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Post by pennmom on Sept 6, 2021 20:54:12 GMT
National Coffee Ice Cream Day – September 6, 2021 ~ U.S.
Caffeine and ice cream lovers unite for National Coffee Ice Cream Day this September 6! Celebrating a combination that has swept the world by storm since at least 1919, this day recognizes a particular flavor that often goes unnoticed. Not anymore! Coffee ice cream lovers, today is your day in the sun, and those who have yet to expand their frozen dessert palette, get ready to taste decadence!
HISTORY OF NATIONAL COFFEE ICE CREAM DAY Ice cream is the ultimate comfort food. It’s a perfect conclusion to a great meal — and so is coffee. So why not combine the two and make something incredible? It takes time! While gelato and sorbet can be traced as far back as 3000 B.C. and people have been drinking coffee since at least the 15th century, it took quite some time for coffee-flavored ice cream to come about. Coffee may have been discovered in the Middle East in the 9th century, however, it wasn’t considered a household beverage until after the 17th century — that’s when the drink started gaining traction in Britain. The French’s relationship with the Ottomans paved the way for high society to bring coffee to the world. Venetians eventually figured out how to make coffee sweeter and, voila, the drink skyrocketed to fame.
The first flavored ice cream was invented at the request of Roman emperor Nero. His servants went to the mountains and collected snow to make a frozen dessert flavored with honey, nuts, and fruit toppings. The invention of gelato is mostly credited to Bernardo Buontalenti, a 16th century Florence native who served it to the court of Catherine de’ Medici. By 1770, Giovanni Basiolo made his success in New York selling semi-frozen coffee and milk products popular in Genoa. Finally, in 1869, coffee ice cream was first used in a parfait and then appeared again in a cookbook in 1919. Today, it’s become a staple in most ice cream shops’ flavor lists and is a perfect pick-me-up with a side of sweet, creamy goodness.
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Post by pennmom on Sept 6, 2021 20:56:21 GMT
National Read a Book Day – September 6, 2021 ~ U.S.
National Read a Book Day on September 6 calls all book lovers to indulge in their favorite hobby, guilt-free. Bringing new worlds to life, books enlighten us and transport us on exciting adventures. They can challenge our perspectives on the human experience in ways unmatched by other media. In a world deluged by technology, National Read a Book Day encourages us to silence the noise and turn the pages for a while.
HISTORY OF NATIONAL READ A BOOK DAY While National Read a Book Day is believed to have originated in the US, other details of the day’s history are unclear. What is clear, though, is Americans’ love for books! And, for many, this is a welcomed day because 81% of us don’t feel we spend as much time reading as we would like. So, today is the perfect opportunity to set aside a little time to catch up on our “to read” list.
The popularity of book clubs points to our ongoing love for books. They date back to the 1600s with women’s Bible studies. But, in the last few decades, reading has taken on a much more social element influenced, in large part, by Oprah Winfrey’s Book Club. Starting in 1996, Oprah’s Book Club recommended 70 books contributing to over $55 million in sales and has been credited with inspiring millions of people to read books.
Over 74% of Americans have read at least one book in the last 12 months. Sure, the busyness of life definitely gets in the way of our reading pursuits with many other activities competing for our time. Luckily, electronic platforms have made it easier for us to read on the go. Almost 20% of books consumed are now via electronic platforms. Whatever format you prefer, grab or download the book on the top of your stack and dive in!
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Post by pennmom on Sept 6, 2021 20:59:55 GMT
Rosh Hashanah – September 6, 2021 ~ World
Rosh Hashanah, literally translating to ‘head of the year’, is the Jewish New Year, starting on the first day of Tishrei — the Jewish calendar’s first month. On the Gregorian calendar, the Jewish New Year will be celebrated this year from sundown on September 6 through sundown on September 8. As of 2021, the two-day celebration marks the start of the year 5782 on the Jewish calendar.
WHEN IS ROSH HASHANAH 2021? Rosh Hashanah falls on the evening of September 18, 2020 — and lasts until sundown on September 20.
HISTORY OF ROSH HASHANAH Rosh Hashanah is not mentioned in the religious text of Judaism, the Torah, but appears under various names in the Bible. Given the evidence and existing text, the holiday was well established by the sixth century B.C. ‘Rosh Hashanah’ appeared for the first time in 200 A.D. in the Jewish code of law — Mishnah.
A new year in the Jewish calendar starts with Rosh Hashanah on the first day of the month of Tishrei, however, for religious purposes, the year begins on the first of the month of Nisan. This difference is due to the fact that God is said to have created the world on the former date. So, in a way, Rosh Hashanah is not just the start of a New Year but is also the birthday of creation.
In addition to Rosh Hashanah, there are three other ‘New Years’ on the Jewish calendar, according to the Mishnah: Nisan 1, Elul 1, and Shevat 15, respectively. Each date has its own significance and reason for celebration.
Tradition tells us that God passes judgment on all creatures during the time between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, known as ‘10 Days of Awe.’ Whether or not someone will continue to live or die in the coming year is determined during this time. According to Jewish law, the names of the righteous are inscribed by God in the “Book of Life” and the wicked are condemned to death on Rosh Hashanah. People have time until Yom Kippur to repent by performing ‘teshuvah,’ to tip the scales in their favor. For this reason, observant Jews consider Rosh Hashanah and the days surrounding it as a time for vigilant prayer, good deeds, reflecting on past mistakes, and making amends with others.
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Post by pennmom on Sept 6, 2021 21:02:35 GMT
West Indian Day Parade – September 6, 2021 ~ U.S.
West Indian culture is colorful and multifaceted. But what do we mean by “West Indian”? It’s good to know, not just for educational purposes, but also in order to understand the celebration known as the West Indian Day Parade, which takes place each Labor Day in Brooklyn. (In 2021, that means it’s on September 6.)
The West Indies includes an extraordinary range of people and places. But to simplify things a bit, it’s the name for a region of the Caribbean Sea that includes countries comprising the Greater Antilles, the Lesser Antilles and the Lucayan Archipelago.
So let’s party!
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Post by pennmom on Sept 6, 2021 21:05:04 GMT
Mouthguard Day – September 6, 2021 ~ U.S.
If you’re a sports-minded individual, the odds are good that you at least know what a mouth guard is, or have even worn one yourself. While the primary purpose of mouth guards in the mind of the populace is to protect those involved in active sports from having their teeth smashed out of their mouth, there are other reasons that Mouth Guards are worn as well. On Mouth Guard Day we celebrate these wonderful inventions and the beautiful smiles they’ve served and protected throughout the years.
HISTORY OF MOUTHGUARD DAY The origin of the mouth guard may very well be lost to history, but what is known is that boxing is likely the home of this creation. It’s worth noting that doesn’t narrow things down very much, as pugilism has been a popular sport for hundreds or even thousands of years.
Throughout the years everything from resin and tape to wood and leather have been used to help protect these fighters teeth. It was in 1892 that one Woolf Krause, a dentist from Britain, invented a mouth guard made from gutta-percha, a natural resin. The only issue with this mouthguard is that it had to be reapplied every fight and was not reusable.
Krause’s son, Phillip, took his father’s invention a step further and created a reusable version that would become the standard in designs for decades. Mouth guards have been a standard piece of sports equipment ever since those days, and remain one of the most critical parts of any sports-person’s kit.
As the technology advanced, they found more and more uses for this technology, including their serving to help those with a tendency to grind their teeth from damaging their teeth in their sleep.
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Post by pennmom on Sept 6, 2021 21:14:29 GMT
Labor Day – September 6, 2021 ~ U.S.
Summer’s final fling has arrived in the form of Labor Day. Yes, most of us get the day off, but this holiday triggers mixed emotions. While summer still has 21 calendar days left, it’s time to get serious. School’s starting and there’s a sense that summer vacation is over. So what’s behind Labor Day — and how did it earn a place as a federal holiday?
Let’s take a look.
WHEN IS LABOR DAY 2021? Labor Day always falls on the first Monday in September, which means anywhere from September 1 through September 7. This year it's September 6 in the U.S. and Canada. However, this is not the case for most countries — the majority of which celebrate on May 1.
HISTORY OF LABOR DAY Do you get weekends off work? Lunch breaks? Paid vacation? An eight-hour workday? Social security? If you said “yes” to any of these questions, you can thank labor unions and the U.S. labor movement for it. Years of hard-fought battles (and the ensuing legislation they inspired) resulted in many of the most basic benefits we enjoy at our jobs today. On the first Monday in September, we take the day off to celebrate Labor Day and reflect on the American worker’s contributions to our country.
LABOR DAY HISTORY
There’s disagreement over how the holiday began. One version is set in September 1882 with the Knights of Labor, the largest and one of the most important American labor organizations at the time. The Knights in New York City held a public parade featuring various labor organizations on September 5 — with the aid of the fledgling Central Labor Union (CLU) of New York. Subsequently, CLU Secretary Matthew Maguire proposed that a national Labor Day holiday be held on the first Monday of each September to mark this successful public demonstration.
In another version, Labor Day in September was proposed by Peter J. McGuire, a vice president of the American Federation of Labor. In spring 1882, McGuire reportedly proposed a “general holiday for the laboring classes” to the CLU, which would begin with a street parade of organized labor solidarity and end with a picnic fundraiser for local unions. McGuire suggested the first Monday in September as an ideal date for Labor Day because the weather is great at that time of year, and it falls between July 4th and Thanksgiving. Oregon became the first U.S. state to make it an official public holiday. 29 other states had joined by the time the federal government declared it a federal holiday in 1894.
Maguire or McGuire? Read more on this unusual coincidence in our FAQs below.
WHAT IS THE HAYMARKET AFFAIR?
On May 4, 1886 — at a time when most American laborers worked 18 or even 20 hours a day — tens of thousands of workers protested in cities all across the U.S. to demand an eight-hour workday. Police in Chicago attacked both those peaceful protests and a workers planning meeting two days later, randomly beating and shooting at the planning group and killing six. When outraged Chicagoans attended an initially peaceful protest the next evening in Haymarket Square, police advanced on the crowd again. Someone who was never identified detonated a bomb that killed a police officer, leading cops to open fire on protesters and provoke violence that led to the deaths of about a dozen workers and police.
THE PULLMAN STRIKE
Ironically, Chicago was also the setting for the bloody Pullman Strike of 1894, which catalyzed the establishment of an official Labor Day holiday in the U.S. on the first Monday of September.
The strike happened in May in the company town of Pullman, Chicago, a factory location established by luxury railroad car manufacturer the Pullman Company. The inequality of the town was more than apparent. Company owner George Pullman lived in a mansion while most laborers stayed in barracks-style dormitories. When a nationwide depression struck in 1893, Pullman decided to cut costs the way a lot of executives at the time did — by lowering wages by almost 30% while he kept the rent on the dormitories he leased to his workers at pre-depression levels.
RAILROAD BOYCOTT
These conditions ultimately led workers to strike on May 11, 1894. The walkout gained the support of the nationwide American Railroad Union (ARU), which declared that ARU members would no longer work on trains that included Pullman cars. That national boycott would end up bringing the railroads west of Chicago to a standstill and led to 125,000 workers across 29 railroad companies quitting their jobs rather than breaking the boycott.
When the Chicago railroad companies hired strikebreakers as replacements, strikers also took various actions to stop the trains. The General Managers Association, which represented local railroad companies, countered by inducing U.S. Attorney General Richard Olney, a former railroad attorney, to intervene. Indianapolis federal courts granted Olney an injunction against the strike, a move that allowed President Grover Cleveland to send in federal troops to break it up.
A few days later, Cleveland realized that he had to act quickly to appease the country’s increasingly agitated labor movement. But he didn’t want to commemorate the Haymarket incident with a May holiday that would invoke radical worker sentiment. So Cleveland harkened back to the first established September 1882 holiday and signed into law that Labor Day in the U.S. would be celebrated on the first Monday in September.
LABOR DAY VS. MAY DAY
Communist and socialist factions worldwide eventually chose May 1 as the date to mark the Haymarket affair. A 1904 conference issued a plea that trade unions stage rallies on the first day of May — demanding to make the eight-hour workday standard. They organized the action in the name of “universal peace.” The 1st of May is a national, public holiday in many countries across the world, generally known as “Labour Day,” “International Workers’ Day,” or a similar name – although some countries celebrate a Labor Day on other dates significant to them, such as Canada, which celebrates Labor Day, like the U.S., on the first Monday of September.
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Post by pennmom on Sept 7, 2021 11:13:21 GMT
Another Look Unlimited Day – September 7, 2021 ~ U.S.
The perfect time to clean out your closet is Another Look Unlimited Day, which occurs on the day after every Labor Day — September 7 this year. This is the best opportunity to go through your belongings and take another look — literally. Rake through your clutter and see what’s fit to reuse, gift, donate, or even sell.
HISTORY OF ANOTHER LOOK UNLIMITED DAY Some say you never truly appreciate something until you take another look at it, and this applies to most situations. Having another look can open your eyes to new outlooks and perspectives you never previously took into consideration. This is all Another Look Unlimited Day is all about!
Although the history of the day itself cannot accurately be traced at the moment, there have always been an infinite amount of ways to view different scenarios, ideas, and apparently, even our personal belongings. It is human nature to collect things as we live our lives and go through experiences. However, these items don’t all necessarily remain essential parts of our daily lives, and soon become nothing more than a memory, or even worse, clutter. We definitely are all guilty of this. However, this doesn’t mean the things we consider junk cannot become treasures for someone else.
This is where Another Look Unlimited Day comes in handy. It encourages us to actively go through the stuff we have piled up over time, and give them a look over. Think spring meets fall cleaning! We get to clean out our closets, attics, and basements, see what items can be reused, those that could make a nice gift to someone else, those that can be donated to people that may need it, and even possibly all those that can be dusted up and sold for some extra cash.
Take the time out to go through some of that abandoned clutter in your home, and give some items a new purpose. Another Look Unlimited Day occurs annually and is the day after Labor Day.
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Post by pennmom on Sept 7, 2021 11:16:19 GMT
Brazil Independence Day – September 7, 2021 ~ Other
Brazil celebrates Independence Day on September 7 — or as they say in Brazil — Sete de Setembro! The Regent Prince, Dom Pedro, son of the Portuguese king, Dom João VI, was authorized to rule if the king either died or returned to Portugal. Upon his father’s return to Portugal in 1821, Dom Pedro took over, eventually declaring allegiance with Brazil. Brazilian independence was officially proclaimed September 22, 1822 (although now Independence Day is celebrated on September 7).
After independence, the monarchy remained until it was later overthrown. During celebrations today, the streets are full of patriotic Brazilians waving flags and banners. There’s also singing and dancing among and friends. Viva Brazil!
WHEN IS BRAZIL INDEPENDENCE DAY 2021? The Independence Day of Brazil, or ‘Sete de Setembro,’ is celebrated on September 7.
HISTORY OF BRAZIL INDEPENDENCE DAY Brazil’s history is a complex tale of politics and power. Before the Europeans arrived, Brazil was populated with Stone-Age tribes. Not much is known about these settlements as there isn’t a lot of written evidence about their lifestyle. The Portuguese landed in 1500 and Brazil was claimed by Pedro Álvares Cabral as a colony of Portugal. In 1532, São Vicente was established as the first permanent Portuguese settlement and, in 1549, Salvador was declared as the first capital of Brazil. It became a major port for sugarcane and slaves. Slaves were brought in from Africa to do labor work and, through battles and wars, Brazil was able to expand. The Portuguese took over Rio de Janeiro by defeating the French and captured several Dutch and British extensions.
Napoleon was attempting to conquer Europe during the early 1800s. In his absence, French troops invaded Lisbon. Prince Regent John VI set up the Portuguese Royal Court in Rio de Janeiro to avoid being disposed of.
From 1808, the Portuguese king ruled his vast empire from Rio de Janeiro. After the Independence War ended, Brazil declared its independence and ceased to be a Portuguese colony in 1822, becoming the Empire of Brazil. Until 1831, Pedro I ruled, giving up his throne to his five-year-old son, Pedro II. Years of rebellion followed this. After a military coup in 1889, the Brazilian Republic was established and Pedro II was expelled. The territory was renamed the Republic of the United States of Brazil and was renamed again to the Federative Republic of Brazil in 1967.
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Post by pennmom on Sept 7, 2021 11:19:27 GMT
Google Commemoration Day – September 7, 2021 ~ U.S.
We celebrate Google Commemoration Day on September 7 each year. Google is a search engine created as a research project at Stanford University to locate files on the internet. What differentiates Google from its competitors and keeps it in the pole position among search engines is its page ranking system. This system sorts results according to relevance and helps people find answers to virtually everything. Despite its reputation as a premium search engine, Google offers several services such as Google Maps to make life much easier.
HISTORY OF GOOGLE COMMEMORATION DAY Sometime in January of 1996, Stanford University Ph.D. students Sergey Brin and Larry Page began a research project. This project involved creating a search engine, this project would turn out to be the origin of what we now know as Google.
They developed an algorithm tagged “PageRank.” Its job was to identify the relationships between websites. It then assigned a relevance value to a site based on the number of links it had to others. This was in contrast with other search engines that assigned relevance based on the number of times the search term appeared on the page.
Originally called BackRub, they chose the name Google (a misspelling of “googol”) because it represents the number 1 followed by 100 zeros. This symbolizes Google’s commitment to providing information and the infinite nature of information on the web.
In 1997, the domain name for Google was registered on September 15. With over $1 million raised by investors, they were incorporated in 1998. On September 7, they set up shop in California; the date becoming Google Commemoration Day. During that period, Google was responding to over 10,000 queries per day.
The company grew and moved its base of operations to Palo Alto, California in 1999. They relocated to their current headquarters in Mountain View California in 2003. At this point, Google was fielding over three million search queries per day. The main office known as the Googleplex is famous for its informal work environment and innovative style.
Google expanded over time from a search engine, providing wide-ranging services including Google Mail, Google Docs, and Google Drive. Alphabet Inc. was created in 2015 as a result of restructuring within the company, with Google becoming the main subsidiary. Despite facing criticism on topics such as privacy issues and search neutrality there is no denying the influence of Google in today’s digital world.
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Post by pennmom on Sept 7, 2021 11:22:16 GMT
Grandma Moses Day – September 7, 2021 ~ U.S.
Grandma Moses Day on September 7 each year celebrates the talented artist Anna Mary Robertson Moses, better known as Grandma Moses. Born on the same day in 1860, the observance pays homage to an artist who remains an inspiration to people starting careers late in life. Despite her advanced age, she defied the odds and set out to become one of the most celebrated artists of her time.
HISTORY OF GRANDMA MOSES DAY Anna Mary Robertson became Anna Mary Robertson Moses in 1887 when she wedded Thomas Moses. She tried her hand at painting in her 50s, but only kicked into gear when she was in her 70s. She moved over to painting when arthritis robbed her of the ability to handle her embroidery needles.
In 1960, Nelson Rockefeller — then New York Governor, declared September 7 as the official Grandma Moses Day as she reached the 100-year mark.
Grandma Moses was a self-taught artist, depicting images from her upbringing; peaceful scenes of farmsteads and rural life. Her painting style was primitive as a result. Grandma Moses’ works depicting country life were quite popular. She began selling them at a local drugstore for about $10.
It wasn’t until 1938, that art collector Louis Caldor, would happen upon the drugstore and buy all her paintings. Caldor was able to include Grandma Moses in a folk art show at the Museum of Modern Art, thereby launching her career. Her paintings were displayed in New York the following year and began selling across Europe and North America.
Moses soon gained a large following across the globe. Sometime in the 1950s, her exhibitions shattered worldwide attendance records. She went on to feature on the front cover of LIFE magazine in 1960 when she clocked 100.
Grandma Moses had her paintings adopted on Christmas cards in 1946, bringing her works to a larger audience. She would go on to create thousands of paintings before her death in 1961 at the age of 101. Today we celebrate the life of an icon and how she has inspired generations to reach for the stars even regardless of their age.
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Post by pennmom on Sept 7, 2021 11:25:11 GMT
International Day of Clean Air – September 7, 2021 ~ World
Get ready to breathe easier on the International Day of Clean Air — September 7 — a time to recognize the amount of work that must be done to reduce the effects of smog, smoke, airborne chemicals like excessive CO₂, and other forms of harmful air pollution. It’s estimated that about seven million people worldwide die from diseases related to unclean air each year. And according to U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres, nine out of ten people regularly breathe polluted air.
HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL DAY OF CLEAN AIR In a document compiled and presented at the U.N.’s 74th General Assembly and adopted on December 19, 2019, the following text addresses clean air, which is only a tiny part of the whole resolution. “…[C]lean air is important for the health and day-to-day lives of people … [and] air pollution is the single greatest environmental risk to human health and one of the main avoidable causes of death and disease globally.”
The resolution also stresses the importance of across-borders cooperation, since air pollution does not respect political boundaries, and it emphasizes that green solutions like electric and hybrid cars are becoming more and more affordable. World leaders have enthusiastically recognized the day and its meaning.
Moon Jae-in, President of the Republic of Korea, was quoted in September of 2020 as saying, “I am very pleased to celebrate the first International Day of Clean Air for blue skies, which was adopted at the UN General Assembly last year. I hope this event [will] help enhance global public awareness of … transboundary air pollution and provides [sic] an important milestone in the global efforts to harness solution-based actions for cleaner air.”
According to the Geneva Environment Network, poor air quality has implications for a wide range of human rights, including the rights to life, health, water, food, housing and an adequate standard of living. Air pollution also clearly violates the right to a healthy and sustainable environment. However, air pollution is also a preventable problem. The benefits of fulfilling the right to breathe clean air for all humanity are incalculable!
Science shows there are numerous health and psychological benefits to breathing clean, fresh air. It helps clear our lungs, gives us more energy and mental focus, lowers our blood pressure and heart rate, helps us heal faster and even can improve our digestions. The United Nations recognition of the difference in air quality and the intention to do more to purify the air we breathe is important both symbolically and in a practical sense. Together, on the International Day of Clean Air and beyond, we can all take part in that action.
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Post by pennmom on Sept 7, 2021 13:23:50 GMT
National Acorn Squash Day – September 7, 2021 ~ U.S.
Have you ever thought of squash on a cool summer day, and no, we aren’t talking about the sport, we’re talking about National Acorn Squash Day on September 7. Acorn squash is also known as pepper squash or Des Moines squash and it is a water squash that is occasionally considered a summer squash, belonging to the same species as zucchinis and crookneck squash. Its vibrant color and sweet taste make for an appealing carb option, and it’s not only delicious but also packed with nutrients.
HISTORY OF NATIONAL ACORN SQUASH DAY Most fruits always seem to have that balance of satisfying your sweet tooth, while supplying your body with a bounty of nutrients. The squash is one of the fruits that possess that quality effortlessly. However, today isn’t the celebration of just any squash, but the acorn squash in particular.
Acorn squash is indigenous to North and Central America and was introduced to early European settlers by Native Americans. It is a type of winter squash that belongs to the Cucurbitaceae or gourd , which also includes , butternut squash, and zucchini. The acorn squash resembles an acorn, usually weighs between one to two pounds, and grows between four and seven inches long. It varies in color from dark green to white. However, the most commonly grown varieties are dark green and often have a patch of bright orange towards the top.
Acorn squash has sweet, yellow-orange flesh that has a slightly nutty flavor. It can be baked, microwaved, sautéed, or steamed. Some cooks like to stuff it with rice, meat, cheeses, or vegetable mixtures. You can also toast the seeds of the acorn squash much like seeds. It is also a good source of dietary fiber and potassium, as well as smaller amounts of vitamins C and B, magnesium, and manganese. It is difficult to trace the origin of the celebration, but National Acorn Squash Day is celebrated every September 7.
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Post by pennmom on Sept 7, 2021 13:25:38 GMT
National Beer Lovers Day – September 7, 2021 ~ U.S.
Let’s all sing, “99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall,” because it’s National Beer Lovers Day on September 7. Time to break out those German steins, decorative pitchers and very cool beer bottles.
Beer and the process of brewing beer goes back to ancient times in cultures the world over. The crafting of beer carries rich traditions, often requiring years of training and experience in the trade while the methods, grains, and flavors continue to change and evolve over time. Becoming a brewmaster can take years of fine-tuning the skills to make an exemplary beer or even an ale. One sure requirement is a love of beer and the craft. Today, fill your glass with an ice-cold, frothy beer and savor every gulp!
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Post by pennmom on Sept 7, 2021 13:27:46 GMT
National Grateful Patient Day – September 7, 2021 ~ U.S.
National Grateful Patient Day is on September 7, and it serves as the best day to show our healthcare workers the appreciation they deserve. The day is also focused on the families and caregivers of anyone receiving life-giving medical care and, additionally, the courageous patients who are grateful to be alive. Healthcare professionals have been there as long as medicine has, and we can never truly thank them enough.
HISTORY OF NATIONAL GRATEFUL PATIENT DAY Healthcare workers go above and beyond for our sake, and although we often overlook it, they are one of the most essential parts of our community at large. There really isn’t a lot we can say or do to reward the saved lives, care, and treatments they give us, however, a day like this gives us an opening to at least try. Life-giving care especially impacts the caregivers and patients in an irreplaceable way.
The Grateful Patient Project is a non-profit organization that was founded by former NFL kicker and Man of the Year Rolf Benirschke, in 2017. It provides a platform for patients to share their stories of gratitude for the healthcare providers, medicines, procedures, and institutions that supported them through illness and changed their lives.
Benirschke was in his third season with the San Diego Chargers in 1978 when he collapsed from ulcerative colitis. He required two emergency surgeries within six days and spent almost six weeks in the intensive care unit fighting for his life. He survived, returned to the NFL on September 7, 1980, to play seven more seasons with the San Diego Chargers, and became the first NFL player ever to wear an ostomy appliance.
Benirschke came through the ordeal committed to spending his life advocating on behalf of patients and was inspired to create the organization as an expression of gratitude to those who supported him through years of medical challenges. National Grateful Patient Day on September 7 celebrates the strong patients that overcome seemingly impossible challenges and the medical workers that are always willing to render a helping hand.
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Post by pennmom on Sept 7, 2021 13:30:26 GMT
National Neither Snow Nor Rain Day – September 7, 2021~U.S.
National Neither Snow Nor Rain Day is on September 7, and it’s a special day for us to say a little to our postal service workers. They have been of service to us for decades, and through those years, have been steadfast in delivering our precious parcels. The seemingly strange name for the day comes from the unofficial motto of the United States Postal service, “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”
HISTORY OF NATIONAL NEITHER SNOW NOR RAIN DAY U.S. Postal service workers are one of the most dedicated and loyal service teams that exist, and that impression comes from their willpower to make sure packages are sent out and delivered with safe hands, and regardless of any obstacles.
National Neither Snow Nor Rain Day is certainly a mouthful and a weirdly crafted name, but its history begins at the unofficial creed of the United States Postal Service, “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” The phrase’s association with the U.S. Mail originated with its inscription on New York City’s General Post Office Building, which opened in 1914. It was derived from a passage in George Herbert Palmer’s translation of Herodotus’ Histories, referring to the courier service of the ancient Persian Empire.
The day is observed on September 7, because that was the day New York City opened its main post office, the James A. Farley building, in 1914. The building is located in Manhattan, New York, and formerly serves as the city’s main United States Postal Service (USPS) branch. It was known as the Pennsylvania Terminal until 1918 when it was renamed the General Post Office Building. The building was made a New York City designated landmark in 1966 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. It was officially renamed in 1982 after James Farley, the 53rd Postmaster General.
Postal workers and post offices have an even longer history in the United States. Benjamin Franklin became the first Postmaster General in 1775. In 1847 the first postage stamps were issued, and in 1863, during the Civil War, free city delivery began.
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Post by pennmom on Sept 7, 2021 13:32:27 GMT
National Salami Day – September 7, 2021~U.S.
National Salami Day is on September 7, and is the perfect day to have an ‘all you can meat buffet’. Whether it’s in your sandwich or on top of your pizza, salami always serves as an amazing addition to a dish. It can easily be traced as far back as the period of fermentation and is loved for its bounty of variations in terms of flavor, meat types, preservation techniques, and even processing methods.
HISTORY OF NATIONAL SALAMI DAY It’s a lean, mean, cured, and fermented machine, it’s world-famous, contains many health benefits, and takes on different personalities; it’s salami! This spicy, air-dried sausage is a deli and butcher shop favorite and has been around long enough for its origin to become difficult to trace. Salami is mostly made of pork but can be made from beef, wild boar, goose, venison, or even duck for unique variations.
Historically, salami was popular among Southern, Eastern, and Central European peasants, but has now become easily tied to Italy and the Mediterranean. It can be stored at room temperature for up to 40 days once cut, and countries and regions across Europe make their own traditional varieties of salami. The word “salami” itself is the plural of the Italian word ‘salame’, which originated from the Italian word for salt.
Along with the taste variations of salami, methods, recipes, and even fermentation times differ across the globe. Typically, salami is made by grinding meat to a fine texture and then flavored by adding spices or herbs. Some of the most popular flavorings include garlic, white pepper, vinegar, and even wine. The meat blend is then air-cured in either pork or beef casing and is aged between 30 to 90 days or longer.
While salami’s beginnings are uncertain, the Romans may have introduced methods used today. The Salami Appreciation Society organized the National Salami Day, and it was first celebrated in the year 2006 in Henrico and Virginia. Ever since then, it has been celebrated on September 7 annually.
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pennmom
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Post by pennmom on Sept 7, 2021 13:35:17 GMT
Telephone Tuesday – September 7, 2021~U.S.
Picture coming into the office after a long weekend, and you look at your phone only to find that your voicemail is positively bursting. Overwhelmed yet? Don’t be. September 7 is officially a day notorious for surprisingly, more phone calls than usual. Making itself heard just after Labor Day, Telephone Tuesday is a trendy holiday created based on a clear spike in telephone calls to businesses and organization. The high number of calls usually flood in partly due to unmanned telephones during the long weekend. Makes sense, right? Then comes the many schools which open after Labor Day weekend, blended with the holiday season fast approaching. In addition, it’s been uncovered that organized folks attempt to tackle their to do lists on this day too and so inbound calls rise up to 50% on the day. These consumers are concerned about setting up arrangements pivotal to their lives and making purchases, and so a phone call to them, means assurance. Telephone Tuesday is now known as a powerful business tool and the telephone is known as a great instrument for trade. Very close to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, this day is caught amongst the madness of the busy season.
WHEN IS TELEPHONE TUESDAY 2021? Ring ring ring goes the telephone on Telephone Tuesday on September 7.
HISTORY OF TELEPHONE TUESDAY The invention of the telephone goes way back to the 1880’s and is widely understood to have first been invented by Alexander Graham Bell. However, it is said that the telephone had been in development since the 1660’s but there’s no clear indication as to by whom. They weren’t actually called telephones at first. Phones were called Mechanical Acoustic Devices because they simply transmitted voice data instead of audio. The first known conversation on the telephone was between Alexander Graham Bell and his assistant on March 10, 1876. He spoke into a telephone and said ‘‘Mr Watson, come here, I want to see you.’’
The first ever phone users, used to use the same opening to talk and listen, as there was only one wire for receiving and transmitting your voice. Soon, telephone operators were required to assist and to connect more calls. Women became the majority of staff in telephone exchange jobs, as many young men were proving to enjoy pranks too often while connecting calls, and lines were not being connected successfully.
In 1982, a man named Almon Brown Stowger who was previously an undertaker, invented an automatic telephone exchange company due to his frustration. He was having difficulty with local telephone operators sending his calls to his competitor all the time. His company then worked with the ‘‘British Post Offices’’ in 1912, landing a contract with the British telephone system. Regardless, some people were still using manual exchange phone calls up until 1976 in places like Scotland. By 1973, the mobile phone had arrived by Motorola and it weighed 2 kilograms! Ten years later in 1983, Motorola released the DynaTAC 8000X which cost $4,000 and had a battery life of 30 minutes.
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Post by pennmom on Sept 7, 2021 13:37:50 GMT
Texas Energy Savings Day – September 7, 2021~U.S.
Texas Energy Savings Day is celebrated on September 7. The majority of Texans are overpaying for their electricity, and with so many complicated plans and bills, many Texans don’t even realize it. By staying on top of their energy contracts and learning how to better understand their bill, Texans have the opportunity to reduce their electricity bills — sometimes massively. Combine responsible electricity shopping with better household habits, and Texans have a lot to save!
HISTORY OF TEXAS ENERGY SAVINGS DAY How did it get to this?
Texas has an annual energy consumption equal to that of Great Britain and Spain. This is one of the reasons why electricity deregulation in Texas was signed into law in 1999 under Texas Senate Bill 7. The law went into effect in 2002, officially ending the state’s regulation and control of the electricity supply. The goal was to open the market for electricity providers to create more competition and give Texans the ability to choose their own provider and plan.
Although this move was initially intended to reduce electricity prices for Texans, it has become more apparent in recent years that deregulation has had the opposite effect.
So, why are Texans now paying more? The main reason is that in order for the power of the market to result in the most competitive rates, people need to consistently shop around for the best plans. Otherwise, their contracts expire. Once a contract expires, you are automatically placed on a month-to-month plan, where providers can change your electricity rate each month. Surprise: these rates are usually much higher than contract rates! The worst part? Many people don’t even realize they are being charged higher than the market average — sometimes more than double the market average!
That doesn’t seem right. Unfortunately, it’s true. Plans offered are intentionally confusing, and bills aren’t much easier to understand. In addition to this, many Texans just want something simple. Trying to shop around for a new contract every year or two is just too much work.
That’s where Texas Power Switch comes in! The Texas Power Switch is on a mission to help Texans find easy access to fair, competitive, and transparent electricity plans. And, they believe it should be easy. This is why the Texas Power Switch created this holiday — to once and for all bring awareness to the electricity market and help Texans find fair plans and easy habits to reduce their energy bills.
The Texas winter storm of February 2021 was the straw that broke the camel’s back. It left millions of Texans without electricity for a full week after the state’s electric grid operator lost control of the power supply. Many Texans who were not in fixed-rate contract plans were left with astronomical electricity bills. This fuelled a debate around whether Texas’ energy deregulation was the cause of this disaster, since local utilities had neglected their facilities and failed to do the necessary upgrades.
Who is the Texas Power Switch? Texas Power Switch is part of iChoosr, a company of independent experts who have already assisted 2.6 million people around the world with switching to a better power supply, saving them over $860 million dollars in energy costs. In 2017, iChoosr brought their successful solution to Texas in the form of Texas Power Switch to give Texans an opportunity to get informed and celebrate the benefits of a fixed-rate plan aimed at delivering substantial savings on their electricity bills.
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pennmom
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Post by pennmom on Sept 7, 2021 13:55:05 GMT
Superhuman Day – September 7, 2021~World
For many years, those who have faced the challenges of disability in all its forms have dealt with a stigma that was forced upon them. Society has often treated these individuals as if they were somehow less capable of doing amazing and, dare we say it, Superhuman things.
Rather than thinking of people who have overcome disabilities as “less than”, perhaps the world would benefit from thinking of them as something far beyond average. Perhaps they are really and truly Superhuman!
Superhuman Day celebrates and brings awareness to the thousands of athletes, musicians, artists, and everyday people who have overcome what was once perceived as a crippling limitation and gone on to prove that “Yes I Can”
It’s time to learn about and celebrate Superhuman Day!
HISTORY OF SUPERHUMAN DAY Superhuman Day was the brainchild of the fantastic people at Channel 4, a British free to air television network that is dedicated to providing programming that is of distinctive and high quality.
To highlight the incredible athletes at the Summer Paralympic Games in 2016, Channel 4 took the place of the official broadcaster for the Paralympics for the second time, and immediately decided to start bringing these unsung heroes and champions of the great human achievements into the limelight.
It all started with their advertising campaign “We’re The Superhumans”, featuring 140 unique people with disabilities who are working to change society’s attitudes towards them. And, to be honest, people who have ‘bionic’ limbs or can use wheels for legs probably should be considered somehow beyond human!
The Paralympics have been running since 1948, although they weren’t called that then. This athletic event was originally put together to give World War II Veteran Patients with Spinal Injuries a chance to compete. At that time, the games were called the “1948 International Wheelchair games”.
But a few years later, in 1960, the Paralympics were officially established, and no longer simply open to WWII disabled veterans. In that event, 400 athletes from 23 countries competed, which quickly grew to 1600 athletes from 40 countries a few years later in 1976.
One of the most important and memorable events of the Paralympics occurred in 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. That year, the Paralympics were held immediately after the Olympic Summer Games, both in the same host city and using the same facilities. How exciting for the Paralympics participants to know they were following in the footsteps of the Olympians who had competed in that same space just prior to their own events!
In 2001, the International Paralympic Committee and the International Olympic Committee cemented this practice as tradition, and so it has been continued ever since.
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pennmom
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Post by pennmom on Sept 7, 2021 13:57:19 GMT
Buy A Book Day – September 7, 2021~U.S.
TV and movies have taken over our lives these days. That’s not to say that watching certain TV shows or movies is a waste of our time—there are many well-made, thought-provoking things to be watched. And of course, thanks to Kindle, carrying even multiple books around at the same time has become infinitely easier and more practical. Still, however, it is a bit sad how the the old-fashioned art of reading a regular paper book seems to be slowly fading away into the past. It sometimes seems as though children today do not even know the scent of an old book, a book that has touched the lives of so many, and how wonderful it can be to settle down on the couch with such a book on a rainy day and disappear into the world it creates. Buy a Book Day was created for the purpose of reminding people how much joy simple black print on a white background can bring when it awakens your imagination and transports you far away.
HISTORY OF BUY A BOOK DAY Buy a Book Day was created in 2012 to educate people to the importance of books to our culture and civilisation as w whole. It is inarguable that books have been one of the greatest contributors to the advancement of the human race, by moving the hearts of many over the ages, stimulating their imaginations and helping them see the world in an entirely different light. Books have also served the simple but vital purpose of passing knowledge down from generation to generation. The creators of Buy a Book Day want nothing more than for people take a moment to truly appreciate books and their numerous roles in the human experience.
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