Celebrate Every Day

If You Have Been Counting Down The Days Until Spring, Wait No Longer!

Welcome to March 21, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate the final countdown and a sweet sign of Spring. 

Today is National Countdown Day. Not because of any particular historical event, but rather because of the numbers of the date. It’s 3/21…or 3-2-1…which looks like a countdown. Some of life’s greatest moments begin with a countdown: Like the rocket launch that took humans to the moon for the first time, or The Indy 500. But closer to home, we probably reserve countdowns for less important things like waiting on the work week to end. Or for the last few seconds to tick down on that popcorn you’re cooking in the microwave. Come to think of it, those everyday things seem pretty important too. Especially the popcorn. Binge-watching shows wouldn’t be the same without it.

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of eating sun-ripened strawberries from a roadside stand, you’ll understand why we can’t wait to celebrate this harbinger of Spring.  In California, strawberry season kicks off on March 21st to coincide with the Spring Equinox.  While many of us are still covered in a blanket of snow, new crops of bright red fruit are popping up to cheer us on through the season. Who doesn’t love fresh berries on pancakes or pies?  Juicy strawberries with whipped cream could almost make you run around barefoot.  If you’re in the mood for some California dreaming then pick up a pint on National California Strawberry Day. Summer is only a shortcake away.  

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

Some Foods Are Born Of A Happy Accident And Others Are Born Out Of Necessity. Today We Celebrate Both!

Welcome to March 20, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate bragging rights and knowing when to stay silent. 

It’s been said that necessity is the mother of invention. George Boyington would probably have agreed. After years of making money as a bootlegger during Prohibition, he moved to Oregon to embark on a legitimate career. He and his wife opened a hotdog stand on Rockaway Beach, which became very popular with tourists. But when a huge storm came one day and ruined their entire inventory of buns, Boyington’s business was literally washed out for the day. He needed a solution fast, and hit on the idea of deep frying the hotdogs in batter and serving them on sticks. He called this new food the Pronto Pup and watched as they became famous far and wide. Many take credit for inventing the corn dog, but it doesn’t really matter. Not to those of us who are enjoying one of these fairground favorites on National Corn Dog Day. 

Ravioli have been around since the 14th Century, and who could imagine anything better than these pockets of pasta soaking up sauce.  But sometime around the 1940s a ravioli was accidentally dropped into a fryer and a new sensation was born. The incident took place in an Italian American neighborhood in St. Louis, known locally as The Hill.  And here’s where it gets strange.  At least three restaurants claim the accident occurred in their kitchen.  All of the original owners have passed away.  And the only one around to produce any proof is Sicilian, Tony Lombardo.  He proudly displays Lombardo’s 1930s menu that includes the toasted rav. BAM!  On National Ravioli Day get the party started by frying up your own batch of toasted ravs. Just don’t get any bright ideas about claiming you invented them. 

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

How Do You Pronounce The Word "Caramel?"

Welcome to March 19, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate last laughs and folks who walk the walk. 

While Milton Hershey is best known for making chocolate, he started his confectionary career with caramel. But when the World’s Colombian Exposition came to Chicago, Milton became fascinated by the machinery that made German chocolate. Deciding that milk chocolate was the way of the future, he purchased the entire exhibit and shipped it to his Pennsylvania factory. The Hershey bars we still enjoy today prove that Milton was onto something and his addition of caramel only sweetened the success. Okay, I’m gonna need to phone a friend. Hey Chris, I’m gonna need you to tie up this debate.  Is it pronounced Carmel or Caramel?  HA!  Not only is it National Chocolate Caramel Day, it’s also National Last Laugh Day!! 

Marlo: That’s National Let’s Laugh Day, Anna.

Nurses are a very dedicated type of person.  If you think you would like to walk a mile in their shoes, consider this. In a twelve hour shift they walk just over 3 miles as they dart in between their patients.  Multi tasking is part of the job and can be traced all the way back to Florence Nightingale, the woman who shaped modern nursing.  She is best known for her brisk attitude displayed during the Crimean war.  Doctors were not accustomed to nurses doing their work, but because they were overwhelmed with patients, desperate times called for desperate measures. On National Certified Nurses Day, we celebrate the selfless folks who balance complex care issues in our own challenging times.  

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

There Are Moments That Are Awkward, And Then There's Epically Awkward...

Welcome to March 18, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate famous gaffs and loose beef. 

Everyone has experienced awkward moments, but not quite like this one. At the Academy Awards ceremony in 2017, Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway presented the Oscar for Best Picture of the year. They announced La La Land as the winner and the cast and crew of that film made their way to the stage. The crowd went wild. The producers gave their acceptance speeches. Then someone realized there had been a mix up. The award was supposed to go to another film—Moonlight. Everyone stood around unsure of what to do until the La La Land people were ushered offstage and the Moonlight crew usher on. It’s one thing to have an uncomfortable moment, but this might be the worst one ever. On National Awkward Moments Day, embrace the unintended faux pas of life and be grateful that tens of millions aren’t watching you do it.

Some say that the Sloppy Joe sandwich was born in the 1920s at a greasy spoon diner in Sioux City, Iowa.  The “steamed hamburger” was made of ground beef served loose on a bun with grilled onions, pickles, ketchup and mustard.  And if you’re in a “come as you are” kind of mood, then a loose meat sandwich probably fits the bill. At a Key West, Florida bar they called the same sandwich the Sloppy Joe. For this we can thank none other than Ernest Hemingway, who encouraged the bar owner to rename the place after Joe, a sloppy Havana bar keeper.  Joe’s place in Cuba also served a loose meat sandwich, but the American owner knew a good name when she saw it.  Today more than 50,000 sandwiches are sold each year at the Sloppy Joe’s bar in Key West. Of course you can always whip one up at home on National Sloppy Joe Day. No shoes, no shirt, no problem.  

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

Today Everyone Is Happy To Be Irish!

Welcome to March 17, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate the luck of the Irish and dish fit for a king. 

While corned beef and cabbage showed up in Irish Cuisine around the 12th Century, it was not a widely eaten dish.  It is said that the king used this meal to “purge himself of gluttony,” whatever that means. Both cattle and salt were expensive and a cheaper version of cabbage and bacon was more popular amongst the peasants in the Emerald Isle.  Here in America, Jewish immigrants perfected corned beef and when the Irish came over in the 1800s, they substituted beef for the bacon in their favorite dish.  It’s not clear if this recipe exchange happened at a friendly potluck, but on National Corned Beef and Cabbage Day we are happy to celebrate with a true melting pot of flavors.  

Harry Truman was the first United States President to attend the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New York City.  But the parade itself has been celebrated annually since before the United States was a country.  Held in 1762, the first St. Paddy’s Day parade was composed of homesick Irish immigrants living in the New York colonies.  It has taken place every year since then to the delight of millions of revelers, Irish or otherwise. This time honored tradition of marching down 5th Avenue draws visitors to the Big Apple from around the globe.  While things may be different in your neck of the woods, don’t miss your chance to drink green beer, while singing Danny Boy a little too loud. On St Patrick’s Day everyone enjoys being Irish. 

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

Welcome to March 16, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate choosing the right and a loveable rare bear. 

Here’s a little exercise to try. Take a look around you. Make note of everything that’s green? Got it? Now close your eyes. Think of what you were looking at and remember all of the objects that were red. Not easy to do, right? Well, that’s how things can be when we’re focused on the negative in our lives. Today is a day to change that mindset, to try to look at the good, and roll with the punches. So what if you accidentally hit “reply all” on that email? Who cares if you called someone by the wrong name? It’s all good. Focusing on the positive makes it easier to identify good things. On National Everything You Do Is Right Day, remember that “wrong” is merely a temporary setback and doesn’t have to be a mindset. 

National Panda Day celebrates one of the world’s most beloved bears.  And if you’ve ever seen one in person, count yourself lucky.  These guys like to keep to themselves, and since they can only produce cubs every few years, the odds are not exactly in their favor.  Fortunately, research over the last three decades has revealed that by preserving bamboo forests, pandas stand a fighting chance.  Contrary to the popular kung fu cartoons, pandas graze on bamboo leaves and not on steamed dumplings.  When visiting them at the zoo, be sure to whisper around these shy creatures. On National Panda Day we celebrate the rare bears that unite the world in our affection for them.  

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

Since Everything You Think Is Wrong Today, You Might As Well Catch Up On Your Sleep!

Welcome to March 15, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate catching some bonus Z's and the art of being wrong. 

Sleeping is an essential part of daily life, while napping is seen as a luxury. Unless of course you’re a cat.  This is why when people get a chance to nod off during the day, it feels like such a treat. But not all naps are created equal. According to the Sleep Foundation, there are several different kinds of naps. You take a recovery nap if you didn’t get enough sleep the night before. A fulfillment nap is a scheduled nap, like you’d give to small children. And of course, the most glorious of all—the appetitive nap, when you doze off…just because.  In fact, National Napping Day seems like the perfect opportunity to tune out for a bit and catch some daytime Z's.

Today, we pause to consider just how much we don’t know.  It’s also a good day to scroll on by those social media posts that you would normally be tempted to correct.  What comes around goes around and you may just get the same treatment from someone else.  Besides, it’s a burden in life to be a know-it-all.  So just for today, consider learning something new from the perspective of a novice.  Did you know that the Canary Islands were named after dogs and not birds?  Or that only three countries in the world don’t use the metric system?  Of course one of them is the United States.  Put your hand down smarty-pants.  On National Everything You Think Is Wrong Day, give your noggin the day off. You can go back to knowing everything tomorrow.

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

Did You Know That Some Butterflies Migrate Up To 3000 Miles?

Welcome to March 14, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate signs of Spring and humble pie. 

The groundhog’s got nothing on the Monarch Butterfly when it comes to telling the weather. Each fall, these colorful fliers head South to find warm, sunny weather the way birds do, and they’re the only known butterflies to do so. Most Monarchs travel to Mexico, flying up to 3,000 miles to get there.  Along the way, they stop to sleep in tree branches where they congregate in large groups. This serves two purposes. One, the butterflies keep each other warm at night. Two, their orange coloring makes them blend in with the changing leaves, so it’s harder for predators to spot them. And after their winter vacation, they head back to their homes. So if you happen to see any Monarchs on National Learn About Butterflies Day, take heart! It must be a sign of Spring.

With more than 13 National Days devoted to this dessert, it’s almost as if someone is trying to tell us something.  And not to confuse you even more, but today is National Pi or P. I. Day.  It’s also Albert Einstein’s birthday and March 14th or 3/14 represents the mathematical formula for the area and circumference of a circle.  Science museums everywhere like to geek out by serving birthday pie and pizza pie and buzzing about their love of circles and math.  And in a world divided by so many things, it’s nice to imagine that the humble pie can bring us together no matter how we slice it.  On National Pi Day, consider the distance across the circle and remember that the line that appears to divide us is not as important as the circumference that contains us all. 

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

Did You Know That Earmuffs Were Invented By A 15 Year Old Boy?

Welcome to March 13, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate keeping out the cold and the selfless deeds of strangers. 

Farmington, Maine is bitterly cold, especially if you are outside ice skating in winter.  For 15 year old Chester Greenwood the sting was particularly bad because of his extra large ears.  In order to protect them, he asked his grandmother to sew tufts of fur between two loops of wire and voila, the first earmuffs were fashioned.  Though it wouldn’t be the last invention for young Greenwood, it would become his legacy.  For nearly 60 years, earmuffs were manufactured in the town of Farmington and to this day there is a parade in honor of Chester Greenwood.  On National Earmuff Day celebrate the mother of invention and her big eared grandson.

In 2007, Wes Autrey was waiting for the New York City subway on a crowded train platform. Suddenly, a man in front of him had a seizure and fell onto the tracks. At that very moment a train was coming into the station.  Without hesitation or concern for his own safety, Mr. Autrey jumped onto the tracks and pushed the man to the ground between the rails. He then laid on top of him, keeping him out of the train’s path. As the subway cars rumbled overhead, they narrowly missed the men, though no one knew that until the train was moved. This selfless act made Mr. Autrey a local hero, though he insisted that it was just the right thing to do. On National Good Samaritan Day, we celebrate the men and women who do good deeds not for rewards or praise, but simply because it helps their neighbors. 

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

Do You Know How Many Lives Were Affected By One Adventurous Girl?

Welcome to March 12, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate poisonous poppies and adventurous girls. 

In 1995, the Duchess of Northumberland was asked to spruce up the gardens at Alnwick Castle. Instead of the usual rose bushes and topiary, she created what is known as the Poison Garden. All the plants there are deadly. Especially the flowers. Some, like poppies, are poison if consumed. Others, such as Angel’s Trumpets, can kill by touch. When asked why she’d create such a place, the duchess explained that “so many gardens around the world focus on the healing power of plants rather than their ability to kill… most children would be more interested in hearing how a plant could kill if you ate it and how gruesome and painful the death might be.” On National Plant a Flower Day, add some color to your garden, but leave the scary flowers to the professionals.

The life of young Juliette Gordon Low was full of adventure.  She learned to ride elephants in India, climbed the Great Pyramid in Egypt and even went trout fishing with Rudyard Kipling.  But when she organized the first Girl Scout meeting in 1912 with 18 girls, we bet JGL never imagined it would grow into a 3.7 million strong organization. Today the Girl Scout program does its share to build courage, confidence and character in its young women, along with financial literacy with its cookie sales. Some notable successes include Lucille Ball, Sandra Day O’Connor, Sally Ride and Jackie Joyner-Kersee. On National Girl Scout Day, we celebrate the adventurous spirit of one young girl who has made a difference to millions. 

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