If you’re a grouch or if you know one at work, in your family or among your friends – or if you’re craving the chance to growl, snark and be miserable for 24 hours -then the 29th of January is time to celebrate with National Curmudgeon Day! Curmudgeon Day also honors comedian and professional curmudgeon … Read more
February 2nd is annually celebrated as Groundhog Day—an animal also known as a woodchuck. Just how much wood would a woodchuck chuck is irrelevant to this lighthearted holiday. Instead, the humble groundhog has become a national winter weather predictor. How and when did the association begin? Here are the answers to this question and others … Read more
Many athletes around the world enjoy the physical challenges of marathons and other track events. Apart from competition with other runners, the constant physical and mental joy of physical challenges and training draw many men and women into the sport. The marathon goes all the way back to Phidippides, an Athenian runner during the period … Read more
Gardening is cheaper than therapy And you get tomatoes. —Anonymous January is National Mail Order Gardening Month, when gardeners from coast to coast enjoy sitting at home in a warm house while the snow rages outside, paging through seed catalogs and dreaming of warmer days and a colorful spring. Anyone can grow flowers, vegetables, herbs … Read more
While the turning of the old year to the new year was celebrated as far back in human history as ancient Babylon, it took the famous Roman, Julius Caesar, and his reconciliation of the calendar to appoint January 1 as New Year’s Day — thus deeming December 31 as New Year’s Eve, a night of … Read more
A favorite winter activity around the world is making a snowman (or snow woman)! From simple stacked balls with a carrot nose and coal eyes to much more elaborate and artistic sculptures, the snowman is instantly recognizable no matter the country or culture. Here’s more about the snowman’s surprisingly long history. So far the first … Read more
The red-and-white striped candy cane has become a potent symbol of Christmas, but the sugar confection is surrounded by a confusion of legend and historical evidence. Here are some of the truths and myths regarding this favourite seasonal treat. LEGEND: The candy cane was invented by a 19th century candy maker in Illinois to symbolize … Read more
The Christmas cookie tradition comes to us from medieval times, when the pagan Solstice or celebration of the Winter Equinox was absorbed into the Christian religion to become a time of year honoring the birth of Jesus Christ. Here are five amazing facts about the now commonplace Christmas cookies we make and exchange (and enjoy … Read more
The Great American Smokeout® sponsored by the American Cancer Society occurs annually on the third Thursday of November. In 2014, the event will take place on November 20th around the country. Addiction to tobacco products by one in five Americans is a major contributor to life-threatening diseases like cancer. Quitting smoking cigarettes, cigars and pipes … Read more
Thanksgiving in the United States, declared a national holiday in 1863 by President Abraham Lincoln, is celebrated annually on the fourth Thursday in November. Traditionally, Americans sit down to a feast featuring turkey (or another protein), stuffing, side dishes such as mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potato, corn, etc., and often enjoy pumpkin pie for dessert. … Read more