Chocoholics rejoice! Today is National Chocolate Covered Anything Day. This December 16 holiday is a great day to indulge, binge, “pig out”, and otherwise consume to excess, your favorite food….chocolate. We believe the timing of this day, during the holiday season, couldn’t be better.

Today, we get to enjoy our beloved chocolate by covering something…just about anything… in a generous amount of chocolate. Pour, spread, or drizzle chocolate over cakes, cupcakes, pies, pancakes or waffles, nuts, raisins, and even ants (yes, some people actually eat chocolate-covered ants!). We will let you decide what is too extreme, and how much is too much if any.

As chocoholics, we shouldn’t need any added incentive to enjoy our chocolate. In the giving spirit of the holiday season, make sure to give or share some of your favorite chocolate-covered treats today.

Happy National Chocolate Covered Anything Day!!!!

Today is National Ding-a-Ling Day, a very special day to “Ring your Bell”.  Nope, we’re not talking about the Salvation Army Bell Ringers, standing with their bells and kettles, outside of every store in the country. On this December 12 holiday, you should brace yourself for bizarre and crazy behavior, from all of the people you encounter today. Even normally conservative people have been known to go a little crazy on this day. 

Some people say this is a day for wackos, lunatics, and others who are off their rockers. We say it is simply a day to cut loose and act a little weird.

For the record: Ding-a-Lings and Ding Bats are not quite the same things. Ding-a-lings are just weird. They are funny and fun to be with and watch. Dingbats are bat crazy and not a lot of fun.

Song of the Day: My Ding A Ling (1972) by Chuck Berry. Caution: This is a catchy tune. Once you get it in your head, it is hard to get it out.

National Date Nut Bread Day is today. Enjoy this tasty bread for the holidays. This December 22 holiday is the perfect bread for the season. It contains nuts and sugar. But, it is not too much sugar. Date nut bread is quite popular. You can make it yourself or buy some at the bakery. We suggest a couple of loaves. In our house, a single loaf does not last long.

Get your fill of Date Nut Bread today. After all, that’s what this day is for.

Crossword Puzzle Day is today, a December 21 holiday. It is very puzzling to me, why this special day would be so close to Christmas. While we love crosswords. But, who has time to do them right now!?

Well, it just so happens that crossword puzzles were created and published on this day in 1913. It was published in the New York World newspaper. Arthur Wynne is credited with creating the modern crossword puzzle. These puzzles became so popular, that competitions were held, to see who was the fastest to complete them correctly.

We sure hope you find some time this busy holiday season, to complete a crossword puzzle today and every day. They are relaxing and help you to take a break from all the stress of the holiday season.

Did You Know? Doing crossword puzzles daily is good for memory and mind health. It helps to fight against dementia. Also, you can use it to learn new words and facts. Most people who don’t know an answer will research it. Ant, that expands your brain. 

International Civil Aviation Day promotes awareness of the importance of international civil aviation. This December 7 holiday was created to promote and bring awareness to the importance of civil aviation for social and economic development around the world. It is also intended to promote the safety and efficiency of air transportation.

Civil air transportation is an important part of a country’s infrastructure and transportation system. So, use today to appreciate the civil air system in our country.

Did You Know? There is a pilot shortage in the United States. There are fewer pilots today than in 1990.

Is your Christmas card list up to date? Christmas Card Day is a December 9 holiday. This holiday honors Sir Henry Cole (1818 – 1874) of England. Cole created the first commercial Christmas Card in 1843. It grew into a popular holiday tradition. People created a list of all friends and family members. The number of cards you received became a source of pride. And, you had to send a card out to everyone who sent you one. As a result, the list grew year after year. Some people had a list of 50 to 100 people or more. The cards were prominently displayed on walls and sometimes hung on a string across the room. It became a holiday decoration of sorts.

Just a few decades ago, sending Christmas cards through the mail was a holiday “must”. Now, sending cards through the mail continues decline in popularity. The cost of postage is a major expenditure that stretches the holiday budget. And, the time spent writing and sending them during the hectic holiday season adds to the stress of an already busy season. As a result, more and more stop sending them entirely. Yet, others have cut down their lists to just a choice few.

On the other hand, as mailed Christmas cards continually decline every year, free online Ecard usage is on the uptick. And, they take much less time to send. Animated Christmas and daily seasonal Ecards have made sending and receiving them a lot of fun. 

Card Playing Day is the perfect time to spend an hour or so playing cards with family and friends. And, it arrives at just the perfect time of year…….. a few days after Christmas. The holiday hustle and bustle is over. The kids are getting bored with their new toys. The December 28 holiday is the perfect time to turn to card games for a calmer, more relaxing, and slow-paced form of fun and entertainment.

Enter the world of card games. Cards have survived for centuries as a form of “play” and entertainment. Sure, there are a few serious gambling types among us, who view cards as a serious “business”. To most of us, card games are just games.

Spend the day playing cards with family and friends. If you have kids, make sure to play some age-appropriate card games with them.  You’ll find quality time with the kids that will create many warm memories.

Important Tip: Many games have different variations. Make sure all players know and agree to the rules before you begin. 

Did You Know? The casinos in Las Vegas use an estimated 27 million decks of cards a year. 

Happy Card Playing Day. Now “go fish”, “hit me”, “double”, and “I’ll raise you two!”. 

Other names for this holiday: National Card Playing Day and Play More Cards Day

National Brownie Day celebrates chocolatey, chewy brownies. This December 8 holiday is destined to become chewy and gooey. Brownie lovers, love chocolate. Conversely, chocolate lovers, love brownies. Therefore, it’s only natural, that we have a special day to celebrate brownies.

Today, you must take the good with the bad. The bad news is brownies are loaded with calories and carbohydrates, making them less than ideal for your health. But, every bite is ohh so delicious. As a matter of fact, they are so good that it is all but impossible to resist taking a second helping. This holiday comes just once a year. So, skip the calorie and carb counting for just one day. Your taste buds will thank you.   

It’s fun and easy to enjoy on this special food holiday. First, select your favorite brownie recipe, and bake a batch of brownies. You can add nuts if you prefer. Topping the brownies with chocolate frosting is a good thing, too. Finally, eat them! You can have them for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or as a snack.

.Ps Don’t forget the glass of milk! 

Happy National Brownie Day.

Look on the Bright Side Day is today, a December 21 holiday. We hope you see the light. However, that may prove difficult today. It is the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. And, December days tend to be cloudy. However, we’re going to be optimistic, and fully expect you to succeed. On a positive note, while this is the shortest day of the year, it is all uphill from here. For the next six months, every day will be a little longer.

Today is a day to be optimistic. The term itself is an optimistic one. It calls upon us to look for something positive, out of an otherwise bad or sad situation. Often, a bad experience has positive lessons to be learned.  

If you have a bad day yesterday, look on the bright side…. today is another day and an optimistic one at that!