OCTOBER 16: NATIONAL DICTIONARY DAY
National Dictionary Day commemorates the birthday of Noah Webster, the father of the dictionary we Americans know it today. Noah Webster, was born in 1758, in Hartford, CT. He came from a typical, middle-class colonial family. At 16, Noah set off for Yale, CT’s first college. Law was too expensive to pursue, so he chose teaching. Then he began to reform the burgeoning American academic system and language. His first textbook, in 1783, covered the grammar of the English language. Because its cover was blue, it was known as the “blue-backed speller.” In its time, it became the most popular book in America.
Refining teaching English and the education system wasn’t enough for Noah. He believed the US “should be as independent in literature as she is in politics.” In 1801 he began to define many of the terms that set American English apart from the language in England. Webster believed English spelling rules were unnecessarily complicated. In his dictionary, he introduced American English spellings. Example: “musick” became “music” (though, of course, he never dreamed there’d one day be “muzak”). Webster also replaced “colour” with “color,” “waggon” with “wagon,” and “centre” wit “center.” And he added American words such as “skunk” and “squash,” not included in British dictionaries. Some of his changes failed to catch on, however. Example: dropping the silent “e” at the end of words such as “imagine”
Webster’s first dictionary defined 37,000 words. In 1806, he produced A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language, but did not stop there. To evaluate the etymology of words, Webster learned 26 languages, including Old English (Anglo-Saxon), German, Greek, Latin, Italian, Spanish, French, Hebrew, Arabic, and Sanskrit. The next 22 years were dedicated to editing and adding new words. Eventually, in 1828, at the age of 70, Webster published his new dictionary of 70,000 words — 12,000 had never before appeared in a published dictionary. Webster took a phonetic approach in the development of his dictionary, even though that word didn't appear in his final tome. However, of the 70,000 entries, the word “phonics” is included. The dictionary sold 2500 copies. In 1840, the second edition published in 2 volumes.
After Webster’s death in 1843, the G&C Merriam, Co. purchased the rights to his An American Dictionary of the English Language. Merriam continued to refine Webster’s dictionary, eventually producing the Merriam-Webster Dictionary we know today.
But Noah Webster was not just a word maven. He was also a supporter of both the abolition of slavery and universal education. And, in his spare time, he helped found Amherst College.
OCTOBER 17: INFORMATION OVERLOAD DAY
As the name suggests, Information Overload Day is for taking a step back from the amount of information we’re faced with daily. From social media and online news to emails and text messages, we’re constantly bombarded with information. On this day: take a break!
Information Overload Day was created by Jonathan Spira in 2009 when his research firm, Basex, cited information overload as their “Problem of the Year.” As a way to generate more awareness about the issue, the company held “Information Overload Awareness Day” on August 12. Because many people tend to be on vacation in August — i.e. not overloaded with information — the day moved to October in 2010.
Both scientists and historians estimate the average modern person has to mentally process thousands of more pieces of information than people did in the past. We are so connected to the internet, a computer, and a smartphone. New information continually comes in through emails, text messages, instant messages, social media, and websites. With so much, less time is spent on each piece, and relevant information — like Kendal’s Residents Website — gets clouded by the not-so-necessary or less-important. It becomes difficult to sift through it all, and people become overwhelmed and overloaded. They have a harder time processing, making decisions, and completing tasks. There’s little time to reflect, think, and generate new ideas.
The pressure to know and be known is something we all face on a daily basis. Information Overload Day is a reminder to disconnect and go back to basics.
OCTOBER 18: NATIONAL CHOCOLATE CUPCAKE DAY
National Chocolate Cupcake Day celebrates the sweetness and joy of small chocolate cakes. With a dollop of frosting, one sweet serving satisfies chocolate and cake lovers.
A recipe for chocolate cupcakes was first found in 1796 in Amelia Simmons’ American Cookery cookbook, where it called for “a cake to be baked in small cups.” Since then, the cupcake has grown into a worldwide craze and dessert staple. While Simmon’s cookbook provided the first recipe, the earliest known in-print use of the term “cupcake” was in 1828 in Eliza Leslie's Seventy-five Receipts for Pastry, Cakes, and Sweetmeats cookbook.
Cupcakes have also been called: fairy cakes, patty cakes, and cup cakes. That last one differs from “cupcakes.” A cupcake was baked in a container that looked like a cup. A cupcake’s recipe called for ingredients to be measured out by the cup, instead of being weighed (ala “pound cake”).
Bakers initially baked cupcakes in heavy pottery cups. Today cooks use individual ramekins, small coffee mugs, large teacups, or other small ovenproof pottery-type dishes. Of course, the most common cupcake tool is the muffin or cupcake pan, which includes multiple cups in one device.
Cupcakes use the same basic ingredients as regular cakes, topped with frosting and other decorations, and even filled. Today is a day for the popular chocolate variety of these treats!
The cupcake craze may have peaked in the mid-00s, with a famous Manhattan bakery making a cameo in the Sex and the City movie, but chocolate cupcakes still make appearances in every baking show, contest, or competition, and are a staple at the majority of office birthday or holiday parties. Whether you’re dozing off to the Great British Bake-Off, just trying to impress your friends, or in the Bistro, chocolate cupcakes have so joyously woven their way into our lives they deserve their own holiday.
OCTOBER 19: INTERNATIONAL GIN AND TONIC DAY
International Gin and Tonic Day, celebrating the cocktail, has been around for over 10 years. But the drink’s creation goes much further back. In the 17th century, Spanish explorers found the inhabitants of present-day Peru treating fevers with cinchona bark; quinine is its active ingredient. They brought the bark to Europe to treat malaria and found it also prevented the disease. Meanwhile — also in the 17th century — in Holland, a precursor to gin — genever — was created using juniper, as well as botanicals like coriander seed and star anise. The British learned of it when fighting on Dutch land during the Thirty Years’ War. They brought it home and the creation of gin followed.
Fast forward to 1857 when India became a British colony, and colonists, soldiers, and passers-through often had to deal with malaria, so they took quinine to help them survive. One problem was: quinine, a flavor component of tonic water, had a bitter taste. Soldiers began to mix the quinine/tonic mixture with sugar, lime, and gin. The combination became popular. Soldiers and other colonials took the drink back home, and soon people all over Great Britain — and all over the world — were enjoying gin and tonics. By WWI, gin and tonics were staples in British clubs and bars. In Post-WWII America, they became a favorite of the country club set. But they receded to the background when classic cocktails lessened in popularity in the 1970s and '80s, and when gin took a backseat to vodka as the clear spirit of choice.
Gin and tonic reemerged in the 21st century, and we celebrate it today on International Gin and Tonic Day, and to honor one of its great proponents, Mary Edith Keyburn, who passed away in a hospital at the age of 95, on October 19, 2010, with her favorite drink by her side. The gin and tonic had been smuggled in in a water bottle and was being served in a teacup. Two of Mary Edith's grandchildren came up with the idea for International Gin and Tonic Day, on which gin and tonics are toasted and drunk in Mary Edith's memory.
The International Gin and Tonic Day Facebook page hosts a virtual party each year. Participants post photos of themselves the drink on the Facebook page and note their country. Photos of celebrants from around the world illustrate the “international” nature of the day. Since 2010, the celebration has expanded to 25 countries.
OCTOBER 20: INTERNATIONAL SLOTH DAY
International Sloth Day is held on the third Saturday in October. Don’t be in too big of a hurry to celebrate these slow-moving mammals. Instead, hang out and have fun learning about these interesting mammals, native to South and Central America.
There are two different types of sloths. These include the two-toed and three-toed sloths. Among these, there are six species:
Pygmy three-toed sloth (critically endangered)
Maned sloth
Pale-throated sloth
Brown-throated sloth
Linnaeus’s two-toed sloth
Hoffman’s two-toed sloth
And here are some other interesting facts about sloths:
Sloths are great swimmers and can hold their breath for up to 40 minutes underwater.
Sloths only go to the bathroom once a week and when they do so, it’s in the same exact spot.
Algae and fungus grow on a sloth’s course thick fur.
Thanks to extra vertebrae in their spine, sloths can rotate their head 270 degrees in either direction.
Sloths have protruding finger bones that are four-inches long.
Sloths love their alone time and don’t spend a lot of time with other sloths.
On average, sloths live between 20 to 30 years.
Sloths mainly subsist on a vegetarian diet, eating leaves, shoots, and fruit.
A sloth’s stomach has four compartments and it takes up to a month to digest one meal.
Sloths mainly subsist on a vegetarian diet, eating leaves, shoots, and fruit.
What’s not to love?!
The sloth faces several of threats. When they periodically venture to the forest floor, they can do little to protect themselves from predators. That’s partially due to the fact that their limbs are adapted only for hanging and grasping, not for supporting their weight. Muscles make up only 25 to 30 percent of their total body weight — compared to 40 to 45 percent for other mammals. Sloths’ health depends on our tropical rainforests — which remain at risk. The World Wildlife Fund works with communities, governments and companies to encourage sustainable forestry. Without them, sloths will lose their shelter and food source. The biggest threat that sloths face today is habitat destruction. They’re also targeted by the exotic pet trade and are killed by people who present them to tourists to have pictures taken with them.
International Sloth Day is all about admiring sloths. It raises awareness about them and aims to help preserve their habitat and keep them from being harmed. The day was created by AIUNAU, a non-profit foundation based in Columbia that focuses on wildlife and conservation. The day came out of the “first international meeting about the wellbeing, rehabilitation and conservation of sloths,” held in 2010 in Medellin, Columbia.
OCTOBER 21: NATIONAL PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE DAY
National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day ushers in the flavors of fall. Cheesecake is one of America's favorite desserts. By adding pumpkin we celebrate the essential flavoring of the season. Fall screams pumpkin — pumpkin pie, Halloween, pumpkin spiced latte, pumpkin-patch dates — and pumpkin cheesecake is yet another way to win any pumpkin-addicted American’s taste buds.
This sweet dessert mixes fresh soft cheese, cream cheese or cottage cheese, eggs, and sugar to create a base. The crust is made from crushed graham crackers, crushed cookies, pastry, or sponge cake. Pumpkin may be added to cheesecake recipes in various ways: swirled throughout, mixed thoroughly with all ingredients, or layered. Cheesecakes can be both baked or unbaked.
An ancient form of cheesecake may have been a popular dish in ancient Greece. The earliest attested mention of cheesecake is by the Greek physician Aegimus in the 5th century BC. He wrote a book on the art of making cheesecakes. This essentially consisted of cheese pounded with honey and flour, and cooked on an old-timey griddle. It was known as the plakous meaning flat mass.
The cheesecake was elevated in late medieval England, where it emerged with a tart-like pastry base. It spread rapidly across the region. Given its popularity in England, cheesecake soon made an appearance in American colonies. Cheesecake bakers here began to experiment with several different currants and spices as infusions, however, American cheesecake truly took a new form when cream cheese was introduced. James Kraft developed a form of pasteurized cream cheese in 1912. In 1928, Kraft acquired the Philadelphia trademark and marketed pasteurized Philadelphia Cream Cheese. Cream cheese made the base creamier and sturdier than it had ever been before. This new and improved cheesecake became all the rage in the 1930s when Arnold Reuben (the creator of the Reuben sandwich) introduced the “New York cheesecake.”
Now to the pumpkin part. Pumpkins are a type of winter squash native to North America. Historians consider it one of the oldest domesticated plants, going back 7,000 – 9,500 years.
Bakers have for quite a while been experimenting with different cheesecake flavorings and toppings — blueberry, strawberry, chocolate. The combination of pumpkin and cheesecake is a relatively new one, most likely started with by pumpkin spice craze Starbucks created in 2015. No one really knows when it reached cheesecake, National Pumpkin Cheese Cake Day is still a holiday to celebrate when an autumn kind of mood takes over.
OCTOBER 22: EAT A PRETZEL DAY
Eat a Pretzel Day is about indulging in this popular snack that comes soft or crunchy, sweet or salty, twisted into a knot or straight, large or small, salted or plain, served with mustard or cheese.
Pretzels may be the world's oldest snack. Legend has it that an Italian monk invented the soft variety in 610 AD when he rolled and baked thin strips of dough into the shape of arms folded in prayer, and gave them to children who learned their prayers. The monk called them pretiola, the Latin for “little reward,” and parents of the children called them brachiola, meaning “little arms.” When they made their way to Germany, they became known as bretzels. Around the same time, the Catholic Church adopted strict rules on fasting, which helped the popularity of pretzels grow. Since pretzels’ main ingredients are bread and water, they came to be seen as a penitent food in lieu of more-substantial meals. They became known as symbols of good luck. On New Year’s Day, German children have traditionally worn pretzels around their necks as good-luck charms.
Pretzel baking remains popular in Germany, particularly in the region of Franconia and surrounding areas. Many varieties are made for same-day consumption, sold in bakeries and in stands or booths on downtown streets. Often they’re sliced horizontally and buttered — known as “butterbrezel” — or are served with slices of cold meat or cheese. German soft pretzels are made with assorted flours like rye, spelt, or whole wheat, and are topped with melted cheese, bacon bits, or sunflower, pumpkin, caraway, sesame, or poppy seeds. Many local varieties of pretzels are made throughout Germany. In Bavaria, they are often served alongside the main dish, such as Weisswurst sausage.
Although Germany is the European country most associated with pretzels, the snack has left a mark on other countries. In 16th-century Austria, they were put on Christmas trees and were hidden on Easter morning along with hard-boiled eggs. The Swiss, who came up with the phrase “tying the knot,” use the pretzel in wedding ceremonies. Couples make a wish and break a pretzel, sort of like a wish bone (except highly edible).
Soft pretzels were introduced to North America in the late 18th/early 19th century by German immigrants, who (incorrectly) became known as the Pennsylvania Dutch. Handmade pretzel bakeries sprang up in the PA countryside. The popularity of soft pretzels spread. By the 20th century, soft pretzels were particularly popular in cities such as Philadelphia, New York, and Chicago. It was common to serve brown mustard alongside them in Philadelphia. Until the 1930s, soft pretzels were handmade, with workers being able to twist about 40 of them a minute. The Reading Pretzel Machinery Company introduced the first automatic pretzel machine in 1935. This meant large bakeries could make 245 pretzels a minute.
The hard pretzel seems to have originated in Lititz, PA, in 1850, baked by Julius Sturgis, who Sturgis, who opened the first commercial pretzel bakery 11 years later. By the 20th century, hard pretzels were being produced on a large scale, and were even more widespread by the 1930s and 1940s. Hard pretzels come in a variety of forms: shaped like miniature soft pretzels, braids, loops, and sticks. Thicker and longer sticks, known as Bavarian pretzels or pretzel rods, are also made. Hard pretzels may be dusted with salt or other toppings, or they may be coated with chocolate, yogurt, or something else.
Over $550 million worth of pretzels are sold in the US each year, 80% made in PA. The state is also first in consumption—Pennsylvanians eat about 12 pounds of pretzels a year per person while the average American eats close to 2 pounds per year. But on Eat a Pretzel Day, people everywhere eat pretzels. It’s the chance to catch up to Pennsylvanians.