Celebrate Every Day

Welcome to February 21st, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate big buns and Fat Tuesday.

In 2018, Wolferman’s Gourmet Baked Goods in Oregon wanted to find a way to celebrate their new 5 pound cinnamon bun. They decided that the best way to do that was to create an even bigger bun; over 1,100 pounds bigger. That’s about the size of a full grown cow! Wolferman’s broadcast a livestream of the process, much to the delight of foodies around the world. Once it was completed, this delicious monstrosity used 350 pounds of flour, 378 pounds of cinnamon sugar and over 13 dozen eggs. The Guinness World record holder was sold, piece at a time for charity at the Medford’s Annual Pear Blossom Festival. Celebrate National Sticky Bun Day by going over the top.

If you’ve ever tried a king cake, you know that there’s a prize baked inside: a tiny, plastic baby. This odd custom began as a way to choose the king or queen of Mardi Gras celebrations. For years, the item baked into the cake was a crowned king’s head, which symbolized the three kings who had visited the baby Jesus with gifts. However, this became a problem during the French Revolution. The monarchy saw the heads as a thinly veiled threat. And since royalty during this time had become less popular, commoners were all too happy to swap it out with a baby. When king cake made its way to New Orleans, porcelain figures were used, until a baker ran out and needed a replacement. He found a plastic version and that is the standard to this day. On Fat Tuesday celebrate with your favorite treat and enjoy the last hurrah before Lent.

I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day!

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Welcome to February 20th, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate pet love languages and an illegal dessert.

You probably don’t need a reminder to love your pet. The furry, feathery or scaly creatures that chew up our furniture and make messes on the floor hold a special place in our hearts. You may even think you’re good at spoiling them, but have you ever considered learning their language? You don’t have to be Dr. Doolittle to understand the universal language of love. These include physical touch, quality time, words of affirmation, gifts and service. Chances are that your pets are giving you clues as to which of these they prefer and you could probably avoid those accidents on the rug by paying attention. On National Love Your Pet Day, celebrate the best friend in your life who already knows the way to your heart.

If you have dinner in Kansas and opt for dessert, watch out for what you choose. It’s perfectly acceptable to eat cherry pie, but if you decide that you want it à la mode, you’re going to find yourself in some trouble. For some reason, there’s a law in Kansas that makes it illegal to eat cherry pie with a scoop of ice cream on top. Nobody seems to be sure what prompted this law to become necessary, but luckily it’s not enforced. Kansas also has a law banning the hunting of whales, so clearly someone way back when was having a bit of fun passing legislation. On National Cherry Pie Day, celebrate with a slice of this classic American dessert. Except where prohibited by law.

I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day!

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Welcome to February 19th, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate winning combinations and noble beasts.

If anyone understands the allure of chocolate and mint, it’s the Girl Scouts. The Thin Mint has been a hands down favorite since it first appeared in 1939. Back then they were called Cookie Mints and they’ve gone through no less than 7 name changes. But the fact that they’ve never been retired is a testament to this winning combination. About 50 million boxes of Thin Mints are sold in a season, making it the Girl Scout’s number one best seller. Rabid fans know they are best served frozen, so that may account for why more of them are sold. It’s easy to stock up. But we also know there is something just perfect about these flavors that we celebrate on National Chocolate Mint Day.

Arabian horses were the first breed of horse ever domesticated. About 5,000 years ago, the Bedouin people broke wild horses and used them for transportation in the deserts of the Middle East. Because of generations of being raised in such harsh conditions, Arabian horses are renowned for their endurance. Though this beautiful and regal animal can have many different color coats, its skin underneath is black, which is another evolution from living in the desert—the dark skin helps to protect the horse from overheating. On National Arabian Horse Day, we celebrate this noble steed and the ways it continues to inspire us.

I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day!

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Welcome to February 18th, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate the ancient origins of batteries and wine.

Have you ever noticed that smoke alarm batteries go dead in the middle of the night? This happens because batteries slow down when it’s cold, setting off that annoying sound. As convenient as they are, batteries are far from perfect. But there are reasons to celebrate these portable power sources by seeing just how far they have come! A two thousand year old battery was discovered in a Baghdad museum. This ancient wonder combined a ceramic pot, a copper coil and a rod of iron. Great minds are still making improvements and today smart batteries are even able to detect when they need changing. Maybe in the future they can wake themselves up in the middle of the night so you can spend National Battery Day recharging yourself!

People have enjoyed alcohol throughout history. But its discovery was likely a happy accident. Fermentation occurs naturally with grapes because yeast is on their skin. Because this happened without having to do anything to the crushed fruit, ancient people viewed the process as something magical, created by the gods. Fermentation occurred with grain and other fruits, but folks found that it worked best with grapes. Once they understood the fermentation process, winemaking became more elaborate and created a tradition that continues to this day. Oenophiles rejoice! It’s National Drink Wine Day. Pour yourself a glass of this heavenly alcohol.

I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day!

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Welcome to February 17th, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate grabbing lunch and paying it forward with kindness.

Remember Middle School? Maybe it’s been a while, but surely the scene sounds familiar: you grab your lunch box or the cafeteria special of the day and turn to face a crowded lunchroom. Maybe you dreaded this all morning because your only friend happens to be sick that day. Now you stare at a sea of kids and wonder how can I face this alone? National No One Eats Alone Day was piloted in 2012 by the organization known as Beyond Differences. What began in just a handful of schools in Northern California Now, has now grown to more than 2,000 schools in all 50 states, impacting more than 1 million students. Today is all about striking up a conversation and possibly meeting your new best friend.

You never know when a simple act of kindness can make someone’s day. At the crowded Seattle Tacoma International airport a lone traveler sat waiting at his gate when a service dog named Cora sat down next to him. The Welsh corgi seemed to be guided straight to the man. Cora’s owner approached and apologized at once, asking if the dog was bothering him. The man was eagerly petting Cora with tears in his eyes as he replied, “No, no, I lost my dog last night.” Cora’s owner explained that the dog has a gift for knowing who is hurting. We humans may not have this sense, so it never hurts to err on the side of kindness. There are so many ways to change someone’s day, from giving them your place in line to paying for their meal. On National Random Acts Of Kindness Day we invite you to take a play from a service dog and pay it forward with good will.

I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day!

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Welcome to February 16th, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate shaking the tree and rescuing a grouch.

80% of the world’s almonds come from California. As of 2020, the state was harvesting 3.1 billion pounds of the nuts annually. Unlike other nuts, almonds aren’t picked. Instead, the trees are shaken so that the almond fruit falls to the ground. Yes, almond fruit. What we call an almond is technically the pit of a fruit. As for shaking, there are special machines for this called—well, shakers. They clamp onto each almond tree and begin to shake until all the fruit are off. After harvesting, the pits are removed, and viola! Almonds. On National Almond Day, celebrate with a handful of this healthy and delicious snack and be glad you don’t have to shake the tree yourself.

One of the world’s more loveable grouches is Oscar from Sesame Street. Everyone in the neighborhood does their best to bring Oscar around. Even though he stays in his stinky trash can mood, once in a while we see him have a heart. Jim Henson based this character on a grumpy waiter he encountered in a restaurant called Oscar’s Salt of The Sea. Caroll Spinney performed Oscar’s voice based on a cranky New York taxi driver. We all meet a grouch at some point in life and there’s one trick that works more often than not: doing something nice. On National Do A Grouch A Favor Day try this method with your favorite grouch. Just don’t let them know which day you are celebrating.

I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day!

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Welcome to February 15th, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate getting serious about dairy and a smooth candy king.

Wisconsin is one of the biggest dairy producers in the United States, each year generating over 30 billion pounds of milk-related foods. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the state takes butter very seriously. In fact, Wisconsin outlawed the sale of margarine for decades. During World War II, sales of margarine were allowed because of milk rationing. But it wasn’t allowed to be yellow in order to avoid confusing it with real butter. It took until 1967 before the state allowed the sale of yellow margarine. Even today there are Wisconsin laws intended to make the difference clear. On National Wisconsin Day, we toast the Badger State and all its natural beauty. But make sure it’s butter on that toast, my friend. Or else.

Percy Truesdell was named the Gumdrop King for his improvement of the candy. Percy worked in the chemistry labs of Ohio State State University and it was here that he made a discovery. By adding the perfect amount of starch to the recipe, the once solid glob of sugar became a smooth, chewy confection. The original flavors of clove, allspice, cinnamon and spearmint are not as popular today but they do go nicely on gingerbread houses. Most people still prefer cherry, grape, orange and lemon and thanks to the Gumdrop King we can celebrate National Gumdrop Day without breaking our teeth.

I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day!

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Welcome to February 14th, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate a classic love story and reaching new heights.

Two strangers meet, and immediately feel chemistry between them. Unfortunately, each of them is already in a relationship, so they can’t be together. But they make a pact that if they are single in six months, they’ll rendezvous at the top of the Empire State Building. If this plot sounds familiar, it should. It’s from An Affair to Remember. The classic love story, starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr, has been making audiences cry for over 60 years. The movie has also set the bar for romantic gestures impossibly high. I mean, how can you top the premise of meeting in such a spectacular location to declare your love to someone? February is An Affair to Remember Month. If you can’t think of a grand gesture on Valentine’s Day, score some points by cuddling up with your honey to watch this film.

The past few decades have seen an odd trend taking place. Cities trying to outdo one another with giant Ferris wheels. On New Year’s Eve 1999, the London Eye was unveiled and stood at a height of 443 feet. A few years later, China built one that was 525 feet tall. Then Singapore outdid them. That was the tallest Ferris wheel in the world until The High Roller in Las Vegas opened for business. It looks over the Strip from 550 feet up in the sky. But last year, Dubai raised the bar to ridiculous heights with a Ferris Wheel that towers over the city at a height of 820 FEET. On National Ferris Wheel Day, celebrate your own corner of the sky.

I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day!

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Welcome to February 13th, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate peaceful pastimes and better cheddar.

Birdwatching can be fun, but you have to be very patient. Why not make the birds come to you, courtesy of a bird feeder? There are few things more relaxing than sitting at your kitchen window, coffee in hand, watching birds in your tree only a few feet away. One of the best ways to attract a good variety of birds is to use different types of seed and different feeders. Set them at different heights, and you’re almost guaranteed to have a parade of feathered friends. On National Bird Feeding Month—get your feeders set up, pull up a chair, and wait for the inevitable arrival of birds. And probably squirrels.

Cheese lovers might not care that their favorite snack is actually named for the place that it’s made but today we give thanks to the village of Cheddar in Somerset, England. In the U.K. cheddar cheese accounts for more than half of the multi billion dollar cheese market. And here in the United States, cheddar is just behind mozzarella in popularity. So how did this “cheddar love” migrate across the pond? Enter Peter McIntosh, who brought his talent for cheese making to Tillamook County, Oregon in 1894. His superior skills earned him the title of the Cheese King of the Coast, and today there are more cows than people in Tillamook County. On National Cheddar Day savor the flavor that’s treasured on both sides of the pond.

I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day!

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Welcome to February 12th, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate a presidential favorite and the perfect Big Game crunch.

Plum pudding hails from England, but Abraham Lincoln liked it so much that the recipe can still be found in White House Historical cookbooks. This steamed pudding does not call for plums, however, but is made instead from apples, dates, raisins, nutmeg and cinnamon. Thanks to Charles Dickens, most people think of it as a Christmas dessert. Back in the day people dimmed the lights to serve plum pudding and children played a game called snap dragon as they tried to snatch raisins from the flaming dessert. National Plum Pudding Day coincides with President Lincoln’s birthday to honor this American’s love for a traditional English treat. And what could be better than plum pudding to serve on the day of the Big Game?

Today your snacking choices are endless, but doesn’t it seem fitting to put pigskin on the menu? Pork rinds have been around for centuries and got their start with Spanish royalty in the 1500s. Apparently the aristocracy saw them as a delicacy. In the 1800s the tasty rinds became a convenient snack for shepherds, who cooked most meals over an open fire as they tended their flocks. They were also favored by United States soldiers as a way to provide sustenance on long journeys. Today, pork rinds are a dieter’s dream if you follow the low carb, paleo or keto trend. But with a variety of flavors that rival potato chips, any and all snackers can have their protein and crunch it too. On National Pork Rind Day pop open a bag of your favorite flavor and enjoy the Big Game.

I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day!

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