Celebrate Every Day

Welcome to May 27, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate a portable fridge and the gateway to adventure.

One of the most useful inventions to come out of World War II was styrofoam, which was originally intended as a replacement for rubber. In the post-war years, styrofoam got put to a new use—portable coolers. As Americans settled into suburban life, picnics and barbecues became popular, which drove the demand for a way to keep foods and beverages cold outside the home. Companies like Coleman and Igloo capitalized on the trend and soon the portable cooler became an everyday item. On the Friday before Memorial Day, celebrate National Cooler Day by loading up this portable fridge and heading to the great outdoors.

Anna: So Marlo, we’re packing a cooler and heading to Kingman, AZ today right?

Marlo: I know, I'm so excited. It's gonna be great to finally time to celebrate National Road Trip Day!

Anna: And we are kicking off the party from Kingman because it’s the official Gateway to Route 66.

Marlo: That's right. So look for us around town if you get there.

Anna: Do you have a favorite memories from when we filmed our television show there?

Marlo: Oh, probably the ribs and beer and music of course.

Anna: I know, I'm bringing my kids just to go to Mr. Dz Diner and have a bottomless root beer float.

Marlo: That is actually my favorite thing there.

John: Did you guys say "bottomless root beer float?" I'm changing my name to that.

Anna: It's so good! And Desert Diamond Distillery makes these chocolate rum filled candies that I still dream about.

John: I wanna check out this guy's walking tour tell me about this.

Anna: Jim Hinckley is amazing, he makes history fun and they've curated a whole walk about town with historical places and his stories to go with them and the man himself will be there.

John: I am excited for that.

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 26, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate living it up in “Salsaville” and flights of fancy.

June 2010 was a great time for fans of tortilla chips—specifically those who were living near Jacksonville, Texas. Bob Blumer, host of Food Network Canada’s “Glutton for Punishment” and 20 volunteers chopped up ingredients like tomatoes, onions, jalapeños, and limes to create the world’s biggest bowl of salsa ever. This record-setting feat resulted in over 2,672 pounds of the delicious Mexican condiment. Once the Guinness Book of World Records verified the feat, Jacksonville mayor Robert Haberle officially changed the name of the city to “Salsaville”—for the next 24 hours, anyway. May is National Salsa Month. Celebrate with some of your favorite Mexican food or just a big bowl of chips and salsa. Though “big” is relative, I suppose.

You may think of paper airplanes as kid stuff, but some people take it very seriously. Ken Blackburn set the record for the longest paper airplane flight, when his craft stayed aloft for an unbelievable 27.6 seconds. In fairness Ken is an aeronautical engineer for the Air Force, who has written a few books on the science of folding paper airplanes. No doubt his skills would make even the Wright Brothers jealous. Try your hand at a tournament if you’re feeling competitive about your own skills. Or you can just enjoy an easy pastime with the kids, who still love the simple thrill of watching something fly. Whatever you do on National Paper Airplane Day, celebrate the art of folding and flight.

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 25, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate inspirational libations and moving to the beat of happy feet.

According to Greek mythology, there were twelve gods who lived on Mount Olympus. Of the twelve, only one was part human. Dionysus held a special place for the Greeks, not only because his mother was human, but also because he created wine. This magical beverage, like Dionysus himself, could bring both joy and inspiration to those who drank it. It could, of course, also bring drama and craziness into people’s lives—which is why the ancient Greeks considered the really zealous followers of Dionysus to be dangerous. But luckily they didn’t ruin it for the rest of us. On National Wine Day, celebrate with a glass of this heavenly libation.

Like so many things in American culture, tap dance is a melding of immigrant traditions. Irish step dancing, performed with clogs, and African juba dance, which involves rhythmic clapping and stomping combined to form the basis for a new form of dance. Tap dancing merged aspects of both dances, but added metal to the bottom of shoes, giving each step a musical quality. And that combination created a style of dance unlike any other. Vaudeville popularized tap, but it was made famous by Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire, who added a bit of ballroom flair to the mix. Astaire’s dance in Singin’ In the Rain may be the most memorable tap performance ever. Celebrate National Tap Dance Day by watching an old musical or by learning a few steps for yourself.

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 24, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate amazing monuments and baffling treasure hunts.

In 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt established Devil’s Tower as the first National Monument in America. This unique rock formation rises high above the Black Hills area of Wyoming and has long been part of Native American mythology. According to legend, the sides of the butte were carved up by a giant bear that was trying to claw its way to the peak, giving the rock its distinct appearance. In more recent times, Devil’s Tower featured prominently in the film Close Encounters of the Third Kind, becoming a part of pop culture as well. On National Wyoming Day, we celebrate The Equality State, the first state to grant women the right to vote—way back in 1869.

Off the south shore of Nova Scotia, Canada, lies the mysterious Oak Island. In 1795, Daniel McGuiness and his friends began digging a hole and encountered what appeared to be a man-made shaft. As more of the tunnel was unearthed, a rock was discovered with a coded inscription that, when translated, read: “Forty feet below, two million pounds lie buried.” Since then, Oak Island has turned into the world’s biggest scavenger hunt, with treasure seekers looking for clues that could lead to a hidden fortune. Some have made discoveries such as parchments that, in turn, led them to other small treasures, like ancient jewelry or weapons. But after more than 2 centuries of digging, no one has found the big treasure. On National Scavenger Hunt Day, plan your own treasure quest, which is even more fun if it only takes a day!

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 23, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate the luck you are given and the kind you make for yourself.

The first one-cent coin in America was minted in 1787, and was designed by Benjamin Franklin. On one side, it read “Mind Your Business” and the other “We Are One,” though we’re not sure which side counted as heads or tails. Pennies don’t have much value, but finding one on the street is still a symbol of luck. If you abide by this superstition, be sure to pick up a penny showing “heads.” And if it shows “tails” flip the coin to heads and leave it for the next person. Who knows if this is what Ben Franklin had in mind, but on National Lucky Penny Day, celebrate the choice to pick up a little luck throughout our day.

Life is full of happy accidents, it’s all in how you look at things. Consider the story of salt water taffy. In 1883, David Bradley of Atlantic City, New Jersey walked into his store to find his entire supply of taffy had been covered in ocean water during a local storm. When a girl came in that morning to buy some candy, Bradley joked that he only had salt water taffy. She willingly tried a piece and found it was delicious, and then ran down the beach to tell her friends. Salt water taffy is now a mainstay at candy stores and gift shops everywhere. On National Taffy Day, celebrate the sweet solutions to any sticky situation. And thank your lucky stars for those big storms.

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 22, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate strange instruments and strategic goofing off.

The most popular instrument in the world is the guitar. It makes sense if you think about its versatility in terms of genre. But at the other end of the spectrum, you’ll find the theremin—one of the most uncommon musical instruments. Theremins are electronic and are played without touch. To make sound, the musician passes their hands through an electric field generated by the antennas, one which controls volume and the other frequency. The music it creates is pretty eerie, so you’ve likely only heard one in horror movies. Today is National Buy a Musical Instrument Day, so get out there and find something that suits your personal style, whatever that may sound like.

The World Video Game Hall of Fame has honored such favorites as Pac Man, Super Mario Brothers and Halo. But one game in the Hall of Fame may surprise you, Solitaire. This game made its debut in 1990 and since then it’s been played by more than half a billion people worldwide. Solitaire is also number three on the list of most frequently used Microsoft programs. Anyone who has ever worked in an office can tell you how happy they are that Solitaire exists. Otherwise, how would we make it through conference calls? On National Solitaire Day, celebrate the game for one that helps us goof off, while still being productive at work.

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 21, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate those who inspire us on land, sea, air and space and also in the pool.

After a few defeats at the hands of British forces, George Washington requested troops that could fight on both land and sea. On November 10, 1775, the Second Continental Congress passed a resolution to create two Battalions of Marines to serve with the Continental Army and these men changed the course of the Revolutionary War. Since then, the United States military has expanded to include not just the Army, Navy, and Marines, but also the Air Force, Coast Guard, and Space Force. On National Armed Forces Day, we celebrate all the men and women who serve our country both past and present.

At the age of 10, most kids are thinking about video games and homework. But not Carson Foster. At 10 years old, he was an avid swimmer and had been competing for a few years, aspiring to be like his idol—Michael Phelps. In 2012, he beat Phelp’s record for the 50 meter butterfly by a full second. Phelps was so impressed that he sent Carson a selfie holding a sign that said “Congratulations Carson!” A few years later, at age 16, Carson broke another of Phelps’ records. Watch out for Carson Foster, who may just break a few more records on the world stage. Celebrate National Learn to Swim Day by dipping your toes in the water. Who knows where this fun pastime might lead.

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 20, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate slowing down to the speed of streaming and life in the fast lane.

There was a time when if you wanted to watch a season of an entire TV series, you needed to go buy a DVD boxed set. Then in 2012, Netflix changed that forever with a show called Lilyhammer. It’s the story of a New York gangster who is living in Norway and it was the first streaming series in TV history. Nowadays, we are overwhelmed with original content from streaming services, but back then this was highly unusual. Although Lilyhammer was only a modest hit, this show paved the way for things like Bridgerton, The Marvelous Ms. Maisel, and all of the Marvel shows. On National Streaming Day, grab some snacks, curl up on the couch, and get binge-ing!

During Prohibition, it became very popular in the Southern states to illegally distill the alcohol known as moonshine. Federal agents would chase down vehicles during transport and destroy the barrels, so bootleggers began to soup up the engines on their cars. With these faster cars, they could outrun the Feds. Once Prohibition ended, those really fast cars were going to waste, so people began to race the vehicles and that evolved into what we know today as NASCAR. Each year on the third Friday of May, we celebrate NASCAR Day. So get comfortable on the couch, crack open a cold one and get ready for the races.

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 19, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate colorful alternatives and sinful desserts.

Buying eggs at the grocery store is a fairly bland affair when it comes to color—everything is either brown or white. Most of the eggs we buy come from a variety of chicken known as the Leghorn. But there are plenty of other chicken breeds that lay much more colorful eggs. There’s a breed called the Cuckoo Blubber that produces blue-green colored eggs. If that’s not your hue, a Maran chicken will lay you some red eggs. But perhaps you want even more color variety. Then check out the hybrid breed called the Easter Egger. This bird lays pink, green, and blue eggs and it’s totally random. May is National Egg Month, when you can enjoy a variety of new colors and delicious recipes.

No one is quite sure where the name Devil's Food Cake came from. But these light, moist chocolate cakes made quite a stir when they popped up in Indiana. One of the first recipes appeared in the 1898 edition of the Hagerstown Exponent. Right in the heart of the heartland, folks were swooning over the rich results made from boiling water and cocoa powder. Perhaps they took off because they appeared side by side with Angel Food Cake recipes and offered a tempting alternative. On National Devil’s Food Cake Day, celebrate taking a walk on the naughty side with a dessert that’s sinfully delicious.

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 18, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate the crafty cleanup and puffed up cheese.

Cooking and then sharing a meal with loved ones is one of the best things in life. The cleanup afterwards…not so much. So thank goodness for socialite Josephine Cochrane. Her household staff had broken too many pieces of her good china during cleaning, so she came up with an idea for washing the dishes mechanically. Cochrane enlisted the help of George Butters to build the first practical dishwasher. Her invention debuted at the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago, Illinois and has been a mainstay in kitchens ever since. It doesn’t matter if you use liquid or powdered detergent–or even whether you put the utensil handles up or down, on National No Dirty Dishes Day put that dishwasher to use!

The word soufflé is a French word meaning to puff or to breathe. And many Americans hold their breath while making a soufflé, because frankly they can be hard to master. This is probably because there are so many ways to fail when baking one. You might whip the egg whites too much or too little. And don’t even think about opening the oven door too soon or making a loud noise while they bake. The first recipe for soufflé appeared in 1742, and this culinary masterpiece is still regarded as a worthy challenge. On National Cheese Soufflé Day, celebrate by breathing new life into an old recipe that’s sure to win over a crowd.

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

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