The Mildly Interesting

National Eat A Peach Day is a day that is dedicated to eating peaches, as the name suggests. Peaches offer several health benefits, so not only do they taste amazing, but they are great for your well-being too. They are excellent in blood pressure control and promoting brain health. They also help with weight management, lower cancer risk, protect your eyes, perk up your skin, boost your immune system, and are good for digestion.

National Lemon Meringue Pie Day is a celebration held every year. Lemon meringue pie is one of the most popular pies in Great Britain and North America. Lemon custard is usually attributed to the Quakers in the late 1700s. The idea for a fluffy topping made from sweetened and flavored egg whites goes back to the 17th century in France. The first mention of Lemon Meringue Pie in a cookbook was in 1869, but often, during that time, these custard pies were also referred to as “lemon cream pie.”

Bowling is a sport that appeals to people of all ages, gender and is becoming more and more accessible. The sport dates back to ancient Egyptian times, as primitive bowling artifacts have been found in graves from around 5,000 BC.

Alpacas have been domesticated for more than 9000 years and have been vitally important to the people of the Andes over the centuries. The Alpaca Owners Association was founded to help educate people about how lovable and soft alpacas are and how they contribute to the global economy. 

A carousel, also known as a merry-go-round, is a sort of amusement ride which consists of a circular platform that rotates and has seats for riders. The word carousel comes from the word 'garosello,' which is Italian, and the word 'carosella' means 'little battle.' The National Carousel Association aims to keep carousels running and preserve their history in the United States.

National Sour Candy Day is a day dedicated to sour candy. Sour candy can be traced back to the 1950s and 1960s. Sour Patch Kids were first introduced in the late 1970s in Ontario, Canada, making their way to the US in the mid-1980s. American Licorice Company is the maker of a line of popular sour candies, such as Sour Punch, Sour Straws, and more.

National Blueberry Muffin Day is a day to celebrate the culinary delight of the blueberry muffin. Blueberries can help with weight loss, healthy digestion and promote feeling full. They can also help with mental health, protect against heart disease, assist with diabetes management, lower blood pressure, improve skin health, and help maintain healthy bones. Blueberry-inspired cocktails can be made with Farmhouse Jam, Blueberry and Thyme Jam, Prosesese Jam, and Prosecco.

The first recorded recipe for date bread originated in Britain in 1939. Nearly 76 years later, a date nut bread eating championship was held in New York City in 2006, in which the winner ate 29 sandwiches in 8 minutes. Date nut bread has some nutritional value, such as being high in polyphenols. This large family of naturally occurring organic compounds is comprised of antioxidants, which help protect the human body from oxidative damage that can cause problems such as inflammation. 

You may enjoy date nut bread, but have you ever wondered about the history of various nut bread recipes?

National Coquito Day is a Puerto Rican tropical version of eggnog traditionally enjoyed around the holiday season. Coquito can be translated as ‘little coconut,’ and the name is very apt since this holiday drink is flavored generously with rum and coconut. 

Although delicious and tempting all year round, Coquito is typically made and reserved primarily for the holidays, with families returning to their historical family recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation.

You may like a good glass of Coquito, but have you ever wondered about its history?

Caroling is a time-honored way to celebrate Christmas with friends and family. When caroling, groups sing traditional Christmas songs to celebrate the festive season with friends and relatives. They also sing Christmas songs to honor their family and friends.

Caroling can put you in a good mood, but have you ever wondered about the history of Christmas carols?

National Oatmeal Muffin Day is a delicious and delightful combination of foods that makes other foods jealous because of its delicious taste and nutritional value. Oatmeal is a grain that offers many health benefits, such as being high in fiber. A diet filled with sources of soluble fiber may help minimize the risk of coronary disease, which is one of the biggest killers of Americans today.

Oatmeal is served in many forms, but have you ever wondered about the history and cultivation of oatmeal?

The National Button Society established Button Day as a celebration for all who enjoyed collecting and crafting with buttons. The buttons you collect can be used for many different things, like repairing clothes with missing buttons. Buttons are an excellent source of craft ideas, such as picture frames, clocks, purses and bags, headbands, costume jewelry, lampshades, and even shoes.

Everyone appreciates the job buttons perform, but have you ever wondered about its history?

Tacos are the Mexican equivalent of a sandwich. Instead of bread, a hard or soft tortilla is wrapped or folded around a tasty filling. The conquistador Cortez mentioned a meal prepared with tortillas as far back as 1520. The tacos at a truly authentic Mexican restaurant will differ from what might be found at an Americanized restaurant. The meat options will typically be “pollo,” which is chicken, “pastor,” which is pork, or “barbacoa,” usually made with beef.

Rollercoaster Day is celebrated annually on the 16th of August. The date was chosen because it commemorates the first vertical loop rollercoaster, which was patented in 1898. It is believed that the oldest rollercoasters came from the Russian Mountains, in which several hills of ice were specially constructed in what is now known as Saint Petersburg. The world’s longest rollercoaster, Steel Dragon 2000,  is in Nagashima Spa Land Japan.

Beer Lover’s Day is dedicated to all the different kinds of beer and the celebration of the people who love it. Beer dates back to the 4th millennium BC in western Iran, as ancients were learning to make and drink beer using malted barley. Beer has a long and detailed history, but no matter the past, many people know that beer is good. Celebrating Beer Lovers’ Day is the perfect way to pay homage to this beloved beverage.

National Brownie Day is the perfect chance to indulge in some decadent goodness that might be avoided the rest of the year. Brownies are so popular that they can be found served as the foundation for sundaes, chopped up in milkshakes, or even made into a version of breakfast cereal. The first brownie was created for a ladies’ fair luncheon in the late 1800s. The first variety of these was bedecked in an apricot glaze and inundated with delicious walnuts.

You may love a good brownie, but have you ever wondered about the history of this delicious treat?

Cotton candy is possibly the most amazing form of caramelization ever invented by man. It is unsurprising considering the number of names that the treat itself is known by, including candy cobwebs, Hawai mithai, candy floss, and our personal favorite, fairy floss.

While today’s technology allows us to produce cotton candy with a simple machine and a little time, the process would have been incredibly labor-intensive and no doubt expensive, leaving Cotton Candy as the treat of the financial elite.

There are many exciting dessert recipes that call for the use of Cotton Candy, but have you ever wondered about its history?

National Miners' Day was established in 2009 by the U.S. Senate. The day is dedicated to the men and women who dig deep into the earth to bring out the riches that help sustain our lives. There are mines worldwide that pull a variety of minerals out of the earth, and visiting them can give you a true appreciation of what they do and how dangerous it can be. 

Every day you use countless items that rely upon mining, but have you ever wondered about the history of mining?

The original Ninja were warriors of the Iga Province of Japan during the Sengoku period. They were raised up from the basic people of the countryside, without access to proper armor, weapons, or training to use them. The “traditional” black clothing of the Ninja actually came about as a result of how Ninjas were represented in theater. There are thousands of movies about ninjas available today, and some of them could be considered among the best pieces of cinema available in just about any genre.

We all know the theatrical representation of ninjas, but have you ever wondered about their true origin?

Dice are popular throughout the world. Ancient dice were not significantly different from modern forms, and the concept of a six-faced cube with dots has been the world’s most famous pastime and gambling tool for centuries. The oldest known set of dice comes as a part of the Royal Game of Ur, the oldest existing board game dated at approximately 4,400 years old. The most popular medium for dice up until the 20th century seems to have been bone. Most dice are cast from plastic or synthetic resin.

You may love a game that uses dice, but have you ever wondered about its history?

National Bartender Day aims to make customers think about the great service their favorite bartenders give while pouring pints, mixing cocktails, all while displaying great people skills or being a shoulder to cry on or a person to confide in. The day originated in America and is linked to the drinks brand Sailor Jerry. The brand organizes voting competitions to find the nation’s best bartender and makes bar visits on the day to distribute free pizza, clothing, and taxi rides home for bartenders.

You may have ordered a drink from a bartender, but have you ever wondered about the profession's history?

Fritters are popular all over the world, though they’re not called fritters everywhere you go. In Asia, several varieties, including the Burmese a-kyaw, which is popularly made with a rich gourd filling, are typically served with tea or for breakfast. Tempura is also considered a fritter, with one of the most popular being Pisang Goreng, a banana-based Fritter. In Indonesia, the perfect accompaniment to fritter is bird’s eye chili.

You may have your favorite fritter, but have you ever wondered about its history?

National Eat A Red Apple Day is a day to celebrate the iconic Red Delicious apple. The iconic apple is so engrained in our minds as what an apple looks like that if you ask a child to draw an apple, without question, the child will reach for a red crayon. Washington State is one of the biggest producers of apples, and the red delicious constituted 75% of the state's production.

You may like a nice ripe apple, but have you ever wondered about the history of apple production?

The word mousse means 'foam" or 'froth' and comes from the French roots of the food. The original mousse was made in the 18th century by French culinary experts. The sweet variety of mousse didn't come into existence until late in the 19th century. National Mousse Day celebrates this fantastic dish and the artists who create it.

You may love mousse, but have you ever wondered about its history?

Square Dancing Day exists to celebrate the square dance form of folk dancing and is a great excuse to get out and ‘Do-si-do.’ This fun, healthy and straightforward dance with a long history deserves a holiday all of its own and thankfully now has one. Square Dancing has its roots in traditional English, Irish and Scottish folk dance. Square Dancing is the official dance of 19 American states and is still very popular in Europe.

You may have done the Do-si-do, but have you ever wondered about the history of Square Dancing?

The breakfast favorite French toast goes by many names, depending on where it is being served. Some fun names include eggy bread, German toast, poor knights’ pudding, or Bombay toast. No matter what it is called, this delicious food is always made of the same key ingredients: whipped egg, milk or cream  and bread. This tasty sweet snack is also often served with sugar or syrup and fruit, or perhaps a bit of powdered sugar sprinkled on top and consists of bread slices fried in a mixture of milk and egg.

You may love French toast, but have you ever wondered about its history?

Pins and Needles Day started in 1937 to commemorate the opening of the play of the same name on Broadway. The play was produced by the International Ladies Garment Workers' Union. The original production cast was made up of sewing machine workers, cutters, and basters who wanted to do something a little creative in their free time. The play would end up being so successful that the cast members, who were only able to rehearse at weekends until then, were able to do so.

Pins and Needles Day doesn't have to do with pins and needles as you think, but have you ever wondered about the history of the safety pin?

Maize Day is celebrated every year to mark the special role that maize has played in food history. Maize, which the Europeans came to call “corn,” has an ancient and interesting history and plays a central roles in many native myths and legends. In one form or another, maize made up roughly 65 percent of the native American diet. 

You may be familiar with maize but have you ever wondered about its role in the development of modern civilizations?

In French, the word parfait means “perfect,” and in American English, the term almost exclusively refers to a delicious frozen dessert. The origins of National Parfait Day are pretty obscure, and in addition to exploring the origins of the day, you should also go out and enjoy a parfait. 

You may love the delicious taste of a parfait, but have you ever wondered about its history?

The first jukebox was invented in 1889 when Louis Glass and William S. Arnold created the first coin-operated player. From the 1930s to the late 1970s, jukeboxes soared in demand and went through many radical changes. In 2010, TouchTunes, a music corporation that revolutionized the vintage jukeboxes with touch screens and mobile apps that interact with a person’s library. The company then proclaimed National Jukebox Day as a national holiday in 2017. Since it occurs on the day before Thanksgiving, people travel to bars and restaurants to listen to their favorite music.

You may love a good bar karaoke, but have you ever wondered about the history of the jukebox?

National Eat A Cranberry Day encourages you to follow a long-standing tradition and enjoy cranberries throughout the year, not just with a seasonal meal. The name for Cranberry was originally Cranberry, derived from the German "kraanbere." The Cranberry got its name due to the English believing that the flowers and stem resembled the neck of the self-same bird. The Indians and English use them much, boiling them with Sugar for Sauce to eat with their meat, and it is a delicious sauce.

It isn't Thanksgiving with cranberries, but have you ever wondered about this history of cranberry farming?

Peanut Butter Fudge Day is worthy of a great deal of enjoyment, honor and attention. It is widely believed that fudge was first created in the 1800s when a batch of caramels didn’t turn out quite right. Some people like it to be smooth and creamy, while others prefer that it’s a bit flaky. The word “fudge” actually used to mean a “cheat” or a ‘hoax” so it makes sense that this word would be used for something that didn't turn out like it was originally meant to be.

We all love sweet treats, but have you ever wondered about the history of fudge?

World Toilet Day aims to raise awareness of sanitation issues around the world. One in three people across the globe does not have regular access to a toilet. Unclean and unsafe toilets contribute to the spread of diseases like cholera, typhoid, and hepatitis. World Toilets generally remain inadequate for populations with special needs, such as the disabled and elderly. 

Toilets are an unspoken but necessary part of the sanitation process, but have you ever wondered about their history?

Apple cider is a raw, unfiltered, non-alcoholic beverage that's made from apples. In other places it's called "hard cider," but in the US, "cider" generally refers to the alcoholic variety. Fresh apple cider is made from unpasteurized apple juice and remains raw and natural – without any added sugar. When apple cider begins appearing on shelves, the holiday season is around the corner.

You may or may not like the taste of apple cider, but have you ever wondered about its history?

Home-baked bread is often healthier, higher in fiber, and lower in salt and additives than commercial varieties. Bread, itself, is believed to have entered the scene perhaps as long as 10,000 years ago, during the Neolithic period in Europe. It is estimated that grains and cereals became an important part of the human diet long before bread came along.

You may have started making bread at home during the pandemic, but have you ever wondered about the history of bread?

The National Button Society established Button Day as a celebration for all who enjoyed collecting and crafting with buttons. The buttons you collect can be used for many different things, like repairing clothes with missing buttons. Buttons are an excellent source of craft ideas, such as picture frames, clocks, purses and bags, headbands, costume jewelry, lampshades, and even shoes.

Everyone appreciates the job buttons perform, but have you ever wondered about its history?

Clean Your Refrigerator Day is a reminder that our kitchen appliances should be cleaned out once in a while. Refrigerators can be one of those kitchen appliances that are taken for granted. The food we bought weeks ago can be lurking in the back, uneaten and forgotten. So let's take today to clean our our Refrigerators. You’ll thank yourself later. The day is a great reminder though, that, to function effectively, we should be cleaning out.

Pickles take their name from the Dutch word for ‘brine’, and they began to be a popular food 4,000 years ago. Cleopatra is said to have attributed her looks and youth to the green treats. A common craving for pregnant women is said to be pickles and ice cream as part of bizarre pregnancy-related food cravings.

Pickles are either loved or hated, but regardless of how you feel, have you have wondered about the history of pickles?

A collection of humanitarian groups came together on November 13, 1997, and made a “Declaration of Kindness’. The organization was registered as an official NGO under Swiss law in 2019. It is the hope of the World Kindness Movement that World Kindness Day will achieve official recognition status by the United Nations. If they become successful in achieving recognition, it will join Human rights day, World health day, and International Day of Peace as a recognized day of observance. 

Chicken Soup for the Soul Day is a media, consumer good, and self-help business. The brand is familiar thanks to its series of books entitled Chicken Soup For The Soul. The first book follows inspirational stories about ordinary people. In the following 24 years, over 200 different titles under the Chicken Soup for the Soul theme have been published. 

Origami Day is celebrated to coincide with the birthday of Lillian Oppenheimer, the founder of the first origami group in the United States. Origami has been used as a beacon of hope, with the tradition of folding a thousand paper cranes for people who are in the hospital fighting cancer, for instance. The first known historical reference to a paper model is in a poem, a butterfly design was referenced in connection to Shinto weddings. In Europe, it was napkin folding that was all the rage, a tradition that was abundant during the 17th and 18th centuries.

Scrapple is a dish made out of the leftovers scraps in the meat production process. It is traditionally made from the meat of pigs, chickens, and cows. The dish was brought to the U.S. by the Germans in medieval Europe. The Pennsylvania Dutch called the dish panhaus, which translated to ‘pan rabbit’.  Scrapple is usually thought of as a mid-Atlantic local food, served as an ethnic food of the Pennsylvania Dutch and Amish. 

You may or may not have had scrapple, but have you ever wondered about its history?

The name “Cappuccino” originally came from the Capuchin Friars, a minor order of Franciscan friars within the Catholic Church, headquartered in Rome, Italy. The cappuccino coffee drink that everyone knows of today was invented in Italy during the 1900s after the invention of the espresso machine gained popularity. After World War II, the espresso machine improved, and so was the process of making Cappuccino and thus spreading its popularity around the world.

You may love a Cappuccino, but have you ever wondered about its history?

Marzipan week is something that was created by Niederegger, which is the leading brand of marzipan worldwide. The company was established back in 1806 in Northern Germany. Marzipan week is designed purely to be a celebration of all things marzipans. The biggest pistachio marzpan in the world weighed a massive 4 tonnes.

The origin of Nachos can be traced back to Piedras Negras, Mexico, just across the border from the state of Texas in the USA. The original recipe was printed in the 1954 St. Anne’s Cookbook. A modified version of the original dish, with cheese sauce and prepared tortilla chips, was marketed in 1976 by businessman Frank Liberto during various sporting events in Texas. 

Celebrating nachos Day can be loads of fun! But have you ever wondered about the history of nachos?

The fountain pen came to into existence in 1636, combining a reservoir of ink with a metal nib that didn’t require constant recutting. It took 300 years for an innovation to come along that overshadowed it. It also has the benefit of producing a cleaner and more consistent line of writing.

Project Management Day honors the Project Manager and encourages the people and organizations that rely on them to do the same. Project Managers make sure that everything's moving smoothly, and work in every industry and sector, from, government to volunteer.