Quirky Calendar Year

01/01/2025

Happy New Year! May this year bring you all the good things you desire, blessings beyond measure, and peace that surpasses understanding.

12/31/2024

It's New Year's Eve, Celebration Explorers! How are you guys planning to celebrate this year?

To help get your New Year off to a great start, here is a round up of the first few days of holidays to consider celebrating this year. I plan to do a weekly "Holiday Prep" to help you prepare week by week for a year's worth of good times. Daily posts are hard for this mama, so I will attempt to post weekly for now!

Happy New Year, Happy Holidays, and Happy Celebrating!

12/23/2024

December 23rd is the fantastic holiday of Festivus!

Imagine: an aluminum pole has been erected in the living room, and the family gathers for a meatloaf dinner. Afterward, the family shows off their strength, and let forth with grievances of last year's gifts. A time for everyone to appreciate family time together, and to look forward to the coming new year.

This holiday dates all the way back to the long ago time of 1997, when it was referenced in an episode of "Seinfeld". Since then, it has adopted a motto: "A Festivus for the rest of us.", created by writer Dan O'Keefe as a reminder to look to the future.

Has anyone seen this episode? What were your first impressions?

Happy Celebrating!

12/22/2024

December 22nd is Forefathers Day!

We all know about Thanksgiving, and the Pilgrims and Indians celebrating the harvest. But did you know there was a day to commemorate the Pilgrims Landing on Plymouth Rock?

In 1769, descendants of the original Mayflower passengers collaborated to create the Old Colony Club, recognizing what their Forefathers had done. Hence, a holiday was born.

By the late 1880s, people from all over the country were celebrating this day, but it had faded from popularity by the early 1900s. Now, only the folks at Plymouth Rock still celebrate this day, and everyone else only acknowledges its November cousin, Thanksgiving.

Do you have any ancestors that were Pilgrims? Do you have family that celebrates today?

Happy Celebrating!




Picture Source: victoriaslibrary.com

12/21/2024

Today is Winter Solstice, which we celebrate state side.

But there are celebrations happening in China today! Dongzhi, or Chinese Winter Solstice Festival, happens today to acknowledge the longest night of the year. This holiday first gained traction in the Han Dynasty (202-220AD), but became a national holiday is 960AD. It consists of familes getting together, and making a hearty meal of dumplings. They also take time to visit their ancestors and enjoy time together.

I've had pre-made dumplings before, but I'd love to try them home made. Anyone have any good recipes?

Happy Celebrating, and happy Solstice!

12/20/2024

Today, December 20th, we celebrate Sacagawea Day, the woman who helped guide explorers Lewis and Clark on their expedition from 1804-6. She joined them in 1805 and served as a guide to explore the Rocky Mountains, and all the land in between there and the Pacific Ocean. Sacagawea served as a translator between the various tribes and her knowledge of the land was invaluable to Lewis and Clark.

There are numerous statues of her located around the U.S. including Montana, Washington D.C., and even at colleges named after the famous pair in Oregon and Illinois. Ya know, in case they forgot who the real MVP of that expedition was. What a stark reminder.

We remember you, Sacagawea. The true star of the show.

12/19/2024

Grandma's candy dish is taking the spotlight today for National Hard Candy Day!

What is your favorite type of hard candy and why is it the strawberry one? Just kidding, which one do you like best?

Did you know that sugar candy dates all the way back to the 13th century? Its use as medicinal lozenges started in 1947 and it's still used for that purpose today.

As it's Christmastime, ribbon candy is popular. I found some at my local Ollie's store and it still holds up!

Happy Celebrating!

Photo Credit: Christine Tan on Upsplash.com
Historical tidbits: National Today

12/18/2024

Kicking things off again with National Crime Ju**ie Day, celebrated today!

I know I love a good mystery, and it's sometimes thrilling to revisit a crime with fresh eyes (or ears). To learn about the victim, and rejoice the in capturing of a killer. Or maybe, you try to solve the mystery?

How would you celebrate today? What mystery do you want to see solved?

I plan to hop over the YouTube and see what they have for me! As for mysteries, I'd love to know the identity of Jack the Ripper...

Happy Celebrating!

Photo by Jaclyn Baxter on Unsplash

12/25/2023

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate!

Christmas caught up to me, so look back in the new year for more regular quirky holiday updates. Until then, happy holidays, however you celebrate, and may you be filled with happiness and good cheer.

12/17/2023

12/17/2023

Happy Sunday, Celebration Explorers! Did you know that next week is CHRISTMAS??? Yeah, I can't handle it either. Hope your plans are going well!

Anywho, the answer to yesterday's question was...Bhutan!

Today is Bhutan National Day!

December 17th is a cause for a big party as they commemorate the day they first had a king in Bhutan, the Druk Gyalpo (Dragon King) Ugyen Wangchuck. It's a BIG deal, with all other events and businesses in the country shut down and closed to celebrate.

Did You Know?:
- The first king was crowned in 1907.
- Wangchuck brought unification to the country and made ties with British India. These acts caused for their then current dual system of rule to be abolished in favor of a monarchy, with Wangchuck being made king.

The current king is His Majesty The Druk Gyalpo Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the 5th king of Bhutan. Long may he reign!

Tomorrow's holiday hint: Celebrating what makes winter so beautiful. It flies through the cold air, and takes millions to cover the ground. What is it?

Happy Celebrating! One week until Christmas Eve!

12/16/2023

Greeetings, Celebration Explorers!

The answer to yesterday's hint was...an underdog!

Today is National Underdog Day!

This commemorates the underdog, the ones who were second best or the unlikely winner. Yet, they defied all odds and rose to glory. One early example is David and Goliath from the Bible, where little David fights Goliath and is able to defeat him, despite his small stature.

Did You Know?:
- The term "underdog" was originally coined in 1887 to describe workers building ships. The wooden planks were called "dogs" and someone had to stand and support them while another worker sawed wood above him. Since the first man was under the "dog", he was labeled "underdog".

Since then, many examples of the underdog have been seen in sports, such as Buster Douglas vs Mike Tyson (Douglas won), or movies (Sylvester Stalone). What underdog story is your favorite?

Tomorrow's hint: This country celebrates the day it first placed a king on its throne. What country am I talking about?

Happy celebrations!

12/15/2023

Recap of yesterday's hint: "Managing people is like [blank] [blank]."

The answer: "Herding Cats"

It's Cat Herder's Day!

Did You Know:
- Cat Herder's Day isn't about cats at all! It's a day for the managers who can manage all people and situations that are thrown their way. Cats symbolize chaos, because cats ARE chaos.
- The holiday was officially created by Thomas and Ruth Roy in the 1980s and has been recognized ever since.

Do you have a special manager in your life? Are you one? I have been a stage manger, and know full well that herding actors is EXACTLY like herding cats. Managers, we salute you.

Tomorrow's holiday hint: This term wasn't coined until the 19th century, but we see these "second best" examples in sports, literature, and movies. They are recognized to show they are supported too. What am I talking about?

Happy Holidays! 10 Days left until Christmas!

12/14/2023

No doubt you've heard the lyric "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire...", the beginning lyric of "The Christmas Song" (sung notably by Nat King Cole and others). Well, today you can roast to your heart's content!

Did You Know?:
- There used to be at least 4 Billion chestnut trees in the United States. Unfortunately, a tree fungus was found on some of the trees in 1904, and continued to spread over the next 40 years, bringing the number of trees to half a billion.
- The tradition of chestnuts goes back to St. Martin, whose feast (Martinstag) is celebrated between October - November, when the nuts are readily available. Over time, the act of roasting them became more of a Christmas tradition.

While not as mainstream today, chestnuts still get shipped in from other countries like China, Korea, and Italy to be enjoyed. But if you want to get some of this roasted treat for yourself, be warned: they are more perishable than other nuts, molding within a few weeks. Bon appetit!

If chestnuts aren't your thing, what nut is your favorite? Or if you can't have them, what other treat do you love this time of year?

Tomorrow's holiday: "Managing people is like [blank] [blank]." What comes to mind? Tune back in tomorrow!

Hope you are all having a wonderful holiday season, and happy final night of Chanukah!

12/13/2023

St. Lucia National Day is celebrated on this day in Sweden to honor the named saint who was a martyred for her Christian faith in 304 A.D. It wasn't until the 6th century that she was venerated by the Catholic church and made a saint.

You may sometimes see pictures of her with a wreath of candles on her head. That's because she would minister to other Christians in hiding and would use those candles to light her way, leaving her arms free to carry as much as she could to aid them.

Did You Know?:
- Notice those eyes on the plate she's holding? Lucia is the patron saint of the blind!
- It is said that Lucia either had her eyes gouged out during torture, or that she took them out herself because an admirer was looking at them. Eww.
- When she was later killed by a sword to the throat, those who buried Lucia said her eyes were miraculously cured. Hence, her patronage to the blind.