Football is back and the leaves on the trees have begun to turn in splendid beauty. Fall weather has turned cool, crisp, and nothing short of luscious. Are you going to the big game? Then, it’s time for a tailgate party. Grab your football, pack up the grill and cooler, and let’s all head to the game. While today is National Tailgating Day, there are games every week all Fall long. So, technically we can celebrate this holiday before every game! 

The very first football game was held on November 6, 1869. The term “Tailgate party” had not yet been coined. But, fans arrived early to savor the moment, and to enjoy some food, beverages, and camaraderie before the game between Rutgers University and Princeton University. Perhaps they tossed the football around the parking lot, too.

Have a Happy National Tailgating Day!

September is National Sewing Month. It is fitting that we set aside one month each year to recognize the importance of this skill to a well-dressed society. Unfortunately, many of us cannot even sew a button back onto a shirt. This is especially true, as most people nowadays do not sew their own clothing. So, we should not forget to recognize and appreciate the people who make the clothes that make us look so good.

Once mankind tossed away the fig leaf and began to wear real clothes, needlework became a very important skill. Sewing was invented thousands of years ago and was probably the reason that fig leaves went out of style. It is a basic, yet invaluable and essential skill. In earlier days almost everyone knew how to sew out of necessity. Even frontiersmen needed to learn the basics of how to sew, to occasionally repair clothes in the wilderness 

Nowadays, fewer and fewer people can sew. Store-bought clothes have all but replaced homemade clothing. It’s reached such a point, that if a button comes off, many people will toss out a good shirt, as they don’t know how to sew the button back on!

Famous Seamstress: The most well-known American seamstress is Betsy Ross, who made the very first American flag. See Flag Day.

Today’s Logo: “A stitch in time saves nine.”

National Salami Day is a September 7 holiday. Indeed, it is a very good and tasty day. good day, indeed! We don’t need an excuse to bite into this spicy sausage. But, seeing that it is being honored today, let’s make sure to have ample amounts of salami for lunch, dinner, and snacks.

 Salami is a fermented sausage that is made by curing meat. Like any sausage that is pressed into an animal casing before curing. Most often pork is the meat of choice. However, you can make salami with beef.

Use versatile Salami in many ways. Eat it by itself as a snack. Cut it into small cubes along with cheese. Or, just cut off a big chunk and nibble on it. Tip: Salami goes much better with a glass of wine. Salami is very popular in sandwiches and subs. And, many of us, add it to salads to add a little zing. Try mixing it into scrambled eggs, too.

Did You Know? Salami is an Italian word. It is the plural form of the word “Salame”.

Have a Happy National Salami Day!

Today is National Public Lands Day. On this day, government organizations and agencies, and environmental groups, team up with hundreds of thousands of volunteers around the country in support of public lands and parks. Improvement projects are performed to restore and renew the land and waters, as well as make to make these natural resources more resilient to future natural and man-made disasters. Centered around the restoration and improvement of our public lands and parks, this holiday is the largest single volunteer day in support of these national treasures.

National Public Lands Day is organized by the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF). The U.S. Congress chartered NEEF in 1990. Additionally, several other government agencies also cooperate in this effort, among them: Departments of Interior, Army, Defense, and Agriculture, along with the Environmental Protection Agency, Bureau of Land Management, and the National Park Service.

Like other environmental holidays, this holiday is important because we need to protect these natural resources for generations to come. While the focus is on national parks and lands, state and local government groups often organize projects on this day in support of areas under their jurisdiction.

Note: No private lands are included in this endeavor. But, perhaps they should be

It’s easy to participate in this day. Volunteer your time and talents.

Indoor plants are widely popular in American homes. Yet, with their passive nature blending into the decorum of the home, they are seldom thought of and sometimes ignored. According to several sources, National Indoor Plant Week exists to “… promote and increase awareness of the importance of live plants in internal spaces”. Those spaces can be your home, an office where you work, a hospital, or even an indoor shopping mall.

Many people do not believe they are a gardener and do not participate in this popular hobby. On the contrary, most homes have at least one indoor houseplant in them, and often we have several. Certainly that identifies us, gardeners!

National Hunting and Fishing Day (NHFD) was first created to recognize and thank hunters and fishermen for their support of wildlife and aquatic conservation. Hunters and fishermen were the first to recognize the need to conserve and manage wildlife and fishing populations and maintain a healthy environment for them.

When we think of fish and wildlife management, licenses and limits often come to mind. Education is also an important part of celebrating this special day. Preserving wildlife areas and the health of lakes and streams is also essential to healthy and sustainable populations. Shrinking wildlife areas, poisoning the environment with chemicals, and polluting our waters, are an ever-constant threats.

Today, state and local governments along with public and private organizations and groups use this day by holding programs to promote conservation, and fish and wildlife management. They also use it as a day to encourage people to partake in hunting and fishing, and especially encourage youth to participate in these sports.

We encourage you to participate in events in your area. We also encourage you to take your young son, daughter, niece, or nephew out fishing, or to a shooting range. As you do, make sure to teach and encourage them to get involved with conservation and management efforts, too.

Make no mistake. This is not a day to be a couch potato. Come on, get up off the couch and dance up a storm. Dance all day and dance the night away, as today is National Dance Day. The goal of this holiday event is to encourage Americans of all ages to get more valuable exercise, fight obesity, and as an artful expression.  Dancing burns up calories strengthens your heart and tones your muscles. An active, fast dance helps keep you in shape, while you are having the time of your life.

National Dance Day celebrates all forms of dance. Get your heart pumping with “Break Dancing”. You can do the Twist, Disco Dancing, the Charleston, the Macarena, the Boogie, the Freddie(yes, there was a dance by this name), or the Swim! Want to be a little provocative? Do the Bump or be a belly dancer. If you’re into ballroom dancing, grab your partner and do the Waltz, Cha-cha-cha, or Tango. Perhaps ethnic or tribal dances are your thing, like Irish dances, the Polka, Line Dancing, or clog dancing. You can also dosey-do with your partner in a good old-fashioned barn dance or try square dancing. Oh, and don’t forget the “Hokey Pokey” and the “Chicken Dance”. They are perfect for people with two left feet. The list is too long to mention them all.   

One of the most memorable American dance experiences was the television show American Bandstand. This musical performance and dance show aired from 1952-1989. It was hosted by the infamous Dick Clark.

Today’s Memorable Movies:

• Dirty Dancing (1987) with Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey.
• Singin’ in the Rain (1952) with the infamous dancer Gene Kelly.

Have a Happy National Dance Day!

Related Holiday: International Dance Day

Today is a sweet day. It is National Cherry Popover Day. Cherry Popovers are tasty treats made from an egg batter and flour mix. This doughy muffin is filled with cherries, then baked. It is baked in either a muffin tin, or a special popover tin. either way it is absolutely delicious!

We just love food holidays. They taste so good, and everyone can participate in this special day. Just eat a cherry popover. If you are a baker, you can even have more fun today, as you bake cherry popovers. If you are going to make some to share with people at work, it is okay to make them the night before.

Have a Happy National Cherry Popover Day!

Food Holidays – Also see our complete and growing list.

Try hard to contain your excitement, as today is National Ampersand Day. This September 8 holiday is an annual event. As you know, it is a special character that represents and is an abbreviation for the word “and”. Every once in a while, a holiday comes along, and you say… What!? This holiday certainly causes one to stop and ask why and what for. Unfortunately, we can offer no logical explanation for the existence of this holiday. However, it is today, so let’s do our best to enjoy the day. 

Regardless of why this day exists, it is here for your enjoyment. So we hope you take full advantage and use the ampersand character as often as you can, and in creative ways.

Did You Know? The ampersand was once the last character in the alphabet. However, today you will not find any words with the ampersand character in it 

National Mud Pack Day is today. We celebrate this, September 30 holiday annually. Go ahead, and slop on the facial. Ladies, this is your day. Guys, you can get a mud-pack facial, too. Just don’t let your buddies know that you did!!

Mud packs were once the rage for facial treatments. It is still popular. However, the mud in facials has been replaced with a variety of other ingredients. It is supposed to keep the skin young, soft and supple. Does it work? Girls who use it, swear by it.

Phrase of the Day: “Here’s mud in your eye”.  This phrase first appeared in the 1930s. There is speculation around several potential sources of this phrase. One of them dates back to the New Testament of the Bible.  In one reading, Jesus smeared mud on the eyes of a blind man. Thereupon, he could see.

Did You Know? A mud pack is a quick treatment for bee stings, too. Use it, if needed, when you are out on a hike, or until you can get to a place to be treated for bee and wasp stings.