National Day Calendar

This Creamy Confection Deserves "Top Billing." Welcome to January 5th, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate sweet inventions and the wizards of words.  The first recipes for whipped cream date back to 1549 when they used a willow branch to beat the cream into “snow milk.”  This technique lasted for the next few centuries until a clothing salesman from St. Louis changed all of that...

This Amazing Student Saw Things In A Whole New Light. Welcome to January 4th, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate nerding out and seeing things in a different light. If you’ve ever attended quiz night at a local pub, you know how exciting trivia can be. There’s a thrill that comes from knowing that a seemingly useless piece of information holds the key to winning a game. Even in...

This Patent Gave Us A More Appealing Sip. Welcome to January 3rd, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate the sweet life and having the last straw.  If life is a bowl full of cherries, why not have yours dipped in chocolate?   Folks in the 1700s knew what a perfect mid-winter pick me up this candy could be. In England they included kirsch or cherry liqueur. Here in the United States...

This Author's Imagination Shaped The Future. Welcome to January 2nd, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate a feast for everyone and a voyage of the imagination.  Anna: Marlo, I have a bone to pick with you.  I’m all geared up to celebrate National Personal Trainer Awareness Day and I see it’s also National Cream Puff Day and National Buffet Day. Is that a joke?  John, help me out h...

Another Year To Start Anew! Welcome to January 1st, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate a gruesome drink and a fresh start.  If you’re looking for a “hair of the dog” that bit you during last night’s reveling, consider the Bloody Mary.  It’s become a brunch staple, but how did this drink get such a gruesome name? Many people assume it’s because of Mary Tudor, Henry VIII’s first d...

Do You Know All The Words To This Song? Welcome to December 31, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate memorable wines and forgettable songs.  Nothing says celebration like a good champagne, and while the genuine article comes only from the Champagne region of France, there are plenty of good bubbly wines from California and Italy. If you’ve ever wondered why bottles of Dom Perignon...

This Story Gives A Whole New Meaning To Bringing Home The Bacon. Welcome to December 30, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate the power of ordinary ingredients. With only 24 hours left till the new year, it’s time for a quick science lesson.  Trust us, you’ll wanna remember this.  If you plan to tie one on for New Year’s Eve remember that not all hangover cures are made equal.  So...

It's Never Too Late To Make The Most Of This Year! Welcome to December 29, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate making the most of the final countdown and a National soup for the soul.  Most of us look forward to the end of the year, with the promise of a new year just around the corner. But before we break out the party hats and noisemakers, there are still a few things that need...

The Art Of Bluffing Dates Back Thousands Of Years. Welcome to December 28, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate the art of bluffing and kicking your clunker to the curb.  The game of poker originated in Louisiana, and is believed to be a derivative of the game of dominos, which dates back a few thousand years.  What’s common to both games is the art of bluffing.  Even the best pok...

It's Never Too Late To Learn Something New. Welcome to December 27, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate starting something new and being nutty as a fruitcake.  Anna: You probably didn’t notice this Marlo, but December is Learn a Foreign Language Month. Marlo: You know, I didn't notice it obviously. I can't even say "Mario" correctly. Anna: You were too busy giving out calendars a...

This "Second Christmas" Is A Great Reason To Extend The Season Of Giving. Welcome to December 26th, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate extending the flavor and good will of the season.  Peppermint sticks have been around for at least 200 years, but the red and white striped candy cane that we all associate with Christmas did not actually appear until 1900. Many folklore tales de...

This Christmas Classic Is More Than 100 Years Old. Welcome to December 25, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate holiday puns and the true spirit of gift giving. A’Phabet Day or No “L” Day is observed on December 25th. This day is for punsters who can’t resist the play on words and avoid using the letter “L” in jokes and correspondence. Groan if you will, but No “L” Day invites you...

'Twas The Night Before Christmas... Welcome to December 24, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate clearing up the mystery behind two holiday favorites.  Have you ever wondered how eggnog got its name? It turns out that alcohol was once served in carved wooden mugs called noggins. It’s believed that the first eggnog or posset was made as a cold remedy that included milk, spices, and...

Happy Festivus For The Rest Of Us! Welcome to December 23, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate getting back to our roots and a Festivus for the rest of us. These days we have all become a little more interested in our roots. I’m not talking about the gray kind that we cover up with hair dye, I’m talking about family history.  DNA testing has doubled in popularity since these kits...

Do You Know The Etiquette For Re-Gifting Presents? Welcome to December 22, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate the perfect holiday date and the rules of seasonal recycling.  If you’re looking for a date for the holidays look no further than date nut bread.  While it doesn’t have the shelf life of a fruit cake, its less gaudy appearance speaks for its excellent taste. Dates have b...

There's More Than One Way To Brighten The Shortest Day Of The Year. Welcome to December 21, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate an ancient tradition and turning your holiday frown upside down.  One of the oldest celebrations still in existence today is the Winter Solstice.  Ancient ruins like Stonehenge were even built around this event when the Earth’s poles are at their maximum...

Today We Celebrate All Things Merry And Bright. Welcome to December 20, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate festive drinks and songs that stick.  Sangria originated in early Greek and Roman times when safe drinking water was not always available.  Alcohol killed the bacteria in water and fruit made it even more drinkable.  The word Sangria comes from the Spanish and Portuguese wo...

This Candy Has Really Gone The Distance. Welcome to December 19, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate healthy hearts and candies that go the distance.  A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens was first published on December 19, 1843. Today Christmas would not be complete without the story of Ebineezer Scrooge and his miraculous change of heart.  Dickens’s own reason for the seasonal...

Tis The Season To Get Your Elf On! Welcome to December 18, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate elfing around and the festival of lights. Anna: Buddy, the Elf.  What’s your favorite color? Marlo: Yellow, yellow, yellow! Anna: John? John: Red. No green! Anna: Did you guys know it's Answer The Telephone Like Buddy The Elf Day? John: I do now! Anna: Right, I'm getting my "elf on!" Do...

Here's The Scoop On How Maple Syrup Makes The Grade. Welcome to December 17, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate being sappy and fueling our dreams.  If you’ve ever wondered how maple syrup got its grades, here’s a tip, it’s all a matter of taste. In the past, Grade A syrup indicated an earlier harvest, hence a lighter color and milder taste. Grade C was harvested later and was b...

We All Have A Favorite Underdog Story. Welcome to December 16, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate rooting for the underdog and the tradition of poor taste.  It’s an accepted fact that people love cheering for an underdog.  Whether in movies or sports or movies about sports, nothing engages our emotions like watching someone win against all odds.  Do you guys have a favorite unde...

Amazing Things Can Happen When You Say "Yes" Instead of "No." Just Ask This Emmy Award Winning Producer. Welcome to August 27th, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate getting to the good stuff and doing things “just because.” Pots of cream may not sound delicious but pots de creme deserves its own celebration.  Think of it as a cousin to crème brûlée.  Both are made with simple ing...

This Spirit Was First Called Rumbullion And May Have Planted The Seeds Of Rebellion. Welcome to August 16th, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate the need for speed and the spirit of the islands. Roller coasters attract adrenaline junkies to amusement parks around the world. These rides are thrilling and sometimes scary. But oddly enough, they were invented to keep people away fro...

These Pioneers Carved A Path Across Through The Sky And The Old West. Welcome to July 24th, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate the spirit that won the old West and our place in the sky.  Many of us have wondered what it would be like to completely reinvent ourselves. In the late 1800s, all it took was to move to the American West. Take for example John Henry Holliday. He came fr...

This Town Holds The Record For Longest Running July 4th Parade. Welcome to July 4th, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate slow cooking by day and lighting up the night.  Fireworks may own this particular evening, but the day is all about barbecue, though technically what most of us do is grilling, that is cooking meat over a fire. Barbecue is cooking meat slowly over indirect heat...