Penguin Awareness Day gives us a great opportunity to learn about and appreciate one of the few natives of Antarctica. They are natives to a few other chilly areas, too. This is a January 20 holiday that is celebrated annually. On this day, spend a little time learning about them…. a pictorial book or internet site is fun. You can also watch a documentary of these cute and popular, grounded birds.

Not every food holiday is as delicious as this January 30 holiday. For example, while Bean Day and Turkey Neck Soup Day are indeed food holidays, they don’t get your salivary glands going. Though, most likely your mouth began to water when you discovered that today is Croissant Day. Also unofficially called National Croissant Day, this holiday is specifically for French pastry chefs along with anyone who likes this flaky and buttery roll. I suspect that would be all of us! On this day, we celebrate by enjoying as many of these French pastries as we can consume in a day. 

Once you’ve eaten one today, can you resist a second? We hope not. After all, this holiday is all about consuming croissants.

Do you see spots before your eyes? Well, it’s no surprise. Today is National Polka Dot Day. Walt Disney Corporation created this January 22 holiday to celebrate Minnie Mouse. Disney honored this holiday with a “Rock the Dots” event. Minnie is always seen in a polka dot dress. Since its creation, this fun holiday has expanded to celebrate an iconic pattern that is found on practically anything and everything. Why, you can even use this holiday to celebrate and spend time with your multi-spotted Dalmatian. One could say this dog sitting atop a fire truck, is a classic symbol of the ever-popular pattern.

Which came first, the dance or the dots? A pattern consisting of a solid color and multiple spots existed since Europe’s Medieval times or earlier. However, this pattern originally represented disease and impurity. It was often associated with smallpox. So at the time, wearing this pattern was considered taboo. Then in the mid-1800s, the “Polka” became a dance craze. Along the way, dots were added to the hats, dresses, shirts, and other clothing worn while performing the lively dance. This led to the creation of the term “Polka Dot”. As a result, the pattern was no longer considered taboo. Rather, it became associated with the cheerful and liveliness of the Polka dance. To this day, the pattern continues to be popular. You can find it on virtually everything, from clothing to furniture artwork, paper goods, and more.

Song of the Day: Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini (1960). Sung by Brian Hyland

Our Favorite Cartoon Movie: 101 Dalmatians (1961)

Are you getting hungry? If so, that’s good because today is National Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day. On this January 14 holiday, sink your teeth into a real deli treat. Pastrami is a delicious, old-fashioned deli meat. It tantalizes the taste buds. Pastrami is a Jewish creation. It was originally made ages ago, as a way to preserve meat. Over time, the rest of the world discovered how good it tastes. Now, it is carried at virtually all delicatessens and grocery stores. Like any other food holiday, the best way to enjoy this holiday is to eat a hot pastrami sandwich… or two.

The process of making pastrami takes several days. The process includes soaking the meat in brine, rubbing it with a variety of spices, smoking, and curing the meat. From start to finish, the whole process takes several days. But, it is well worth the effort. The result is a tender, juicy, and mouth-watering treat.

You can enjoy this deli meat in a variety of ways. You can enjoy it as the main course for dinner tonight. It is an ingredient in some soup recipes. And, Pastrami is the perfect cold cut for a charcuterie board. Or, have a cold sandwich. But, in keeping with today’s holiday, we recommend you have a piping hot pastrami sandwich.  

Did You Know? A hot pastrami sandwich is commonly called “The Rachel”. No one knows why.

Are you hungry? Satisfy your hunger with an apricot or two. The fruit is small. So, you can have a couple of pieces without overeating. It is a fruit that is delicious, sweet, nutritious, and healthy for you. This good-looking, somewhat tart fruit, is all of that and more. And, today is the perfect day to indulge in this fantastic fruit. It’s National Apricot Day. On this January 9 holiday, we are encouraged to enjoy plenty of colorful and flavorful apricots in a variety of ways, to satisfy your taste buds as it satisfies your hunger pains.

Humans have enjoyed eating apricots for thousands of years. Native to China, the first recording of their discovery dates back to around 4,000 B.C. Yes, that’s over six thousand years ago! But, ancient Chinese were likely consuming apricots tens of thousands of years before Man even began recordings on the wall of his cave. That was 40,0000 years ago. While this delicious fruit originated in China, However, like other good things, you can’t keep it away from the rest of the world. Over thousands of years, apricot trees spread their limbs westward. Their migration to the Mediterranean region and Europe was aided by merchant traders traveling the Silk Road and other trade routes. Along the way, they traded some of the seeds. Today, the trees grow on every continent, except Antarctica.

While this amazing fruit has been feeding us for many thousands of years, National Apricot Day has been around for just a scant few years. But as you enjoy this fruit today, simply be thankful that the holiday is here.

Today is a holiday to toot about. And, it’s a real stinker of a day. It is World Pass Gas Day. You may also know this holiday as Fart Day. This January 7 holiday is celebrated with giggles and laughs every time you or someone else breaks wind. It’s a natural body function that occurs multiple times a day. Everyone does it. So, why shy away from celebrating it? Let’s change the culture and etiquette we normally follow. Just for today, let’s giggle and laugh every time someone let’s one rip!

It is perfectly proper to pass gas in public today. So, come on. Don’t be shy. Get over your inhibitions and rip one off. You can’t see it. You might not hear it. And, sometimes you can’t even smell it. What you eat determines whether or not, your release will clear the room.

Do you want to be a stinker today or not? Sulphur gas is what smells when you rip one off. It’s only 1% of the total emission. But, boy it can put out a stink. Your digestion system produces it. If you want to avoid the offensive aroma, do not eat cruciferous vegetables or beans.  Cruciferous vegetables are members of the Brassicaceae family. This includes arugula, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, Bok choy, Chinese cabbage, collard greens, kale, mustard greens, radish, and watercress.

Today is National Carnation Day. This January 29 holiday is also called Red Carnation Day. This holiday celebrates the popular and versatile carnation flower. It also honors President William McKinley who was very fond of carnations. In this article, you will find lots of interesting trivia. You will also learn the carnation color meaning as each color represents a different symbol.

President McKinley considered carnations lucky and often wore them on the lapel of his suitcoat. As a matter of fact, he gave away his carnation moments before he was assassinated. Without the lucky carnation, all of a sudden, his luck quickly ran out. 

Florists and gardeners alike love carnations. They are easy to grow and look great in cottage gardens. And, carnations have all sorts of floral uses. The long-lasting flowers are popular in boutonnieres, corsages, and bouquets. Cut arrangements, dried or fresh, look great indoors in vases grouped together, or mixed among other flowers. Single carnations are attractive in small vases, too. 

Did You Know?  Carnation flowers are edible. We hope you are hungry. And, if that’s not enough for you to absolutely love them, they have medicinal applications, too.

It’s the end of January and we’re all outside enjoying skiing, sledding, skating, ice fishing, and a wide array of winter sports and activities. A steamy mug of hot chocolate is just what you need to warm your innards and put a smile on your face. For many of us, it’s the drink of choice after coming in from the cold. So, it is very fitting that today is National Hot Chocolate Day, a January 31 holiday. After taking off your winter clothes and boots, warm up by the fireside with a mug of hot chocolate.

We all giggle when someone says chocolate is good for you because it comes from the cacao bean which is a vegetable. But, the cocoa in chocolate is indeed good for your health. First, cocoa is high in flavanols which helps to reduce blood cholesterol. It is low in caffeine. And, it contains antioxidants which are good for heart health. Antioxidants also slow the aging process. Hot chocolate has many useful minerals vitamins and minerals. Finally, we all agree that a mug of hot chocolate relaxes us and puts us in the mood for a good night’s sleep.

Will you use milk or water to make hot chocolate? The instructions on more than a few packets of hot chocolate mix say to add water. So many people do. But, most of us agree that using milk is creamier and much more flavorful. 

Whipped cream is light, airy, and sweet. Originally called “Snow Milk”, we use it as a topping or an ingredient in countless recipes. Many beverages and desserts are just not the same without a dollop of whipped cream on top. Today is National Whipped Cream Day. Certainly, it is destined to be a sweet holiday. On this January 5 holiday, use it on everything you can imagine. As a matter of fact, we challenge you to be creative and use it on or in as many ways as you can imagine. 

Whipped cream was first created in Italy in the 1500s. It was first called “Snow Milk” and later “Snow Cream”. It wasn’t until the 1600s that people began to call it “Whipped Cream”. Originally made from milk, people beat the milk with branches. This caused the fats in the milk to create air bubbles, turning it light and fluffy….. and tasty. Later heavy cream was used as it contained more fats, resulting in an even airier mixture.

Important Note: There are many imitations out there. Called Whipped toppings, they are not made from milk or heavy cream. Hence, on this special food holiday, it is unacceptable to use anything but the real thing.

Today’s Quiz: What song has the lyrics “Whipped Cream Day”? For the answer, see the bottom of this article.

Got a hangover on New Year’s morning? Are you ready to swear off drinking? Hold off a minute on that oath. You’re in good company. Now, all you need is a cure for the aftereffects of too much champagne. That’s exactly why National Bloody Mary Day exists. This January 1 holiday couldn’t occur at a better time. So, if you want to feel better quickly, as the saying goes “take a hair of the dog that bit you.”

This healthy drink cocktail helps to minimize the effects of too much alcohol. Amazingly, an alcoholic drink can remedy a hangover. Researchers will tell you that it only masks the effects of too much alcohol while your body recuperates.  Well, I don’t care about the research because I feel better already. 

For the Diet Conscious: The average Bloody Mary drink contains 120 – 250 calories and 4.9 carbs. However, the numbers vary depending upon the size of the glass, the ingredients included, and the garnishes. For example: celery, olives, and shrimp each contain different amounts of calories and carbs.