NATIONAL LOST SOCK MEMORIAL DAY

May 9th recognizes a fun and unique holiday, National Lost Sock Memorial Day. It is time to say “good-bye” to all of the single socks, the ones where their mates have been lost to the unknown. Where do all the missing socks go? Is there a washing machine heaven? This is a question people have been trying to solve for many centuries.  An answer may never be found to this problem, and life will go on.  How sad to have lost such a close-knit friend!

Of course, since before the dawn of Tupperware, inventors have attempted the prevention of such separation anxiety. Alas, if they had succeeded, mismatched socks wouldn’t be popular today. And, we there wouldn’t be pausing to remember them every May 9th.

HOW TO OBSERVE #LostSockMemorialDay

National Lost Sock Memorial Day reminds you that it’s time to move on. Let go of those lost socks. Clean out all of your left behind socks. Some ways to celebrate this unusual holiday include:

  • making sock puppets
  • turn them into dust rags
  • chose to never wear matched socks again
  • turn them into chew toys for pets 
  • make wrist warmers
  • make sock monkeys
  • fill them with beans and use them for your corn hole game
  • fill with rice and make a door stop
  • open up both ends of a long sock and make a plastic bag holder

What are some creative ways to use old socks? Share your ideas and say your final goodbyes to your lost socks using #LostSockMemorialDay.

NATIONAL LACY OATMEAL COOKIE DAY

There are cookie holidays and then there is National Lacy Oatmeal Cookie Day. Each year on March 18th, this holiday celebrates a delicate cookie made from oats.

Some people may refer to this day as National Oatmeal Cookie Day (which is celebrated on April 30th). The difference between the two is that lacy oatmeal cookies are wafer-thin and typically accompany a scoop of ice cream or sorbet.

In the early 1900s, oatmeal became a major ingredient in the American diet. Before that, Americans relied on other grains. Originating in England, oatmeal cookies have been around since the 1800s.  However, it is believed that they were created after the oatcake. Soldiers used to carry oatcakes with them for a quick boost of energy during battle. Most research found that the first recorded oatmeal raisin cookie recipe was written by Fannie Merritt Farmer in 1896.Considered a health food, the cookies quickly became popular. By the early 1900s, a recipe for the delicious treats appeared on containers of Quaker Oats.

Oatmeal cookies are an excellent source of iron and fiber

Bakers use many different recipes for the lacy oatmeal cookies. Additionally, home bakers bake with a variety of oats including old fashioned oats, quick-cooking oats, oat bran or oat flour.  For a healthier cookie, add finely chopped or ground fruits (such as raisins) or nuts and use a sugar substitute. You can also decorate your lacy oatmeal cookies with icing drizzled on top of the cookie.

More Cookies..

HOW TO OBSERVE #LacyOatmealCookieDay

Lacy oatmeal cookies make pretty decorations on top of cakes and other baked goods, too. They also make excellent gifts. Make some for a friend or neighbor. 

Use #LacyOatmealCookieDay to post on social media.

NATIONAL PFEFFERNUSSE DAY

December 23rd is reserved for National Pfeffernusse Day, a German spice cookie. Very popular around the holidays, pfeffernusse are fluffy cookies made with ground nuts and spices and covered in powdered sugar.

The exact origin of the cookie is unknown. However, the Dutch believe that pfeffernusse (or pepernoten) are linked to the feast of Sinterklaas, which is celebrated on December 5 in the Netherlands and December 6 in Germany and Belgium. This holiday is when children receive gifts from St. Nicholas, who is partially the inspiration for the Santa Claus tradition. 

Over time, many bakers have created their own pfeffernusse recipes. Traditional methods included various nuts such as almonds and walnuts. Some modern recipes exclude nuts altogether along with the black pepper, retaining only cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and cardamom as flavorings. Bakers also use molasses and honey to sweeten the cookie.

More cookies….

HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalPfeffernusseDay

Break out your favorite pfeffernusse recipe and start baking. This is one holiday tradition that will bring back memories for many of you. Not only will you be able to savor the delicious spicy-sweet cookies, but you can also pass down the tradition to another generation. Once you have a good stack of them baked and cooled, package them up as sweet gifts for loved ones. They will appreciate the cookies and your thoughtfulness.

Do you have recipes to share? Be sure to use #NationalPfeffernusseDay to post on social media.

GINGERBREAD HOUSE DAY

Gingerbread House Day is observed annually on December 12.

A favorite food of an Armenian monk, Gregory of Nicopolis, brought gingerbread to Europe around 992 AD and taught French Christians to bake it. Gingerbread was often used in religious ceremonies and was baked to be sturdy as it was often molded into images of saints.

We can thank the Brothers’ Grimm for the idea of a gingerbread house through their tale of Hansel and Gretel. It didn’t take long for the German gingerbread guilds to pick up the idea and put it to a more festive use making snowy cottages made from the spicy-sweet treat.

Looking for holiday baking?

HOW TO OBSERVE

Gather the family together, bake up some gingerbread and start building and decorating your very own gingerbread house.  Give the recipe below a try.

Gingerbread House

Use #GingerbreadHouseDay to post on social media.

NATIONAL SOCK DAY

National Sock Day on December 4th recognizes the rarest of all lasting unities, the marriage of matched socks. When they find each other, wash after wash, dry after to dry, it’s time to celebrate!

To promote lasting sock matches, the founders of the observance dedicated the day to all pairs, even the tiny baby socks who manage to stay paired. We don’t know if it’s animal magnetism (static cling) or chemistry (something in the detergent), but these sock pairs deserve recognition!

The day honors all matches made in laundromantic-matrimony. We will turn no color, style, or size away. So, Argyle to tube socks, knee highs, and fuzzy slipper socks – if they keep finding their mate over and over, this National Day wiggles its toes in their honor!

NATIONAL SOCK DAY HISTORY

Pair of Thieves founded National Sock Day on December 4th to warm our toes with the commemoration of two toe-tapping historical events that happened on this day. 

In 1954, the final curtain fell on the first revival of the Broadway musical On Your Toes. The Rogers and Hammerstein production first made its debut in 1936. It was unique in that it incorporated ballet with a traditional musical genre. The popular musical was revived in 1984. 

The second historical event occurred in 1991. On the stage of the Murphy Center in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, the Judds took the stage for their final concert. For years, the mother-daughter duo had kept country music lovers two-stepping. Following the concert, daughter Wynonna continued a solo career. From time to time, as Wynonna’s career resumed successfully, mother Naomi would join her on stage. However, the Murphy Center concert is still considered the Judd’s final show.

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HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalSockDay

Do your socks match? If they do, celebrate them! You can also go shopping for a new pair of shiny new matching socks. They can be baby socks or grown-up socks. It doesn’t matter. Make them fun, colorful socks. Stripes or polka dots, Argyle or geometric shapes. Either way, we want to see your beautifully matched mates. Share your rare pairs of socks by using #NationalSockDay on social media.