By Haddon Libby
Tired of the excess commercialism associated with Christmas this year? Fear not, many groups have made every other day in December a celebration of something else.
For example, you can celebrate the end of Prohibition on Repeal Day which occurs on December 5th. For those of you rusty on your history, at one point people thought that alcohol was the root of all problems and passed the 18th Amendment to our Constitution banning alcohol. Fourteen years later, the 21st Amendment was passed repealing the ban. In recognition of Repeal Day, go out and celebrate responsibly. If you prefer to stay in, have a stiff one and celebrate Bathtub Party Day which also lands on the 5th.
Saturday the 7th is Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, the day in 1941 when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor killing 2,400 servicemen and 68 civilians. In remembrance, you should fly your American flag at half-mast on this day. The 7th is also International Civil Aviation Day, a day to recognize importance of aviation to the world. This remembrance was passed by the United Nations in 1996. The timing of Aviation Day seems a bit odd given that it is also Pearl Harbor Day. Three days later on the 10th is another United Nations creation, Human Rights Day, a day recognizing the importance of human rights around the world.
There are an abundance of food holidays in December. Did you celebrate Eat a Red Apple Day on the 1st or Fritters Day on the 2nd? Coming up is Brownies Day on the 8th, Pastry Day on the 9th and Noodle Ring Day on the 11th. So you know, the noodle ring was a staple food dish in the 19th century. It is made by combining noodles, eggs, cheese, ketchup and Worcestershire Sauce in a molding ring. After baked, you fill the center with creamed chicken or vegetables.
The 15th is Lemon Cupcake Day, the 16th is Chocolate Covered Anything Day, the 17th Maple Syrup Day, 18th Roasted Pig Day and 19th being Oatmeal Muffin Day.
The 21st of December is Forefather’s Day where we remember the landing of the Mayflower at Plymouth Rock in 1620. Two days later is Roots Day when people of all nationalities pay tribute to their family origins.
In Oaxaca, Mexico on December 23rd is Noche de Rabanos, the Night of the Radishes. On this night, Mexican craftsmen and artists carve radishes into an assortment of forms. The radish was first introduced to Mexico in the 16th century by the Spanish. The celebration has been an annual tradition since 1897.
While Christmas (Christ’s Mass) falls on the 25th and is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, Santa Claus is essentially the spirit of St. Nicholas. St. Nicholas’ life is celebrated on December 6th, the day of his death 1,770 years ago. Worth noting, St. Nicholas came from a wealthy Greek family and used his inheritance to help the poor and children. The modern image of Santa Claus was the creation of Washington Irving and Thomas Nast around 1810. Sanct Claus, as he was known, was meant to recognize Dutch roots of New York City. By the 1880’s, Santa Claus evolved into the image that we know today.
Boxing Day which is the 26th finds its roots in a tradition where those of means help the needy. This might be an employer giving a gift to a work or a donation to the Alms Box at a church.
As the year comes to an and, New Year’s Eve is also Unlucky Day, a day where one is to acknowledge the bad things that happened over the last year and leave them behind.
