Celebrate Every Day

Welcome to June 6th, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate a toy that distracts us from life’s ups and downs and a blast from the past.

Yo-yos were all the rage in the United States during the mid 1900s, but the toy has been around since ancient times. Pottery from Ancient Greece depicts children playing with yo-yos and images of the toy have been found in Egyptian art. In 18th Century France, the aristocracy found yo-yos very fashionable and royalty had them made of ivory and glass. But not all cultures thought of yo-yos as toys or fashion accessories. In the Philippines, hunters used them as weapons, hiding in trees and dropping the yo-yo onto their prey. On National Yo-Yo Day celebrate life’s ups and downs with this fun, classic toy.

If you’re looking for a fun way to spend a Summer’s night with the whole family, consider the drive-in movie. While they’re not exactly new, once upon a time, these theaters looked a lot different. In Long Island, New York one of the largest drive-in theaters boasted 29 acres that could fit 2,500 cars. It also had a full-service restaurant with rooftop seating, a trolley system to take kids to the playground and indoor seating in case of bad weather. Though drive-in theaters fell out of fashion for a time, today they’re making a comeback. With better sound, digital projection, and more restaurant-like concession stands, you can celebrate National Drive-In Movie Day in futuristic comfort.

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

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Welcome to June 5th, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate potent potables and primal plant protein.

If you’ve ever seen someone in a movie pick up a jug with three Xs on the label, you know that it’s moonshine. Everyone assumes that the X is just a mark invented by Hollywood, but it’s not. In fact, the marks are used as a way to track moonshine’s production. An X is added to the jug after each round of distillation. The first round produces some strong but nasty-tasting alcohol known as singling. A couple more rounds gives distillers the nearly pure alcohol we know as moonshine and that’s how it earns the three Xs. In some cases, the stuff can get to nearly 200 proof and is almost guaranteed to pack a punch. Proceed with caution as you raise a glass of legal moonshine to celebrate National Moonshine Day.

It used to be that vegetarians were a bit on the outside of cookouts. Sure, there were veggie burgers, but they were made of beans or soy and most of the time they didn’t hold up on the grill. So maybe you ended up eating some... potato salad…or maybe a roll with cheese on it. But now there are options for people who avoid animal protein: plant-based burgers that taste like…well, actual meat. Thanks to the Impossible Burger and similar brands, non-meat eaters can feel more included at backyard barbecues. On National Veggie Burger Day, celebrate the plant based stuff 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 June 4th, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate the teens of the animal world and the world’s rarest cheese.

Black bears are pretty cool animals, but they act like moody teenagers. These bears are introverts, choosing to spend a great deal of their lives alone. But each summer, they get social, meet up with other bears just long enough to find a mate, then retreat back to solitude. And of course they hibernate—sometimes for up to 7 months out of the year. If and when they give birth, the kids get to stick around for about a year and a half before being sent off into the world. On National Black Bear Day, celebrate these curious and surprisingly quiet creatures - just keep a safe distance!

Today we celebrate an ooey, gooey comfort food - delicious cheese! This all time favorite can be found in every corner of the world, though it’s made from a variety of ingredients. One of the rarest of these is the cheese that’s made from moose milk. At the Elk House farm in Sweden, it takes three moose to produce milk at the rate of 5 liters a day between May and September. But at a price tag of $500 per pound for the finished cheese, it’s definitely worth all the trouble . Kinda makes good old cheddar seem like a bargain. If you’re up for adventure visit the Swedish farm on National Cheese Day. Or grab a slab of something a little closer to home.

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

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Welcome to June 3rd, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate life “on repeat” and our favorite comfort food.

Everyone has found themselves in a conversation with someone who talks too much. According to Greek mythology, it even happened to the goddess Hera. A nymph named Echo started talking to Hera and just. wouldn’t. stop. The goddess became so annoyed that she put a curse on Echo—from that day on, the nymph could only repeat the last word that someone else said. Over the years, it got worse and worse until Echo simply faded away into just a sound. And if you’ve ever been near a canyon, you’ve heard her. It’s National Repeat Day, and you can repeat fun things like snacking over and over. Or you can repeat what your friends say. But be careful who you do that to. Some people really don’t like it.

Doughnuts are so delicious that most people like to celebrate them every day. But the very first Doughnut Day was created by The Salvation Army in 1938 to honor the women who served this comfort food to soldiers during World War I. They were known as the Salvation Army Lassies, and they bravely went to the front lines to deliver this treat and other morale boosters. Doughnuts were so prized that soldiers even used their metal helmets to heat the oil used to fry them up. This is why American Infantrymen were often called doughboys. On National Doughnut Day, celebrate the sweet treat that still serves up that comfortable feeling of home.

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

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Welcome to June 2nd, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate taking a break and smoothing the rocky road.

In the film Office Space, the main character Peter beautifully sums up office life: “Human beings were not meant to sit in little cubicles staring at computer screens all day, filling out useless forms and listening to bosses drone on about mission statements!” Amen, brother. And yet here we are. Doing exactly that. But guess what? It’s June. The weather is nice. And it’s almost the weekend. So things are looking up. Take a little extra time today for you on National Leave the Office Early Day…and catch up on life a bit before you head back to work tomorrow. Sorry but you do have to go back.

Around the time of the Great Depression, ice cream makers William Dreyer and Joseph Edy decided to try something new. Up until then, ice cream came in basic flavors, but a new refrigeration technology allowed for more ingredients to get mixed in. They dubbed their creation Rocky Road, which swirled walnuts and marshmallows into chocolate ice cream. This was a nod to the difficult times people were facing, and this silver lining flavor was a huge hit. At this point we should mention that Dreyer was likely forgiven by his wife for using her sewing scissors to snip up the marshmallows in the first test batch. On National Rocky Road Day, celebrate the good things in life and the small things that make the road a little smoother.

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

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Welcome to June 1st, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate going the distance and bridging the miles with words.

Centuries before the Pony Express delivered messages across the American West, the chaskis connected cities across the Incan Empire. The difference is that the chaskis did it on foot. Using a series of relays, these messengers sprinted through what is now Peru and Chile carrying messages from one end of the empire to the other. Some days, runners could cover up to 150 miles. If that sounds impressive, consider that the chaskis were doing it in one of the highest mountain ranges in the world. On National Running Day, lace up your sneakers and get your heart racing.

Presidents Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were what you might call frenemies. They were very close as they worked on the Declaration of Independence, but had a big falling out after the presidential election in 1800. For the next 12 years, they didn’t speak. But when a mutual friend died in 1813, Jefferson wrote a letter to tell Adams the bad news. Adams wrote back to say thank you and shared some of his memories. They slowly rebuilt their friendship over the next 13 years, corresponding until the day they died. And, ironically, they passed on the same day—July 4th 1826. On National Pen Pal Day, take some time to reach out to a friend or strike up a correspondence with someone new.

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

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Welcome to May 31, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate a miraculous smarm and smile power.

The California Gull is an official state bird—but not of California. It seems strange, but this bird that can sometimes be seen as a nuisance to beachgoers is a hero in Utah. Back in 1848, swarms of crickets descended on the crops of new settlers in Utah. Entire farms were at risk of being wiped out—until flocks of migrating seagulls arrived. The birds swooped in and feasted on the crickets until they’d completely eliminated the invading bugs. In appreciation, the state named the California Gull as its official bird. On National Utah Day, celebrate the Beehive State who appreciates all its residents both great and small.

Contrary to popular belief, it does not take fewer muscles to smile than to frown. The simple act of smiling can use up to 53 muscles, while frowning takes only 11. But the good news is that all this upward, facial exercise is actually good for your health. Psychologists say that a smile can instantly improve your mood, even if you have to force it. And smiles relax our bodies too, which is good news for our immune systems. Not to mention the ripple effect this causes for those on the receiving side. You never know how a simple smile can change someone’s entire day. On National Smile Day celebrate the exercise that not only benefits you, but also the world around you!

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Welcome to May 30, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we remember our fallen heroes and celebrate the spirit of the South.

Of all the wars Americans have fought, none had more casualties than the Civil War—over 500,000 people in total. Memorial gatherings became a tradition each spring, with communities visiting the cemeteries to place flowers on the graves and pay respects. In 1868, General John A. Logan, declared a nationwide day of remembrance. A day “designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country…and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land.” May 30th was chosen because it didn’t coincide with the date of any particular battle. This eventually became known as Memorial Day, which we celebrate today on the final Monday of May.

If you’ve ever been to the American South you have likely been offered one of two drinks. Sweet tea is consumed in this part of the country almost as much as water. But for the non teetotaler, nothing is more Southern than the mint julep. A julep is a sweet beverage that was once served to literally make the medicine go down. From there it graduated to a grownup cocktail that included water, gin, sugar, and muddled mint leaves. Today the mint julep goes hand in glove with the Kentucky Derby and is made with bourbon instead of gin. An estimated 120,000 mint juleps are served at Churchill Downs over the two day event. On National Mint Julep Day, celebrate that sweet Southern style with this refreshing Summer drink.

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

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Welcome to May 29, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate drunken roosters and amazing trades.

You may not be impressed to see “Rooster with Wine” on the menu but any culinary expert knows that a good Coq Au Vin is the hallmark of French cooking. Dating all the way back to the days of Julius Caesar, the dish from the Gaul region features a braise of chicken, cooked with wine, salt pork, mushrooms, and garlic.

Marlo: “Did you say “bruised chicken?”

Anna: No, braised, as in cooked in liquid.

Marlo: Oh, I thought that might be something they did in ancient times.

Anna: Stay out of my kitchen, Marlo.

Marlo: “With pleasure”

Have you ever heard the story about the guy who traded a paperclip for a house? Kyle MacDonald, a Canadian blogger played the childhood game called Bigger, Better and started with a simple paperclip. The idea of the game is that you keep trading up for something bigger and better until you reach an item you would actually like to keep. At first Kyle traded his paperclip for a fish-shaped pen. After thirteen exchanges he found himself with a movie role, which someone offered to trade for their two story farm house in Kipling, Saskatchewan! Imagine turning an office supply into a house after only fourteen transactions. On National Paperclip Day, celebrate the simple things in life that are worth more than you think!

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

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Welcome to May 28, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate barbecue classics and popular patties.

Brisket is one of the most prized cuts of barbecue meat, but it wasn’t always so popular. In fact, it was once considered to be of very poor quality. However, that changed in the early 1900s when European Jewish immigrants arrived in America and made their way to Texas. Brisket had long been a staple of Passover meals because it was kosher. And since there were so many cattle in Texas, beef brisket was easy to come by. Ranchers took note of the way their new neighbors prepared brisket and made a slight change—instead of slow-cooking the tough cut of meat in an oven, Texans began to smoke it. On National Brisket Day, celebrate with a helping of this BBQ classic.

Hamburgers are one of America’s most popular foods, so it’s no surprise that dozens of people take credit for their invention. The idea for a cooked patty of ground beef originated in Hamburg, Germany, and years later someone put the patty between two slices of bread. And those are the only details anyone seems to be able to agree on. This culinary superhero doesn’t appear to suffer any setback from its lack of an agreed upon origin story, however, with places like McDonald’s selling 75 of them every second! On National Hamburger Day fire up the grill or grab your favorite takeout for a flavor that always delivers the taste of home.

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

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