It’s mid-December. Baby, It’s cold outside. The snow is piling up outside, too. It’s only fitting, that today is National Cocoa Day. This December 13 holiday is also called National Hot Chocolate Day. There’s nothing better to do on a cold winter’s night than to sit by the fireside with a mug full of hot cocoa.

Did You Know? There is a basic difference between cocoa and hot chocolate. Hot cocoa is made from cocoa powder, which comes from roasted cacao beans minus the cocoa butter. Hot chocolate is made from melted chocolate. Many people do not know this distinction. And, many people do not care. They only care that both drinks are delicious!

The ancient Mayans created the first chocolate beverages more than 2,000 years ago. It was called “Xocolatl”. By 1,400 A.D., when European explorers first arrived, they found cocoa was an important part of the Aztec civilization. In addition to being part of their diet, cocoa was used medicinally. It aids in digestion. It is loaded with antioxidants, which help prevent cancer.

Have it Your Way! There are a lot of things you can add to hot cocoa. Among them are:

• Marshmallows
• Cinnamon
• Whipped cream
• Peppermint
• Candy canes
• Caramel
• Vanilla
• Syrups and creamers
• Peppermint schnapps or liquor.

Today is National Candy Cane Day, a December 26 holiday. It’s the day after Christmas. Millions of people are on the move, returning Christmas gifts at stores and nowadays by mail. People are also rushing to grab Christmas sales on just about everything, including holiday closeouts. Yes, it is truly a hectic day for many. Somehow, you need to take a deep breath and enjoy National Candy Cane Day. Candy canes are a big symbol of the Christmas season. They show up almost everywhere, as indoor and outdoor decorations, alongside ribbons and bows on Christmas gifts, on the Christmas tree, in stockings, and just about anywhere your imagination can envision them to be. Become the subject matter expert with our candy cane trivia.

One may wonder why make the 26th of December National Candy Cane Day!? But, celebrating this holiday today makes perfect sense. On the days and weeks leading up to the holidays, we are gleefully decorating with them and giving them out to nearly everyone we meet. With Christmas over, there is just one thing left to do with all of those candy canes…. consume them! The goal of today is to enjoy some of the many millions of candy canes given out during the Christmas season. You can simply take the wrapper off a candy cane and suck on it until it’s gone. You can slip a candy cane into your hot chocolate. Or, you can put candy canes in any of dozens of recipes and enjoy them in this manner.     

So, after you’ve taken care of all of your holiday returns and bought all of the closeout items your budget will allow, enjoy candy canes any way you prefer!

Mitten Tree Day is today, It is a December 6 holiday. All in all, it’s a great holiday, especially for grade school children. Mittens are the central theme during this holiday. Classroom activities are centered around mittens. In art class, the students can draw pictures of colorful and decorative mittens. Counting games are created for younger students using mittens. Teachers can educate children about how they are made. We’ve got ideas for people of any age to enjoy this day at school and work, too.

So, have fun and happy Mitten Tree Day.

National Maple Syrup Day is today, a December 17 holiday. This day provides us with the opportunity to enjoy and appreciate this delicious American treat. This sweet and unique flavor originated in America. Native American Indians were the first to harvest and boil the sap of the maple tree into thick syrup. Amaze your friends with our maple syrup trivia.

 Watching or participating in a maple sap harvest, or demonstration is a fun late winter event. They are held in February-March when the sap is flowing. It is educational for the kids, too. During field demonstrations, some of the sap is boiled down into syrup. Best of all, free samples are often given and poured over a pancake or vanilla ice cream.

Did you know? The sap of the maple tree, the same sap used to make maple syrup, makes a refreshing drink. Just put it in the refrigerator and pour a drink whenever you want. Or, have a drink as you harvest the sap from the tree!

Please note, make sure you are using maple syrup, not pancake syrup. Unless the ingredients state otherwise, pancake syrup no longer contains maple syrup. (a surprise to many)

Related Information: Maple Syrup making time

Make Up Your Mind Day is a very decisive day. All during the year, you’ve put on hold, many issues and decisions. Eventually, they need to be resolved and decided upon. This December 31 holiday arrives at the perfect time. It’s not a day to procrastinate. It’s not a day to put off making a decision. If you are going to make up your mind this year, you’d better do it real soon. And, when you think about it, isn’t it a great idea to clean the slate in advance of the new year!? We believe that’s why the creator of this special day made it the last day of the year.

Sometimes, making decisions are very difficult, and stressful. They can be life-altering, like deciding to ask someone to marry you. Yet ultimately the decision has to be made at some time. So, why not today!?

You may want to begin, by making up your mind about whether you will make New Year’s resolutions. Then, make up your mind just what those resolutions will be.

Have a Happy Make up Your Mind Day!!

Today is Letter Writing Day. When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone, either printed or in cursive? …….I thought so. Take a few minutes and send someone a handwritten letter on this December 7 holiday.   

Does anybody write letters anymore!? Letter writing is almost a lost art skill. Most letters and notes nowadays are on texts, emails, and instant messages. Messages are sent much more quickly via smartphones and the internet.

Letter Writing Day History

There is no clear origin of this day. One possibility is that this day evolved from Japan and the hobby of stamp collecting. Japan has a Letter Writing Week and a Letter Writing Day. Actually, the Japanese Letter Writing Day is held monthly on the 23rd of each month.

A second possibility is that this day evolved from one of many school-related letter-writing days. There are many references to this day as a grade school, high school, and college letter-writing day. These events are often one-time events and have been held on a myriad of dates.  

With the arrival of emails and texting, writing an actual letter with pen and paper has all but disappeared. In school, children are no longer learning cursive. A hand-printed letter is just not the same. Most people don’t save emails and text messages on a long-term basis. While emails and texts are both great communication tools, most people do not save them on a long-term basis. Future generations will not have the joy of re-discovering long-lost love letters and warm greetings from friends.

Regardless, of how it originated, Letter Writing Day is here. Participate in this unique day, by sending someone a handwritten letter today. The recipient will be glad you did.

Pucker up your lips. No, you’re not about to be kissed. But, you should be about to bite into a tart, yet sweet, lemon cupcake. Why? Because today is National Lemon Cupcake Day, a December 15 holiday.

Most people love the flavor of lemon. However, it’s too tart for some people. Certainly, those who do enjoy the tart, yet refreshing taste, will agree that the lemon cupcake fully deserves its day of recognition. Eating anything made with real lemons is healthy for you, as it prevents scurvy.

Spread the joy.  Share your enjoyment. Buy or make some lemon cupcakes today. Share them with friends. Seek out people who have never even tried a lemon cupcake today. Induce them to try one of yours. Do these things, and you will truly have a wonderful National Lemon Cupcake Day.

Well, I’ll be a monkey’s uncle! Today is International Monkey Day, a December 14 holiday. It is sometimes called “World Monkey Day“. What does one do on this day you ask!? Why anything about or related to monkeys is perfect? To be in the spirit of this day, you start off drawing pictures of them. Next, you can act like them and monkey around. And, of course, you should hang from trees while eating a banana or two. Note: Scratching under your armpit is optional. 

On this day, back in the year 2000, artist Casey Sorrow was in art school at Michigan State University. Casey jokingly sketched a monkey on a friend’s calendar… and a new special day was born.

International Monkey Day is a day to celebrate and enjoy monkeys of all kinds. This includes their cousins: apes, baboons, chimpanzees, and gorillas. Certainly, it will be a barrel of fun. We encourage you to do as Casey did… draw pictures of monkeys today.

Did You Know? There is no shortage of monkeys to honor. Last time they counted, there were over 260 species of monkeys. This includes apes, lemurs, and tarsiers.

Song and Band of the Day: “Hey, Hey, we’re the Monkees” by The Monkees.

Favorite Movie Series: Planet of the Apes.

Today is a crisp and sizzling holiday. Bacon Day and International Bacon Day are two separate holidays. They both celebrate on crispy strips of salted pork. While it is not healthy for you, it tastes so good, that people just can’t resist eating it. Today is a day to thoroughly enjoy it at every meal. You can return to a healthier diet tomorrow. Snack time, too. It is recommended that you consume it in social gatherings, too. So, go ahead, and have a bacon party!!

Suggested Menu for Today:

• Start the day having it with eggs. Go ahead and take a couple of extra strips.
• For lunch, it’s a BLT or Turkey Club sandwich. And, don’t forget a cup of potato and bacon soup.
• Dinner can be a wide range of entrees, from a bacon cheeseburger to a bacon-wrapped steak or scallops. Your salad should be topped with bacon bits, as well as your loaded baked potato.
• Find ways to have it in snacks, too.

It appears that these two holidays evolved separately. Two separate groups of individuals claim responsibility for the creation of these days. However, no specific names have been identified.

Today’s Motto: Everything tastes better with bacon!

Bah Humbug Day is an Ebenezer Scrooge approved holiday. It’s perhaps, the one day of the year that Ebenezer Scrooge can enjoy. Rumor has it, this is the one day of the year that Scrooge takes off from work to celebrate. According to wellcat.com, the creators of this December 21 holiday, Bah Humbug Day “allows everyone preparing for Christmas to vent their frustrations.”

Sure, venting frustration over the stress of Christmas is appropriate for this day. But, we believe Bah Humbug Day is much more. We believe it brings out the Scrooge in all of us. Scrooges all over have been waiting for this day and come out of the woodwork in great numbers. They go far beyond venting a few frustrations. Many scrooges are negative towards Christmas in general and can put a real damper on your Christmas spirit.

Use Bah Humbug Day to release the seemingly endless daily stress of the holiday season. But, whatever you do, avoid becoming a real, bonafide Christmas Scrooge.