Today is...

Burns Night

Tonight is Burns Night! The famous Scottish poet Robert (or “Rabbie”) Burns was born on January 25, 1759. Every year on the anniversary of his birth, people all across the world pay tribute to his legacy with a traditional Burns Night Supper.

Robert Burns rose from humble beginnings, wrote his first poem at the age of fifteen, and published his first book of verses, “Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect,” at the age of twenty-seven. He became instantly popular among the upper classes and was also celebrated as the poet of the common man. Perhaps one of his most famous contributions to modern-day culture is the song, “Auld Lang Syne”!

Some of the more colorful Burns Night traditions include: a bagpipe procession in honor of the haggis, men dressed in kilts, a designated whisky-bearer, recitations of Burns’ poetry, and a toast to the lassies.

Recite one of Rabbie’s verses, sing one of his songs, or try a bit of haggis to celebrate Scotland’s National Bard. Happy Burns Night! 

Today is also National Irish Coffee Day

This week is Sundance Film Festival & Slam Dance Week 

January is Get Organized Month & National Oatmeal Month

mages and text courtesy of MyPunchbowl.com" -- http://www.mypunchbowl.com/

History for January 25 1799 - Eliakim Spooner patented the seeding machine. 1890 - The United Mine Workers of America was founded. 1949 - The first Emmys were presented at the Hollywood Athletic Club. 1958 - Elvis Presley's "Jailhouse Rock" became the first single to ever enter the U.K. pop chart at #1. 1962 - Sam Cooke's "Twistin' the Night Away" was released. 1981 - The 52 Americans held hostage by Iran for 444 days arrived in the United States. 1998 - The Denver Broncos beat the Green Bay Packers 31-24 in Super Bowl XXXII. The Broncos had lost 3 previous Super Bowl appearances with quarterback John Elway.

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"To be successful, the first thing to do is fall in love with your work."

--Sister Mary Lauretta

Today is...

National Peanut Butter Day

It’s National Peanut Butter Day! Peanut butter is a staple in over 90% of American households and the average person consumes more than six pounds of peanut products each year. Women and children prefer creamy peanut butter, while most men go for the chunky variety. 

A doctor in St. Louis created peanut butter in 1890 as a remedy for bad teeth. It became very popular with the doctor's patients, but the oil often separated from the grainy solids. In 1933, a California packer was able to homogenize the peanuts into a spreadable butter.

Did you know that it takes 550 peanuts to make a 12 ounce jar of peanut butter? Peanuts are cholesterol free and an excellent source of protein. In fact, it’s the high protein content that causes peanut butter to stick to the roof of your mouth.

To celebrate National Peanut Butter Day, bake some peanut butter cookies, spread some tasty peanut butter on toast, or enjoy a spoonful right out of the jar!

Today is also National Compliment Day & Belly Laugh Day

January is Get Organized Month & National Oatmeal Month

mages and text courtesy of MyPunchbowl.com" -- http://www.mypunchbowl.com/

History for January 24 1924 - The Russian city of St. Petersburg was renamed Leningrad. The name has since been changed back to St. Petersburg. 1955 - The rules committee of major league baseball announced a plan to strictly enforce the rule that required a pitcher to release the ball within 20 seconds after taking his position on the mound. 1972 - The U.S. Supreme Court struck down laws that denied welfare benefits to people who had resided in a state for less than a year. 1978 - A nuclear-powered Soviet satellite plunged through Earth's atmosphere and disintegrated. The radioactive debris was scattered over parts of Canada's Northwest Territory.

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"The only way to avoid being miserable is not to have enough leisure to wonder whether you are happy or not."

--George Bernard Shaw

Today is...

Chinese New Year

Today is the first day of the Chinese New Year! The Chinese New Year, or Lunar New Year, begins with the first new moon of the year and ends with the full moon 15 days later. It is the most important holiday in China and millions of people travel home to be with their families.

The Chinese New Year is full of dragon dances, fireworks, feasts, gift-giving, and lantern festivals. Red is the traditional color of the holiday because it symbolizes luck and prosperity. Many families will paint their doors a bright scarlet to bring good fortune in the year to come.  

According to tradition, each year of the Chinese calendar is associated with one of the twelve zodiac signs: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, or pig.

Adorn your home with glowing paper lanterns, do a little house cleaning to sweep away any bad luck, and send warm wishes to your family and friends with a free Chinese New Year eCard! Happy Chinese New Year!

Today is also National Pie Day & National Handwriting Day

January is Get Organized Month & National Oatmeal Month

mages and text courtesy of MyPunchbowl.com" -- http://www.mypunchbowl.com/

History for January 23 1789 - Georgetown College was established as the first Catholic college in the U.S. The school is in Washington, DC. 1849 - English-born Elizabeth Blackwell became the first woman in America to receive a medical degree. It was from the Medical Institution of Geneva, NY. 1973 - U.S. President Nixon announced that an accord had been reached to end the Vietnam War. 1983 - "The A-Team" debuted on TV. 1985 - O.J. Simpson became the first Heisman Trophy winner to be elected to pro football’s Hall of Fame in Canton, OH. 1986 - The first annual induction ceremony for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was held in New York City.

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"To live means sharing one another’s space, dreams, sorrows, contributing our ears to hear, our eyes to see, our arms to hold, our hearts to love."

--Paul Tillich

Today is...

National Cheese Lover's Day

Today is National Cheese Lover’s Day! Did you know that the average American consumes about 31 pounds of cheese each year? That may seem like a lot, but for the average French person it’s 50 pounds!

There are more than 900 known cheeses in the world, and they can all be classified by texture. Here are the primary classifications and some examples: fresh cheese (ricotta); soft cheese (feta); semi-soft cheese (Fontina); semi-hard cheese (Gouda); hard cheese (Cheddar); double or triple crème cheese (Brillat-Savarin); blue cheese (Gorgonzola); washed rind cheese (Limburger); and bloomy rind cheese (Brie).

People have been making cheese for at least 8,000 years, so the cheeses we enjoy today are all relatively young by comparison. Take Emmental (also known as Swiss cheese), for example. It’s only been around since the first century BC!

Visit your local cheesemonger and pick up your favorite kind of artisan cheese or cook a cheesy dish for dinner tonight in honor of National Cheese Lover’s Day!

Today is also National Buttercrunch Day & Penguin Awareness Day

January is Get Organized Month & National Oatmeal Month

mages and text courtesy of MyPunchbowl.com" -- http://www.mypunchbowl.com/

History for January 20 1265 - The first English parliament met in Westminster Hall. 1841 - The island of Hong Kong was ceded to Great Britain. It returned to Chinese control in July 1997. 1885 - The roller coaster was patented by L.A. Thompson. 1929 - The movie "In Old Arizona" was released. The film was the first full-length talking film to be filmed outdoors. 1958 - Elvis Presley got his orders to report to duty from the U.S. Army. He was allowed a 60-day deferment so he could finish the film "King Creole." 1964 - The album "Meet the Beatles" was released in the U.S. on Capitol Records. It was their U.S. debut LP.

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"The good life is a process, not a state of being. It is a direction, not a destination."

--Carl Rogers