Celebrate Every Day

Welcome to September 26th, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate tickling the ivories and an ancient breakfast.

Before the piano arrived on the scene, the most popular keyboard instrument was the harpsichord. It made beautiful music, but its volume could not be varied while playing. Composers and musicians wanted an instrument with the ability for more controlled expression. This led Bartolomeo Cristofori to create an instrument that allowed musicians to alter volume and tone with the force of their fingers. He called it the piano. Well, technically he didn’t name it the “piano.” The original name was much longer. We’ll spare you the Italian name, but it translates to “soft and loud keyboard instrument.” September is National Piano Month and thanks to Mr. Cristofori, we can celebrate beautiful music in every genre from Classical to Rock.

Today we celebrate a 30,000 year old breakfast food, the pancake. That’s right, the Stone Age folks were eating pancakes. Scientists even found pancakes in the stomach of Otzi the Iceman, who dates back 5,300 years! You would think after all this time we would be tired of this food, but pancakes are still loved around the world today. Most cultures have some variation, although not all of them are for breakfast. You have probably heard of hot cakes or johnnycakes, which are also called crepes, latkes and blinis. You get the picture. Even Shakespeare wrote about pancakes. On National Pancake Day, celebrate with a short stack or piled mile high. Everyone loves a flapjack!

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 25th, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate spooky searches and unsung heroes.

As a child Ed Warren grew up in a haunted house. His future wife, Lorraine realized that she had clairvoyant abilities. When they married, the two became world-renowned paranormal investigators, helping people with hauntings and supernatural phenomena. Among their most famous cases were Annabelle, a possessed doll and the Amityville Horror. They became so well known that Ed was even recognized by the Catholic Church as a demonologist. The Warrens’ story has inspired amateur ghost hunters around the world to seek out haunted houses, and signs of spiritual activity. You may not be a believer but on National Ghost Hunting Day, you can celebrate with your internet search that may just change your mind.

Every comic book fan knows the name, Stan Lee. But you may not be familiar with his partner, Jack Kirby. Together they created Iron Man, Thor, Hulk and the X-Men. Stan was the writer and Jack was the artist. Jack had been working in comics years before the two teamed up, creating his most famous character as World War II broke out. If you’ve ever seen Captain America punching Hitler in the face, Jack drew that. Shortly after he was drafted by the Army and assigned as a scout because he was able to quickly draw reconnaissance maps. After returning to the United States, Jack met Stan Lee and the rest is history. On National Comic Book Day, celebrate the men and women behind the heroes who may just prove that truth is more amazing than fiction.

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 24th, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate perfect punctuation and dramatic desserts.

Anna: To my parents, Ayn Rand and God!!!!

Marlo: Why are you yelling?

Anna: I’m just reading the script!

Marlo: Maybe you should dial down the exclamation points.

Anna: Haha. Hilarious, Marlo. Well, today is National Punctuation Day and that first sentence opens up a big debate about using the Oxford comma.

Marlo: Okay, I’m in on that debate. I don’t use the last comma in a series before the word “and.”

Anna: Yeah! Neither do I, but defenders of the Oxford comma will site this sentence as an argument that the last comma before “and” is needed; “To my parents, Ayn Rand, and God,” so that the reader knows I am dedicating this to three separate people and not to my parents who happen to be Ayn Rand and God.

Marlo: Okay, that’s way too nerdy for me.

John: Without question.

Anna: Ugh!!!!

Nothing says celebration like the word jubilee. But how did this word get attached to cherries and set on fire for dessert? For that story we look to the renowned chef Auguste Escoffier. In honor of Queen Victoria’s Jubilee event, the chef combined her love of cherries with a simple syrup and warm brandy which he lit on fire for a dramatic finish. It turns out that Escoffier had a knack for making ladies feel special. He designed the dessert Peach Melba for Nellie Melba and a macaroon for Sarah Bernhardt bearing her name. On National Cherries Jubilee Day, celebrate something special with a flaming dessert that has passion written all over it!

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 23rd, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate presidential pooches and great American pie.

When Richard Nixon ran as Eisenhower’s Vice President in 1952 he was accused of receiving money and gifts illegally. He told his critics that if they found that he’d done anything wrong he would return everything except a black and white Cocker Spaniel named Checkers. Even politicians have a soft spot for animals. Many presidents have had pets while in the White House, but there were some truly strange ones. Herbert Hoover had an opossum, Calvin Coolidge a raccoon that he walked on a leash, and Teddy Roosevelt had snakes, dogs, cats, a badger, birds, guinea pigs, and even a pony. On National Checkers Day And Dogs In Politics Day, we celebrate presidential pooches, and remember there aren’t just people living at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

While pot pies have been around since ancient Rome, today we celebrate our love of this perfect comfort food that we find truly American. Almost every culture has a recipe for savory filling baked between two flakey crusts, but some of these recipes are best left behind. For example, it may seem crazy that anyone would enjoy a dinner that included a live bird bursting out of a pie, but this Roman tradition existed up until the 16th century in England. This is probably the reason why we beat a hasty retreat to the New World. Today we take pride in our rich heritage of hearty stews baked into flaky crust that make many Americans nostalgic. On National Great American Pot Pie Day enjoy this delicious national treasure.

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 22nd, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate living history and small heroes with hairy feet.

If you have made it to 100 years old, congratulations! Today we celebrate you on National Centenarian's Day. In the United States alone, there are estimated to be nearly 72,000 centenarians. The youngest of those were born after the end of World War I and the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. They represent a living history full of tales not found in books and their stories animate and compliment what we already know. One of my dearest friends lived to be 104 and her stories about living through WWII still stick with me to this day. On National Centenarian's Day, count yourself lucky if someone you love can share stories that bring history to life from their very own past.

In the early 1930s, J.R.R. Tolkien created the greatest fantasy epic of all time. There were dragons, goblins, and wizards but at the heart of his stories were Hobbits. Bilbo and Frodo Baggins played a big part in saving Middle Earth, but neither was anything special. They were ordinary folk like you and me, who got caught up in something far bigger than themselves. These small creatures are meant to be stand-ins for the regular guy, and to be examples of how people can grow beyond their comfortable lives when they take risks. On Hobbit Day, you may not slay a dragon, but you can step outside your comfort zone to make a difference. And there's still time in the day for “second breakfast.”

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 21st, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate being spicy and the geeks who’ve got our backs.

If you're a fan of chai tea, then you may have been drinking it all year long, but for those who celebrate the change in seasons, chai is the perfect spicy pick me up for cooler weather. The word ‘chai’ means ‘tea’ in Hindi, but the original drink didn’t contain tea at all. In fact the milk and sweetener in today’s recipe were added by the British during their occupation of India. Legend has it that chai was created 5000 years ago for an Indian king for medicinal purposes. Spicy ginger and black pepper stimulate digestion, cloves relieve pain, cardamom elevates your mood and cinnamon supports the lungs and heart. Sounds like a cure all to me! On National Chai Day enjoy this delicious drink with added benefits worth celebrating!

Now more than ever the world is held together by information technology. If IT makes you crazy as a business owner, then rejoice in the fact that IT professionals can tackle the heavy lifting. From desktops to laptops no one untangles your tech issues like an IT professional. And while you may not have hung out in high school, you're going to want a nerd in your corner when your server goes down. End-users can celebrate too, as that quality experience you enjoy is no accident. It's likely the evolution of a whole host of geeks, who work hard to create and maintain our virtual experiences. On National IT Professional Day, celebrate the unsung heroes who keep the digital world safe and humming.

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 20th, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate playing with your food and glorified leftovers.

In the 1950s, the popularity of pizza in the U.S. skyrocketed and so did the demand for mozzarella cheese. Baker Cheese Company in St. Cloud, Wisconsin shifted from making cheddar to mozzarella in order to cash in on the craze. The gamble paid off big when this family owned business became a major supplier of mozzarella for many pizzerias. The cheese was shipped out in large blocks or loaves, which was perfect for a business, but Baker wanted to try something different: individual servings. What we now know as string cheese was marketed to bars as a quick bite to enjoy while having a drink. But when kids got their hands on it the word was out: string cheese is fun! On National String Cheese Day, celebrate the snack that’s all about playing with your food.

Rice is a staple in many cuisines, but fried rice is one of the world’s most popular dishes for a reason. It's easy to elevate this side dish to a main event by adding chicken, steak or prawns. The recipe calls for leftover rice, and clearly this is a bonus for restaurants, who might have plenty of that on hand. But for home cooks the recipe is pretty simple. Start with long grained rice, peas, carrots and onions, and add a little egg to bring it all together. The best part of making it at home is that you can spice it up according to your tastes. Add any protein cooked on the grill, and you just earned your Iron Chef status. On National Fried Rice Day, don't be afraid to mix things up in your own kitchen.

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 19th, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate scurvy sea dogs and cutting a rug.

Ahoy, me hearties! Batten down the hatches for one of the best days of the year. It’s Talk Like A Pirate Day, when you can unleash your inner buccaneer and pretend you’re a wiley old sea dog. Why say, “okay” when you can say “Aye Aye” instead? And why let Johnny Depp have all the fun? Some places offer discounts when you dress like a pirate and order like one too. But steer clear of any landlubbers who can’t take a joke, because clearly you’ve been waiting all year for this day.

Square dancing evolved from traditional European social dances, with most of the terms it uses coming from French. Why French? Because after the Revolutionary War, Americans embraced anything that wasn’t British. Social dances in Europe followed memorized steps, but American dances were less formal. Because no one wanted to learn a whole dance routine, one of square dancing’s most distinguishing features was born. A caller leads everyone through the dance steps so that dancers only need to be good listeners in order to have a good time. During National Square Dance Month it’s a great time to Do-Si Do and Promenade into a whole new hobby.

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 18th, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate legends in the sky and on the ground.

When Chuck Yeager enlisted into the United States Army he knew nothing about airplanes, and had little interest in finding out more. He learned that the Army Air Forces were looking for pilots and the position paid far better than his own at the time. Yeager applied for and got the job, then went on to become a highly decorated fighter pilot, earning the rank of Brigadier General. Most famously, he was the first person to break the speed of sound. But the event almost didn’t include Yeager. Two days before the test flight, he broke his ribs, but rather than notifying his superiors, he taped his chest and rigged a device to help him close the plane’s hatch. The rest is legend. As we celebrate the Air Force Birthday, may we honor the men and women who follow the path carved by this flying ace, who had all the “right stuff.”

Some foods are just plain perfect. And when that happens, everyone wants to take credit for inventing them. In the case of the cheeseburger we aren’t looking to settle that score, but here are some honorable mentions. In 1926, Lionel Sternberger was working at his dad’s restaurant, The Rite Spot in Pasadena, CA, when he dropped a slice of cheese on a sizzling burger. He claims to have been the first. But Gus Belt of the Steak n’ Shake and Louis Ballast of the Humpty Dumpty Drive-In both filed for a trademark on the word ‘cheeseburger’ in 1935. And the winner was Louis Ballast from Denver, Colorado. On National Cheeseburger Day, everyone’s a winner, especially if they serve it up with grilled onions.

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 17th, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate the flavor of Fall and the rise of a swashbuckling sandwich.

As soon as the air turns crisp, we look forward to a new season of apples. To savor the season, we celebrate the flavor of Fall with apple dumplings. There are many variations from Bavaria to England, and while they all include apples and some kind of dough, the key difference is how they are cooked. The word dumpling in German means steamed, which is why their apple dumplings are boiled or steamed. The American recipe comes from Pennsylvania and in the Amish tradition they are baked. The dough is spiked with cinnamon and sugar and reaches a golden perfection that’s reminiscent of apple pie. No one can resist this treat and the Amish even eat them for breakfast. On National Apple Dumpling Day, celebrate the sweetness of the season’s best fruit!

If you’ve read The Count Of Monte Cristo, you might think of sword fights, adventure and swashbuckling. The Monte Cristo sandwich, on the other hand, has nothing to do with adventure or revenge. Made with white bread, ham, turkey and Swiss cheese that is dipped in batter and fried in butter, the Monte Cristo became popular in the 1950s. When it picked up a side of jelly on the menu at Disneyland in the 60s, this sandwich vaulted into stardom. The combo still holds a place on menus today, although now it’s served for breakfast or lunch. And I am personally am excited it's National Monte Cristo Day.

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

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