Celebrate Every Day

Welcome to September 4th, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate a famous paperboy and the call of the wild.

When a young boy answered an ad in the New York Sun, looking for “steady men” to sell newspapers, little did he know that he would change history. On this day in 1933, 10 year old Barney Flaherty answered the call. His attitude was so sincere that the publisher hired him on the spot. From then on, the infamous shout of: “Get your papers here!” was heard on street corners around the city. The Newspaper Carrier Hall of Fame was created in 1960 to honor some of the more illustrious newspaper carriers including Martin Luther King, Jr., Warren Buffet and John Wayne. On National Newspaper Carrier Day give an extra shout out to the folks who carry on this tradition and maybe an extra tip for great service.

Did you know that tiger stripes are as unique as human fingerprints? Or that otters hold hands while they sleep to keep from drifting apart in the water? The natural world is a curious place, full of fascinating animals that most of us will never see in person, unless you live close to a zoo. But thanks to filmmakers such as Sir David Attenborough, we can watch the beauty of the animal kingdom from a front row seat in our living room. His amazing documentaries capture our imagination and inspire compassion and wonder for the natural world. They also answer questions like, Which animal is more deadly, the crocodile or the hippo? It’s the hippo of course. On National Wildlife Day, celebrate the call of the wild by taking a virtual safari.

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

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Welcome to September 3rd, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate poor man’s rabbit and a party on the go.

We all know that nicknames have a way of sticking with us. Take the name “Welsh Rarebit” for example. This basic dish of toasted wheat bread with cheddar cheese sauce contains no actual rabbit and was originally called caws pobi in 16th Century Wales. The English dubbed the meal Welsh Rarebit towards the end of the 18th century as a nod to “poor man’s rabbit.” Apparently the Welsh didn’t mind a bit of ribbing as this traditional fare is still a pub favorite. On National Welsh Rarebit Day try a bite of something classically delicious and raise a pint to the Welsh who know how to take a joke.

With Fall in the air, the season of tailgating officially begins. For most folks this coincides with football but it seems the tradition has earlier roots. Some have suggested that the spectators of the Battle of Bull Run in 1861 were the first tailgaters. They reportedly arrived with their picnic baskets and bottles of claret to watch the “opposing teams.” This only proves that you don’t need a truck or a tailgate to enjoy the tradition of sharing a meal outside before the advent of the big game. Grab the portable grill and some drinks and snacks and head to the stadium. Most people like the casual potluck feel of this gathering where the only rule is “come hungry!” And if you’re feeling fancy, go all in with face painting. On National Tailgating Day, enjoy this party on the go that’s guaranteed to draw a crowd.

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

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Welcome to September 2nd, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate topping things off and showing our true colors.

The image of the bowler derby immediately calls to mind British gentlemen walking around the streets of London. But this chapeau was conceived for the countryside. Edward Cook, a British politician, wanted a hat that was well suited for hunting. The traditional hats at the time were tall and would be knocked off when walking or riding through trees. Cook wanted something that fit closer to the head and the hat makers at James Lock & Co created the perfect cap—the bowler. So why is it called a bowler? Because London hat-makers Thomas and William Bowler got the credit for inventing it…even though it was Lock & Co. During Fall Hat Month, celebrate by dusting off your favorite chapeau, no matter how fancy or casual it may be.

Fall is back and with it comes college football. The season can lead to heated arguments as friends and families cheer on their favorite teams. This fierce team loyalty even extends to the United States Armed Forces. The Army and Navy are usually on the same side. Except for once a year when the Army Navy matchup takes place, possibly the fiercest rivalry in college sports. These teams have gone head to head over 120 times, with the Navy winning most of them. Even sitting Presidents have attended the games between the Army Black Knights and the Navy Midshipmen, and the stands are usually full of either black, gold and gray or navy blue and gold. On National College Colors Day, celebrate your team spirit with the colors of your choice.

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

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Welcome to September 1st, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate new beginnings and burnt ends.

During its heyday, Route 66 offered beautiful scenery and lots of fun places to stop along the way. Chicken Boy was one of the most famous of these roadside attractions. The fried chicken restaurant boasted a giant statue of a man with a chicken’s head that welcomed visitors to the city of Los Angeles. But when a new highway system made Route 66 obsolete, many of the stops went out of business. This included the Chicken Boy, who was headed for the trash heap in 1984, when a local artist rescued him. Now installed on a rooftop, this icon is known as the Statue of Liberty of Los Angeles. On National Chicken Boy Day, celebrate this blast from the past with some wings or fried chicken and maybe a trip down Route 66.

While fans of barbecue have their personal favorites when it comes to style, no one can argue that Kansas City has one of the most distinctive takes on barbecue. Yes, there are ribs and pulled pork, but Kansas City is known for its specialty, burnt ends. This morsel is cut from the tip of a smoked brisket. The outside is charred from the heat, but the inside is where the drippings collect, making for a flavorful bite sized piece of BBQ heaven. For years, it was thrown away or tossed into stew, but now it’s a prized cut of meat. You can get all heated up over who has the best sauce, but no one can deny these tidbits are delicious. On National Burnt Ends Day, celebrate the perfect bite you can really sink your teeth into.

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

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Welcome to August 31st, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate cupid’s little helpers and snacks that go the distance.

Before online dating sites, the art of matchmaking was devised by a few brave souls who were willing to fire cupid’s arrows. When Kat McClain got fed up with cupid’s algorithms, she turned to a professional matchmaking service to try things the old fashioned way. They matched her with Kevin Biely and the two agreed to record their first date. The difference was striking, as Kevin later revealed. He believes that it worked out so well because a lot of the criteria he had in his head were not actually consistent with what he really wanted. As for her response: a year later she said yes! On National Matchmaker Day, we celebrate the chemistry that can’t be found by a computer.

When you’re craving an outdoor adventure, you want to pack light. Trail mix is the perfect snack that fuels you up without weighing you down. This convenient snack has been used for thousands of years with a variety of ingredients. Native Americans added dried buffalo to the fruit and nut mixture. Trail guide Horace Kephart was the first to add chocolate to the mix in 1910. In Australia and New Zealand they call trail mix scroggin and add orange peel and grains. The term GORP stands for good ole raisins and peanuts, which was a recipe made up by two surfer dudes. In the spirit of keeping it simple, celebrate National Trail Mix Day with any combination that keeps you going for the long haul.

I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as

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Welcome to August 30th, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate finding our happy place and dessert on a stick.

Someone once said, “Happiness is a day at the beach.” That pretty much sums it up! The beach can be the very best place to get away from it all, with the smell of the salty air, the sand crunching between your toes and the sound of waves crashing into the shore. Just thinking about it makes you want to hop in the car and drive to the ocean. And if you want to avoid the crowds, taking a walk at sunset can be one of the most relaxing things you’ll ever do. Be sure to do your part and leave this paradise better than you found it. On National Beach Day, there is no better way to celebrate than by following the advice of Ralph Waldo Emerson: live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.

There is something truly magical about toasting marshmallows. When the fire dies down and you’ve had your fill of s’mores, there’s always room for another toasted marshmallow. In fact not everyone around the world enjoys making s’mores, but toasting perfect marshmallows seems to intrigue us universally. As far back as ancient Egypt, the sap from the mallow plant has been used for this confection. But it wasn’t until the late 1940s that marshmallows got their modern shape. And thanks to the extrusion process, those perfect puffy cylinders toast up evenly on a stick. On National Toasted Marshmallow Day enjoy the sticky dessert that makes camping life sweeter.

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

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Welcome to August 29th, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate odds and ends and counting the ways we love lemon.

It is believed that the name chop suey means “assorted pieces” and this name fits the hodgepodge of myths surrounding its creation. Though the Chinese don’t claim the dish, they are usually at the heart of its stories, which go back as far as the 1860s. A Chinese chef in San Francisco was reportedly called upon to serve something to drunken miners after hours. He had nothing fresh to offer, so he combined leftovers and served a makeshift meal. It went over so well that the customers demanded a name for this dish and he supposedly replied, “chop suey,” which means odds and ends. On National Chop Suey Day, celebrate the delicious combination of flavors that piece together our love of Chinese cuisine.

The sunny yellow citrus fruit that brightens our ice tea and drinks turns out to be mighty useful around the house. Did you know that lemon juice freshens your garbage disposal and takes the stains out of your sink? Of course we know that it prevents apples from browning, but did you know it works on veggies too? Try the same trick on cauliflower or give wilted lettuce a lift by soaking it in water with the juice of a lemon. It can also brighten hair and fingernails and can be used in place of deodorant. Of course it still tastes great in lemonade, which is probably the best use of all. On National Lemon Juice Day, celebrate the multipurpose wonder of this mighty little fruit.

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

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Welcome to August 28th, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate cheesy shows and seeing red.

If you’re a fan of Zordon or Rita Repulsa, then you know exactly what we’re celebrating today. Although this kid’s show was pieced together with old footage from a Japanese TV show, Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers was a huge hit in 1993. Five teenagers transformed into...well Power Rangers, who then merged into a giant robot that fought monsters. Yeah, it sounds crazy, but if you grew up in the 90s, this was THE show to watch. And your neighborhood was probably full of every color of Ranger on Halloween. On National Power Rangers Day, celebrate with a walk down memory lane and watch some old episodes. The special effects are cheesy but the lessons on teamwork are priceless!

Though folks enjoy wine all year long, the end of Summer begins the seasonal celebration of the varietals known as reds. Merlot, Cabernet and Pinot Noir all pair well with the richer foods we all love to indulge in during cooler weather. And the good news is that reds are actually healthier for you than whites. The rule of thumb is that dryer wines are better for you than sweeter ones. And young wines, which tend to be darker, are healthier than the older, lighter ones. Moderation in all things is the key to a healthy life, but on National Red Wine Day, have fun indulging in the drink that’s the very symbol of celebration.

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

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Welcome to August 27th, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate doing things “just because” and getting to the good stuff.

When was the last time you did something “just because?” Have you ever stopped to think about what saying “yes” instead of “no” might do for your life? For Shonda Rhimes it all started at a family Thanksgiving dinner when her sister pointed out that she always said no to everything! When the self proclaimed introvert challenged herself to a year of saying yes instead, the results changed her life! She ended up writing a best selling book, delivering a Ted Talk and producing the Emmy award winning television show, Grey’s Anatomy. The writer producer describes the feeling of triumph that comes from doing things that scare you. On National Just Because Day, celebrate the life changing habits that may come from simply saying “Yes!”

Pots of cream may not sound delicious but pot de crème deserves its own celebration. Think of it as a cousin to crème brûlée. Both are made with simple ingredients of cream, eggs and flavorings that are baked into pots or individual ramekins for a super rich and creamy flavor. Today most people think of pot de crème as a chocolate dessert though its texture is close to a vanilla custard. In the Middle Ages this creamy concoction was used to fill pies and tarts or crustade, which is how we came by the name custard. By the 17th century people realized that the cream was the best part anyway and pots of cream became a dessert on their own. On National Pots De Creme Day, celebrate getting to the good stuff with this decadent dessert!

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

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Welcome to August 26th, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate women’s rights and man’s best friend.

On this day in 1920 the United States Congress passed the 19th Amendment to the Constitution granting women full and equal voting rights. While it may sound preposterous today, this amendment was 80 years in the making, if you take into account that the seeds of unrest were sown in the early 1800s. That’s when Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, along with Martha Wright, Mary Ann McClintock and Jane Hunt set in motion plans for the first woman's rights convention in Seneca Falls, New York after being denied access to the Anti-Slavery Convention in London. Today we celebrate National Women’s Equality Day and the one hundred years of progress we have made since the 19th Amendment was passed.

Over 15,000 years ago, early humans domesticated wolves and created a friendship that has stood the test of time. Since then dogs have proven to be loyal, friendly and hardworking to boot. No other canine represents these traits better than the film star Lassie. While this collie was first played by a pedigree female, she refused to swim in the river and was replaced by a male dog named Pal. Since then, all nine Lassies have been male and all of them descendants of Pal. It turns out that male collies don’t lose their coats as often as females and are therefore more suited to their movie closeups. On National Dog Day, celebrate your own furry friends who are awfully glad that you’re in their pack.

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

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