Raisins deserve to have their day to dry in the warm sun. That day has arrived. It is National Raisin Day. Why raisins are so popular, that one advertiser has dancing raisins in their commercials. Hit songs have been written with raisins and grapes in mind. And, at least one movie has our beloved raisin in its title. Among other things, use this holiday to learn how to make raisins.

Raisins are popularly eaten by themselves as a snack, or as an important ingredient in a wide range of culinary recipes and treats. Healthy, nutritious, and packed with energy, raisins are a basic ingredient for trail mix. They are in cereals, cookies, muffins, and cakes. Sprinkle a few raisins in your salad. You will find raisins in both candy and energy bars. Raisins are in some puddings, too. The list goes on and on.

Humans have been drying grapes in the sun to make raisins for thousands of years. It is believed the practice started around 2,000B.C. in ancient Egypt and Persia.

While many of us love our raisins, not too many people have tried their hand at converting a grape into a raisin. It’s easier than you think. Why don’t you celebrate National Raisin Day by trying your hand at drying grapes into raisins? It makes for a fun school project, or at home with the kids.

Song of the Day: “I Heard it Through the Grapevine”

 Movie of the Day: “A Raisin in the Sun” (1961)

According to Colleen Paige, the creator of National Pet Day, this April 11 holiday event celebrates “the special relationship between humans and pets, and the joy pets bring to our lives”. It also raises awareness, of the plight of all types of animal pets awaiting rescue and/or a permanent home. Maybe, that home will be yours!

Today is a day for both of you. Undoubtedly, there is a special bond between humans and pets. We’re talking about any and all pets. There is a mutually beneficial relationship, for both you and your pet. As you feed, care for, and love your pet, you will gain your pet’s loyalty and mutual affection. It’s hard to be lonely when a pet is at your side. A pet has a way of lifting your spirits. It often knows when you are sick, sad, or worried. Your pet may try to offer comfort or sympathy.

Taking on a rescue animal is a great way to celebrate this day. Rescue animals are defined as any animal that is living in poor conditions, is abandoned, or is abused. There is a huge joy and emotional reward, in taking on an animal in one of these conditions. You bring security, safety, and happiness to your new pet. He or she rewards you in many, many ways.

If you don’t have a pet, consider getting one from a shelter. If the opportunity arises, take on a rescue animal, if you can. 

National Pecan Day is a rather nutty day. This April 14 holiday is a day to celebrate and enjoy popular, tasty pecans. Of course, if you have a tree nut allergy, may want to skip celebrating this day. Instead, celebrate one of the other April 14 holidays.

Pecan trees are native to North America. Commercial growers of are very proud to be growing “America’s Nut Tree”.  Native Americans have cultivated the trees for their flavorful and nutritious nuts for over a thousand years. Even early European settlers first harvested nuts by foraging for them in the woods. By the 1770s, they were cultivated in gardens and orchards. Thomas Jefferson brought some pecan trees from the southern U.S. and planted them at his estate in Monticello. He gifted a tree to George Washington who planted it at his Mount Vernon estate on March 25, 1775. Over the next two hundred years or so, pecan trees have been planted on every continent except Antarctica.  

Well, aren’t we lucky!? Today is National Licorice Day. Licorice is one of the world’s favorite flavors. On this April 12 holiday, it is only fitting that we take a day to appreciate this great-tasting herb… that’s right, Licorice is an herb. Licorice has been used for foods and medicinally, since ancient times. It was found in King Tut’s tomb.

Licorice is best known for the candy that bears its name. But, it flavors many other things, including tea, many foods and desserts, alcohol, and even tobacco products. You will even find licorice in cosmetics. 

Did You Know? Anise and licorice have a similar taste. But, aside from a similar taste there is no relation.

Since ancient times, licorice has been used medicinally around the world, for a wide range of ailments. For this reason alone, licorice earns the right to have a special day of recognition. Medicinal uses include:  It is a natural laxative, relieves menstrual cramps and discomfort of menopause, relieves pain and discomfort from ulcers, is good for the adrenal gland, and cancer treatments for the breast and prostate. It even lowers the effect of aging on the brain.

So, you think you found a fun day to hang out with your friends, did you? Wrong!!! National Hanging Out Day, an April 19 holiday, is about having fun hanging your laundry out to dry. Now that you know what this day is for, you’re probably thinking “I’ve been tricked (Yes, you have). This holiday should be titled “National Hang Your Laundry Day”. You are absolutely right on both accounts. We believe that the creator of this day was using word play, to have some fun on our account.

 Did You Know? Electric and gas clothes dryers consume 5.8% of residential energy consumption.

National Hanging Out Day was created by Project Laundry List as a protest against local laws banning the hanging of clothes outdoors on an “ugly clothesline”. It was created to encourage people to dry their clothes, indoors or out on clothesline, and to fight for the right to do so. Project Laundry List also encourages and promotes the use of washing your laundry in cold water, for energy and environmental reasons.

For the Record:

• The earliest clothes dryers were in England and France in the 1800s.
• Early clothes dryers were called “ventilators”.
• George T. Sampson of Dayton Ohio patented the first clothes dryer on June 7, 1892. It had a rack and used heat from a stove.
• In 1955, only 10% of U.S. households had a clothes dryer, as they were too expensive for most families.
• The average household does 4-5 loads of laundry per week.
• Some communities ban hanging clothes out to dry.

This April 10 holiday event supports a noble cause. According to Colleen Paige, the creator of this day, National Farm Animals Day was created to “raise awareness about the plight of slaughter animals, as well as to find homes for abandoned and abused farm animals”. The day promotes the welfare of American livestock.

Old McDonald has a farm. On Old McDonald’s farm and many other farms, you will see a wide variety of domesticated animals. Some of the common farm animals include cows, chickens, horses, pigs, sheep, turkeys, ducks, rabbits, and goats. But, that’s not the whole list. Many other animals are sometimes raised on farms. Other less common farm animals are  Llamas, ostriches, buffalo, oxen, and more.    

When we think of farm animals, We think of the many lovable sides of them. We don’t think of their treatment and living conditions. It’s not always ideal. In addition to many forms of abuse,  they are often treated with excessive hormones and antibiotics.

Visit a working farm today. It’s a great way to gain an appreciation for the treatment and living conditions of farm animals.

Today is National Dolphin Day, an April 14 holiday. Flipper, the TV dolphin would be so proud to know that this day is in honor of him and his fellow aquatic friends. He was the star of a television show bearing his name. Flipper, the heroic dolphin, debuted on September 19, 1964, and ran through 1967.

But, this special day is not just about Flipper. It is about all dolphins. While we think of them as fish, dolphins are actually mammals. They are friendly and intelligent. Dolphins are easily trained to do a variety of things and readily interact with humans. They live in shallow waters and continental shelves, leading to frequent sitings and human contact. Growing from 4 to 30 feet long, their main diet is fish and squid.

We are surprised that this is called a “National” day, as there are many dolphin-themed events and educational programs around the world on this day. It seems like everyone around the world loves dolphins. So, this would be better titled as an international day.

What do you know about your DNA? Don’t you think it’s about time you found out? National DNA Day was created to encourage students, teachers, and the general public to learn about genetics and genomics. This April 25 holiday also encourages us to learn about current research and advances.

This special event commemorates the completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003, and the discovery of DNA’s double helix in 1953.

A great way to celebrate National DNA Day is to get your DNA tested, to identify your ancestry. Armed with your DNA results, you will find it exciting, and perhaps a little intriguing, to research your ancestry to see who is in your family tree. Do you have anyone famous in your family tree?

Start the search for that question, by getting your DNA tested today. Once your kit arrives, all you have to do is spit in a little tube and mail it back. The results will come in a couple of weeks. An exciting search for members of your family tree will follow. But, be prepared. You don’t know what you will uncover about your ancestors.

It’s a Wrap!! Move over tacos. Burritos are a very popular sandwich or wrap. If you are a fan of Mexican or Tex-Mex cuisine, you certainly have had your share of burritos. Today is your chance to enjoy even more burritos, as it is National Burrito Day.

What’s in a Name? Burritos originated in Mexico, a Spanish-speaking country. In Spanish, burro means “donkey”, and burrito means “little donkey”. So, how did this delicious wrap earn the name “burrito”? Thankfully, the ingredients of a burrito have never included little donkeys. Whew, that’s a relief!

That question, of how the burrito got its name goes back to one of several Mexican stories about its creation. According to the most popular folk legend, burritos were first made by Juan Mendez around 1910 during the Mexican Revolution. Mendez wrapped food in flour tortillas to keep it warm. He carried them on his little donkey. His customers referred to them as “donkey food”. Hence, they were named “burritos. The problem with this theory, is the burritos appeared in the “Dictionary of Mexicanisms” in 1895, 15 years before the Mexican Revolution. Whatever and however they were first created, I’m sure you’ll agree with me that were all so thankful for their creation.   

The first burrito recipe was just beans and rice with a sauce, wrapped in a flour tortilla. Over time, various burrito recipes called for meats, cheese, tomatoes, vegetables, sauce, and spices. Burritos are a good example of why you can’t keep a good thing under wraps. Burritos became popular all over Mexico. By the 1920s, burritos were quickly becoming popular in the Southwestern U.S. and Texas. From there, its popularity spread across all the U.S. and internationally, too.  

Today is National Beer Day, an April 7 holiday. Needless to say, this a very popular holiday. It marks the repeal of the U.S. prohibition of beer in 1933. Does anyone really need a reason to guzzle down a pint or two!? That’s what I thought. Now the good news, it there are countless varieties of beer. There’s one to match the taste buds of each and every one of us.

Sumerians, Babylonians, Assyrians (now modern-day Iraq), and ancient Egyptians were the first to brew beer. The earliest records go back to around 1975 B.C.  Since then, people around the world have been brewing and consuming it in sometimes copious amounts. Large national and regional breweries have been quenching the thirst of Americans for a couple hundred years or so. However, the latest trend is local craft breweries. New ones open up every day, creating a wide variety in seemingly endless flavors. Homebrewers get into the act, too. Many grow their own hops.

Today is a day to celebrate your favorite beers, lagers, IPAs, and ales at your favorite watering hole. Bottoms up!

Bottoms Up and Happy National Beer Day!