National Blueberry Muffin Day on July 11th gives us a great reason to get up in the morning and celebrate! Americans love their blueberry muffins so much, it’s their number 1 favorite muffin flavor. Whether it is for breakfast or a snack, blueberry muffins are melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
While enjoying a delicious blueberry muffin, consider the powerhouse the blueberry is. This once wild berry became domesticated during the early 1900s thanks to the observations of Elizabeth Coleman White and the research of Dr. Frederick V. Coville. Before their efforts, wild blueberries were never successfully transplanted and raised in any farming operation for personal or commercial production. The only way to enjoy fresh blueberries was to seek them out where they grew naturally.
Today we can enjoy the abundant potassium, vitamin C and B6, and other health benefits of the blueberry much more readily than they did 120 years ago. We bake them into muffins and eat them by the handfuls. They are so likable that we celebrate blueberries as a popsicle, cheesecake, pie, and a popoverday, too! Don’t forget, July is also National Blueberry Month.
While celebrating the day, be sure to make a few for co-workers and family, too. It’s not a celebration if you don’t share. It is America’s favorite muffin after all.
Give making your own a try! If you don’t bake, be sure to stop by your favorite bakery and pick up a few. Give them a shout out, too.
Use #BlueberryMuffinDay to share and follow on social media.
On May 25th each year, wine lovers everywhere pour a glass of their favorite wine to celebrate National Wine Day. Whether it is Red or White, the sound of glassing “clinking” will be heard around the world today.
Made from fermented grapes or other fruits, wine is an alcoholic beverage. During the fermentation processes, yeast consumes the sugars in the grapes converting it into alcohol. Different grapes produce different wines. Winemakers will combine different wines to create more complex flavors. Wines made from fruit or honey are often named according to the variety of fruit used.
Red wine varietals produce deep ruby reds as well as subtle ambers and browns. Their beautiful colors hint at the coming change in the season. With that, we can look for delicious menu changes, too. Besides, what better way to enjoy a great bottle of wine than by pairing it with excellent company and food.
Winemakers produce white wines from grapes with light yellow-green skins or light red skins. However, it’s not the color of the grapes that give the wine its color. It’s the tannins in the grape skins that color wine red and also the flavor. White wines are generally sweeter than red wines and are best served chilled. Most red wines are served at room temperature. However, a sweet red should also be chilled for the best flavor.
Reminisce with family and friends over a glass of wine. Enjoy wine with a favorite meal. And just a little tip, in a couple of days we celebrate National Coq Au Vin Day which includes red wine as an ingredient. Pick up an extra bottle to prepare. Post photos using #NationalWineDay on social media.
International Nurses Day (IND) is observed around the world May 12 (the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth in 1820). The day is set aside to honor and note the many contributions nurses make to society. Nurses care for our loved ones at some of the most challenging times of their lives. They may run short of time, but not compassion.
In Australia, Canada, the United States, and other countries, International Nurses Day often is part of a week-long celebration, usually referred to as National Nurses Week.
INTERNATIONAL NURSES DAY HISTORY
The International Council of Nurses (ICN) has celebrated this day since 1965.
Florence Nightingale became an essential figure in nursing in the 1850s during the Crimean War. She was stationed at a hospital where she headed a group of nurses who cared for injured British soldiers. When she first arrived at the hospital, she was struck by the desperate condition of the facilities. So, she imposed strict standards of care and ensured that the wards were kept clean and well stocked with food and medical supplies. Nightingale’s experiences led her to campaign for reform in health care and nursing. In 1860 she opened the Nightingale School of Nursing at St. Thomas’ Hospital in London.
February 4th heats up with National Homemade Soup Day. In every cuisine, soup provides a rich basis of flavor and history.
Before the era of modern transportation, soup was a product of regionally available foods. For this reason, there are thousands of soup recipes available today.
Many soups also offer medicinal properties. What was once considered a wive’s tale, chicken soup now has the backing of the scientific community. Yes, chicken soup helps relieve the symptoms of the common cold. How? Well, scientists believe that a bowl of the soup may reduce inflammation of the lungs. It is thought that chicken soup slows down the activity of white blood cells that can cause inflammation.
But that’s not all homemade soup does. Every cook knows the most important ingredient that goes into every pot of simmering soup. They keep the ingredient stored where it will do its best work, too. As they work, they season the soup from their heart giving it just the right amount of love each and every time. Whether they add it with the noodles or the vegetable, the broth or the cream, each cook knows there’s enough to go around. That’s why homemade soup heals the best.
Tell us about your favorite homemade soup. Share a recipe or a memory. Gather the family to learn how to make your best recipe and share the love. Need a new recipe to add to your collection? From chowders and broths to creamy bisques, chances are you’ll find a recipe to love too.
Use #NationalHomemadeSoupDay to post on social media.
February is the year’s quiet paradox—a shortest month that somehow contains multitudes. Sandwiched between the forward momentum of January and the budding promise of March, it carves its own unique space: a 28-day (or sometimes 29-day) interlude of introspection, romance, and unpredictable charm. It’s a month that feels both fleeting and deeply significant, a hushed corridor where winter’s grip is tested by the first, fragile whispers of spring. We are fascinated by February precisely because it defies simple definition, packing a profound punch into its compact frame.
The heartbeat of February is measured in its special days, which range from the deeply sentimental to the whimsically specific. It opens with the lighthearted introspection of Groundhog Day, a folkloric checkpoint in our seasonal journey. The mood then shifts dramatically toward the warmth of Valentine’s Day on the 14th, a global celebration of love in all its forms. Be sure to check out our Valentine’s Gifts, Playlist and Movie recommendations. We also include some Date night ideas you can use for your Valentine’s night. But the month also holds space for more solemn reflection during Black History Month, a dedicated time to honor the struggles, triumphs, and central contributions of Black communities. These observances, side-by-side, create a rich emotional tapestry unique to these four weeks.
On the sports front, February delivers a thrilling one-two punch. In the United States, the month is dominated by the spectacle of the Super Bowl, an event that transcends football to become a cultural holiday of its own, complete with iconic commercials and halftime shows. Shortly after, the world turns its eyes to the grace and grit of the Winter Olympics (when they fall in this month), where athletes conquer ice and snow in a stunning display of human perseverance. The energy of these events provides a vibrant, communal contrast to the month’s often chilly and solitary weather.
And that weather is a character all its own. In the Northern Hemisphere, February is the stubborn, often brutal, climax of winter—a time of “February Freeze” where snow piles high and skies stay steel-gray. Yet, within this, are precious “February Thaws,” teasing glimpses of what’s to come. The light noticeably changes, with days growing longer, offering a silent promise that the deep freeze won’t last forever. This push-and-pull between winter’s last stand and spring’s early stirrings makes every February day a small, quiet drama.
February is divided between two astrological signs. Those born from February 1st to 18th are Aquarius, the visionary Water Bearer, known for being progressive, intellectual, and humanitarian. Those born from February 19th to the 29th are Pisces, the empathetic Fish, characterized by their creativity, intuition, and compassionate nature. This month boasts an array of famous birthdays, including inventors and presidents like Thomas Edison (Feb 11) and Abraham Lincoln (Feb 12), civil rights icons like Rosa Parks (Feb 4), and renowned artists like Bob Marley (Feb 6) and Nina Simone (Feb 21). It also includes modern figures like actor Jennifer Aniston (Feb 11) and activist Greta Thunberg (Feb 3).
Finally, February claims its own with distinctive birthday symbols. Its flowers are the violet, signifying loyalty and faithfulness, and the primrose, a hopeful symbol of young love. Its birthstone is the striking amethyst, a gem associated with peace, courage, and clarity of mind. These symbols perfectly capture the essence of the month and those born within it: a blend of deep resilience (the enduring violet), heartfelt connection (the delicate primrose), and serene strength (the luminous amethyst). In the end, February fascinates because it is a microcosm of life itself—brief, beautiful, bittersweet, and brimming with unexpected contrasts waiting to be embraced.
