needs insulin. The two are inseparable even when Chloe goes to school. On National Puppy Day cuddle up with your favorite pup and enjoy the sloppy kisses. You never know how this new best friend will shape your life for the better. I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices