Throughout the ages, Man has been fascinated with the idea of flying like birds in the sky.   Since those early days, many contraptions and devices were built, none of which allowed for little more than a few moments in the air. While some success occurred with gliders and hot air balloons, true flight proved elusive for thousands of years.  Finally, this all changed in a big way on December 17, 1903. On this momentous occasion, aviation pioneers Orville and Wilbur Wright built and flew the first airplane to successfully defy gravity. As a result, we celebrate this December 17 holiday as Wright Brothers Day. 

One of the first attempts at flying was thousands of years ago. According to ancient Greek mythology, Icarus and his father Daedalus were eager to escape a prison where King Minos held them on the island of Crete. Daedalus, an inventor, created two sets of wings made of wax and feathers. During their escape, Daedalus warned his son not to fly too close to the sun or the sun would melt the wax. Icarus, emboldened by their escape, flew closer and closer to the sun. Then, the wax melted and the feathers came off. Icarus plunged to his death in the sea. Since that time, inventors and dreamers have strived to fly like an eagle.

Pizzelle Day is today. This December 16 holiday is the perfect excuse to enjoy one of Italy’s (and America’s) most beloved cookies. A pizzelle is a thin, crisp waffle cookie that is often flavored with anise, vanilla, or lemon, and made using a special iron that stamps beautiful patterns onto each piece. Originating in the Abruzzo region of Italy centuries ago, pizzelles are considered one of the oldest cookies in the world and have long been a staple at weddings, holidays, and family gatherings.

Italian-American communities celebrate the heritage of pizzelle cookies. But, everyone can and should celebrate and enjoy this delicious seasonal food holiday. Pizzelle cookies are commonly found around holidays and festivals, most notably Christmas and Easter. The cookie itself originated in Ortona, a town in the Abruzzo region. Mark Pizzelle Day as a way to honor tradition. So, share your recipes, and showcase the patterned artistry of these cookies.

During December, all kinds of holiday cookies are made. Their irresistible aroma wafts through the house as we lovingly bake and decorate them. Of course, we keep many of them for the family to eat. We save some for Santa Claus, too. Then, we put together trays containing an assortment of our colorful and tasty creations. Pizzelle cookies are among this treasured group.  We serve the trays of Christmas cookies at parties and bring some to work to share with co-workers. Finally, we use them in cookie exchanges.

At its heart, Pizzelle Day isn’t just about cookies. Rather, it’s about tradition, creativity, and spreading a little sweetness in everyday life.

 What are you doing today? Chances are you are sitting back and recovering from the hectic holiday shopping season and the big day itself. Or, maybe you’re back to work. Either way, this is an important day for everyone. Today is Tick Tock Day. This December 29 holiday serves as a reminder that time marches on. And, most likely you have things yet to do before the year ends. And then there’s all those things you need to do with the arrival of the new year. So, use this holiday to regain control of your “To Do” list and knock off the things on the list that you’ve spent the whole year procrastinating over.

Did you accomplish all of those 2024 New Year resolutions that you made a year ago? Today is another reminder that time waits for no man. And, it’s likely we still have unfinished business this year. Do you still have things to do before the ball drops in New York City on New Year’s Eve? If so, what are you waiting for!? Today is a day to take action and be as productive as possible. So, get off the couch and start whittling down your “Honey Do” list. And, just imagine. If you manage to cross off everything on the list today, your spouse or significant other can join in on the fun by starting a new list.

The clock began its relentless ticking billions of years ago when the Big Bang occurred. And, there’s no stopping it.

Important Note: This holiday has nothing to do with TikTok, the controversial social media platform.

Sure, the holidays have you stressed out to the max. There’s so much yet to do before the big day. But, you need a break. It’s time to have a little holiday fun. Today is that day. It is Ugly Sweater Day. Some people incorrectly refer to it as National Ugly Sweater Day. On this December holiday, we encourage you to make a fashion statement. Put on the ugliest sweater in your closet. Wear it with pride all day and night long. Better still, hold a party where everyone can show off their gaudy and revolting sweaters.

They say beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Well, when it comes to Christmas sweaters,  little holiday eggnog helps to improve their good looks and allure. Interest in ugly sweaters begins as soon as the holidays arrive. It reaches a crescendo during the holiday party season just before Christmas. Ugly sweater parties and contests abound. Then, it disappears with the start of the new year. People who receive a gaudy sweater as a holiday gift might wear it once in front of the “gift” giver. Then, it is hidden as far back in the closet as possible. It will remain hidden until next December arrives.

One wonders who creates these warm, yet abominable sweaters. The likely culprit who comes to mind is your dear, sweet grandmother. Remember in your childhood, Grandma knitted sweaters for you. Your loving and doting Grandmom decorated them with everything imaginable. And, you couldn’t wait until you outgrew them, only to find another hideous sweater from her under the Christmas tree next year. Did Grandma really think the sweaters were cute and adorable? Or, did she know what she was doing.? After a few years, you realize that “Sweet” little granny is really “Sinister” little granny. 

The Christmas presents are all open. Hopefully, you found a LEGO set with your name on it under the tree. Now, two days after Christmas, Lego Build Day has arrived. On this December 27 holiday, you can set aside all of the other toys and presents you received. Adults should take the day off. Then, we can spend this fun day working with our Lego sets.

Obviously, the creators and marketers of this toy building set established this day to sell more of their products. But, we are glad that they did. This holiday allows us to celebrate these wonderfully popular building blocks. It gives us more ways to use them and have more fun, as well as show off our projects, too.

While Legos are marketed to children, millions of adults around the world play with the building sets. Adults have a wide selection of challenging and pricey sets with hundreds and sometimes thousands of pieces. As a matter of fact, instructions for the largest sets can be over 30 pages long.

Did You Know? Used Lego pieces are sold in bulk on Amazon. They can also sometimes be found at flea markets.

As soon as the Thanksgiving dinner is over, the Christmas holiday decorations go up, and the outdoor lights are turned on. Black Friday ushers in the wild and frantic holiday shopping period. Our minds spin with all of the things we need to do before the big day arrives. High on the to-do list is making plenty of Christmas cookies. Indeed, National Cookie Cutter Day arrives at just the right time. On this December 1 holiday, we pull out our extensive collection of cookie cutters and begin to make dozens upon dozens of cutout cookies. I can almost taste them!

Cookie cutters come in all shapes and sizes. There are ones for just about any object, and any holiday or event. And, they are inexpensive, too. So, over the years, most people have collected dozens of them. Using cookie cutters to make cutout cookies is holiday fun for the whole family. And, you can never have too many of these cookies. How many batches of cutout cookies will you bake and decorate this year? We bet you can’t eat (just) one!

Did You Know? Outside of North America, these versatile cookie-making tools are called biscuit cutters.

Take a break from all of your holiday shopping and have some fun. One of the fun things to do during the season is have a holiday party. Join in on the holiday cheer of Christmas parties. Today is White Elephant Day. It’s one of the most enjoyable holidays of this joyous season. On this holiday, small groups get together for a holiday party and exchange gifts while playing the White Elephant game. These gifts are items of some value (not junk) that you no longer want but may be of some value to another person. As you decide what gift you want to contribute to the game, look for things that might evoke laughter when opened. It is also important that all partygoers know how to play the white elephant game before they decide what gift to bring.

Importantly, if your Christmas or Hannukah party is not on White Elephant Wednesday, you should still play the white elephant game at your party. It’s a laugh and a half to play.

This holiday is similar to, but different than National Regifting Day. On National Regifting Day, new, unused items are wrapped and regifted. And, it’s not associated with a party or a game.

Other names for white elephant gifting: Dirty Santa, Thieves’ Christmas, and Yankee Swap.

Did You Know? In Southeast Asia, a rare albino elephant is sacred and a sign of peace and prosperity.

Have you received an early Christmas gift? By now, many of us have. Is it something you don’t want or don’t like? Then, National Regifting Day is perfect for you. You’re going to have a lot of fun on Re-Gifting Day. On this holiday, it’s perfectly okay to get rid of that ugly sweater you just received. If you don’t like the fruitcake someone gave you as a holiday present, don’t throw it away. Regift it today. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So, you never know, that ugly sweater you regift today might be beautiful and cherished by its new recipient.

Regifting has gone on for a long time. Over the years, it has become acceptable as long as the new recipient does not know it is a regifted item. Unlike white elephant gifts, which can be virtually anything old or new, a regifted item must be new and unused. And, it needs to be in the manufacturer’s original packaging. 

Today’s Slogan: One man’s garbage is another man’s treasure. 

We all lovingly to refer to a software program that we download onto a mobile device or tablet as an “App” which is short for “Application”. But, did you know that “app” is an abbreviation for dozens, if not hundreds of terms?  Americans are addicted to creating and using abbreviations and anachronyms. Many of them, you’ve never heard of. Restaurants feature appetizers that are referred to as “Apps”. As a result, we can become occasionally confused as to which “App” we are talking about. Here are a few of the many others:

• Approximate
• Accessible Parking Permit
• Airport Planning & Programming
• Army Procurement Procedures
• Application Portable Profile
• Ashbury Park Press
• Average Physical Product
• Assistant Public Prosecutor
• Average Purchase Price

Can you think of another? We bet you can!