04 February

 NATIONAL THANK A MAIL CARRIER DAY  

National Thank A Mail Carrier Day (also known as Thank a Mailman Day) on February 4th reminds us that someone makes sure the mail gets through 6 days a week 52 weeks a year. The day reminds us just how important mail carriers are to our daily lives. Take time out of your day to thank the mail carrier responsible for delivering your mail.  

The Pony Express riders earned a famous reputation in their short existence. Their motto was “Neither rain, or snow, nor death of night, can keep us from our duty.”  This motto is believed to be taken, in part, from a motto dating back to ancient times. The most popular variation of this motto is “Through rain or snow, or sleet or hail, we’ll carry the mail. We will not fail.”

Fun Facts:

• In 1775, the Second Continental Congress established the Constitutional Post–the first organized mail service in America.
• As the nation’s first Postmaster General, Benjamin Franklin established many of the conventions we are accustomed to today.
• Postage stamps were invented in 1847.
• On April 3, 1860, the famous Pony Express officially took off.
• In 1863, free city delivery started, and in 1896, free rural delivery began.
• In 1963, the Zip Code began.

National Thank a Mail Carrier Day is the perfect time to show your appreciation to your mail carrier.

How to Observe Thank a Mail Carrier Day

National Thank A Mail Carrier Day gives you an opportunity to say thanks to your U.S. Postal Service carrier. One way to celebrate is with a friendly smile or a token of appreciation. Let your mail carrier know how much you value them.

National Thank a Mail Carrier Day History

While we continue researching the origins of National Thank a Mail Carrier Day, we promise to deliver any updates to you promptly. 

Mail Carrier FAQ

Q. How many mail carriers are there in the United States.
A. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 333,570 were employed in the U.S. in 2020.

Q. Which state has the most mail carriers?
A. California leads the country with the most mail carriers followed by Texas, New York, Florida, and Illinois.

Q. When does the mail run?
A. Currently, U.S. mail service is provided Monday through Saturday. There are 11 holidays that the U.S. mail service does not run:

• New Year's Day - January 1
• Martin Luther King Jr's Birthday - Third Monday in January
• Washington's Birthday (President's Day (Third Monday in February)
• Memorial Day - Last Monday in May
• Independence Day - July 4
• Labor Day - First Monday in September
• Columbus Day - Second Monday in October
• Veterans Day - November 11
• Thanksgiving Day - Third Thursday in November
• Christmas Day - December 25

 Also

Create a Vacuum Day

Hemp Day

Homemade Soup Day

 

Today's Thought

What would you do if you weren't afraid? ~ Sheryl Sandberg - Business Executive

 

 

44 Days Until Spring

In the Spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours. ~ Mark Twain

 

 

 

 

03 February

 

NATIONAL THE DAY THE MUSIC DIED DAY 

The Day the Music Died Day on February 3rd remembers the unfortunate and untimely death of singers 22-year-old Buddy Holly, 17-year-old Ritchie Valens, and 28-year-old J. P. Richardson, aka: “The Big Bopper.”  These three artists died in an airplane accident on February 3, 1959, near Clear Lake, Iowa. Their pilot, Roger Peterson, also perished in the crash.

Buddy Holly’s band was on tour and had played at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake.  They were headed to their next destination in Moorhead, Minnesota.  For this leg of their journey, they decided to take a charter plane rather than go with their tour bus. Richardson “The Big Bopper”,  had swapped places with Waylon Jennings, taking the latter’s place on the plane and Tommy Allsup had lost his place to Ritchie Valens in a coin toss.

Not long after takeoff, they were no longer able to be reached by radio, and they did not reach their destination. The aircraft was reported missing. The next day, the wreckage was found less than 6 miles northwest of the airport in a cornfield.  Poor weather conditions and pilot error were determined, during the investigation, to have been the cause of the pilot losing control of the plane.

Pilgrimage & Tribute

The tragic event echoed through history for over 50 years. Visitors still make the pilgrimage each year to Clear Lake, Iowa, the resort town about 110 miles north of Des Moines, as this was the point of their last concert before the fatal accident.

“The day the music died” is a line in the 1972 Don McLean hit "American Pie.” McLean’s song, which he wrote in the late 1960s and released in 1971, was in part inspired by the tragic event which took the lives of three great musicians and their pilot.

The Day the Music Died was dubbed by Don McLean’s song  “American Pie” (I remember all the high school girls crying on this day.)

"American Pie" lyrics by Don McLean

"But February made me shiver,
With every paper I’d deliver,
Bad news on the doorstep
I couldn’t take one more step. 
I can’t remember if I cried
When I read about his widowed bride
But something touched me deep inside,
The day the music died."

How to Observe The Day the Music Died

Listen to some of the music by Ritchie Valens, Buddy Holly, or The Big Bopper.

National The Day the Music Died History

The observance commemorates the fateful day in 1959 when four young lives were cut short. When Don McLean's "American Pie" hit the airwaves in 1972, the world came to know the day as "the day the music died' from the line in the lyrics. Another line in the song reflected on the music of Buddy Holly & The Crickets. In their song "That'll be the Day" the chorus goes like this:

 "Well, that'll be the day, when you say goodbye
Yes, that'll be the day, when you make me cry
You say you're gonna leave, you know it's a lie
'Cause that'll be the day when I die"

In McLean's "American Pie" his similar line appears in the chorus as well:

"Bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die"

The Day the Music Died FAQ

Q. How many hits did Ritchie Valens have?
A. Ritchie Valens (Richard Steven Valenzuela) was signed by Bob Keane of Del-Fi Records in May 1958. He recorded two albums before his death just 8 short months later. Some of his most popular songs included Donna, La Bamba, and Cry, Cry, Cry.

Q. When did Buddy Holly begin his career?
A. Buddy Holly began pursuing his musical career in 1955.

Q. How did the Big Bopper get his name?
A. The singer/songwriter known as the Big Bopper began his career in radio in 1949. A popular dance called "The Bop" inspired Richardson to call himself the Big Bopper for a radio program.

Also

Carrot Cake Day

Four Chaplains Day

Missing Persons Day

Women Physicians Day 

Today's Thought

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. ~ Lao-Tzu

 

45 Days Until Spring

In the Spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours. ~ Mark Twain

 

 

02 February Graond Hog Day

 

 NATIONAL GROUNDHOG DAY   

National Groundhog Day on February 2nd each year asks one question. Will he see his shadow? Ok, well, maybe it asks another question. Will there be six more weeks of winter? The day is celebrated each year in the United States and Canada. 

Traditionally the groundhog awakens from his nap for a nice welcomed break during the winter to see if he can see his shadow. Many believe if the groundhog sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter. If this is so, he retreats into his den and goes back to sleep. However, if he does not see his shadow, the groundhog remains outside to play, and people celebrate, believing spring is just around the corner.

Tradition

The tradition of predicting the length of the remaining winter is intertwined with the Christian holiday, Candlemas. The clergy would bless candles symbolizing the 'light of the world' to give to their congregations. Another tradition associated with this day is eating crepes. Germans practiced the art of predicting the winter with a hedgehog. When they arrived in the United States, they settled in the hills of Pennsylvania, and the groundhog became the official predictor.

Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, has hosted the annual Groundhog day event. Thousands of people come to the town of Punxsutawney on Groundhog Day for this day of celebration.

Although already a well-known day, Groundhog Day received widespread attention due to the 1993 film Groundhog Day, which was set in Punxsutawney and portrayed Roger Rininger as the groundhog.

How to Observe National  Groundhog Day

• Watch Punxsutawney Phil and see if he sees his shadow.
• See the captioned picture above*
  
• Make your own prediction for National Groundhog Day.
• Watch a documentary about groundhogs.
• Watch Groundhog the movie. And then, watch it again.
• Read the Farmer's Almanac to determine the likelihood of an early spring. Does Phil agree?
• Look for your shadow.

National  Groundhog Day History

An early American reference to Groundhog Day can be found in a diary entry by storekeeper James Morris, dated February 4th, 1841, of Berks County, Pennsylvania.

Groundhog FAQ

Q. What's another name for a groundhog?
A. Groundhogs are also called a woodchuck.

Q. Does a groundhog hibernate?
A. Yes. The groundhog is a hibernating rodent.

Q. Where do groundhogs live?
A. Groundhogs are native to the North American continent and are not found elsewhere in the world.

 

Also

Heavenly Hash Day

Tater Tot Day 

Today's Thought

Be productive...not busy.

 

46 Days Until Spring

In the Spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours. ~ Mark Twain

01 February

NATIONAL DARK CHOCOLATE DAY 

On February 1st, National Dark Chocolate Day reminds us to indulge a little. Many tout dark chocolate as the healthier chocolate. However, for some, it can be an acquired taste.

National Dark Chocolate Day

Also known as bittersweet chocolate, dark chocolate is different from milk chocolate. Candy makers add milk or butter to milk chocolate, giving it a creamier consistency. Dark chocolate includes no added milk or butter. Instead, the percentage of cocoa solids remaining in the chocolate determines how dark the chocolate is. The higher the ratio, the darker the chocolate. It may also have a slightly bitter taste.

Chocolate comes from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. We have been cultivating cacao for at least three millennia, and the plant grows in Mexico, Central America, and Northern South America. Our earliest known documentation of using cacao seeds dates to around 1100 BC.

Fermentation helps develop the flavor of the cacao seeds. Otherwise, the seeds are too bitter to eat. Once fermented, the beans are dried, cleaned, and roasted. After roasting, the shell is removed to produce cacao nibs. Processors then ground the cocoa nips into cocoa mass, pure chocolate in rough form. Next, they usually liquefy the cocoa mass and mold it with or without other ingredients. At this point in the process, it is called chocolate liquor. The chocolate liquor may then be processed into two components: cocoa solids and cocoa butter.

Besides being lower in calories and fat, dark chocolate has many other health benefits. It also serves as a decadent ingredient in many desserts and sauces.

HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL DARK CHOCOLATE DAY

• Eat some dark chocolate.
• Bake with dark chocolate.
• Add dark chocolate to a savory dish.
• Share dark chocolate recipes.
• Host a dark chocolate tasting.
• Learn about the health benefits of dark chocolate.

Dark Chocolate FAQ

Q. Can I add a little dark chocolate to my coffee?
A. Yes. The simplest solution is to add a dark chocolate syrup or cocoa powder.

Q. Can anyone eat dark chocolate?
A. No. Some people are allergic to chocolate, and even small amounts will be harmful to them.

Q. Can dark chocolate be a savory ingredient?
A. Yes. Dark chocolate can be added to sauces and stews. Chili is one dish where some recipes call for dark chocolate.

Also

Baked Alaska Day

Freedom Day

Get Up Day

Play Outside Day

Serpent Day

Ice Cream for Breakfast Day

Texas Day

Today's Thought

Whatever you want to do, do it now.  There are only so many tomorrows.  ~ Michael Landon

 

47 Days Until Spring

In the Spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours. ~ Mark Twain