National Shortbread Day on January 6th recognizes a classic Scottish treat enjoyed around the world.
Shortbread is a traditional Scottish dessert typically made with:
1 part white sugar
2 parts butter
3 parts flour
Modern recipes deviate from the 3 ingredient rule by splitting the sugar portion into equal parts of granulated sugar and powdered sugar and adding salt. Bakers commonly use plain white (wheat) flour to make shortbread. However, some bakers use ground rice or cornflour to alter the texture.
Shortbread earns its name because of its crumbly texture. Its high-fat content provided by the butter results in a shortbread crumb. “Shortening” refers to any fat that may be added to produce a “short” (crumbly) texture.
Prepared often during the 12th century, Mary, Queen of Scots receives credit for the innovation of the shortbread during the 16th century. As it was expensive to make, the sweet cookie was reserved as a luxury for special occasions.
In Shetland (northeast of mainland Britain), they traditionally break a decorated shortbread cake over the head of a new bride upon the entrance of her new home.
Shortbread cookies and bars call for sharing. Invite a friend over for tea and enjoy these delicately flavored treats while catching up. Share them with co-workers or invite nieces and nephews to help you bake up a new recipe. Be sure to share your celebration, too! Use #NationalShortbreadDay to post on social media.
Nearly the entire world recognizes New Year’s Day on January 1st. It’s also one of the most celebrated holidays of the year.
Celebrations will begin in the Pacific Ocean with Samoa celebrating the New Year before the rest of the world. The latest stroke of midnight will occur in the middle of the Pacific Ocean near Baker Island, which is halfway between Hawaii and Australia.
The new year has been celebrated for millennia. The earliest record of new year’s celebrations occurred during Babylonian times. However, January 1st wasn’t always the designated day. For example, the first new moon after the vernal equinox ushered in the new year at one time. These festivities occurred in Martius (March), the first month in the early Roman calendar, which only had ten months.
King Pompilius later added the months Januarius (named for Janus, the pagan god of gates, doors and beginnings) and Februarius bringing the calendar to 12 months. It was Julius Caesar who created the Julian calendar, which most closely resembles the Gregorian calendar a majority of the world follows today.
Celebrating the first day of the year in the appropriately named month of January, Romans made sacrifices to Janus, giving gifts and general revelry. With his two faces, the god Janus was able to look toward the past and forward to the future.
HOW TO OBSERVE #NewYearsDay
Traditions around the world:
Kiss at midnight the one person you hope to keep kissing the rest of the year.
Making noise, either in the form of fireworks, ringing bells, horns, blasting, or pistol shots are traditional around the world.
In Holland, they toast to the new year with spiced wine, wassail in England, or champagne in the United States.
Resolutions are not a modern tradition. The Babylonians made commitments to return borrowed objects and to pay old debts.
For me New Years Day is about renewal. I spend my time reflecting on how lucky I am and looking forward to the new adventures and growth. It’s time to update, plan, envision, and bring order to everthing I know about for the year to come.
I try to plan for those unexpected situations as well. Money, work, birthdays, and new surprises both good and bad. It’s easier to have better reactions if you plan ahead. Nothings fool proof but, how I deal with it helps set the tone for the experience.
Every year on December 31st, people around the world celebrate New Year’s Eve, the last day of the year. It’s a day to say “goodbye” to the old and “hello” to the new.
Also known as Old Year’s Day or Saint Sylvester’s Day, New Year’s Eve is one of the most exciting holidays of the year. Some countries, such as the Philippines and Latvia, celebrate New Year’s Eve as a public holiday. In Japan, it’s a government holiday. In other countries, many businesses let their employees off of work early so that they can partake in the many festivities.
There are many reasons this day is one of the biggest nights of the year. Not just because it’s a time of big parties and celebrations all around the world. New Year’s Eve can be a significant turning point in your life. It’s a time to reflect on the past year and all of the lessons you have learned. It can be a time you decide to start making better choices. If you have had a rough year, New Year’s Eve offers a feeling of relief. You can be thankful that the year is finally over
New Year’s is also a time to forgive past mistakes and form new habits. Many people make New Year’s resolutions. Although, only 8% of people actually accomplish them. Instead of making resolutions that you’re not going to keep anyway, it’s better to set three or four goals. Breaking down goals into actionable steps, and reviewing your progress daily helps to keep them. It’s also a good idea to find a friend or mentor that can hold you accountable.
NEW YEAR’S EVE HISTORY
The first New Year’s celebrations were thought to be held in ancient Mesopotamia. Because of the calendar at the time, these celebrations took place in March. Ringing in the New Year consisted of an 11-day festival. When the calendar switched from the lunar year to the solar year, the New Year began in January. This occurred in 46. B.C., when an astronomer convinced Julius Caesar to follow the solar year. It seems that since way back then, the coming New Year has been cause for celebration. Through the years, many New Year’s traditions have formed. Some of which include fireworks, parties, and singing “Auld Lang Syne.”
HOW TO OBSERVE #NewYearsEve
As we count down the last hours and seconds of the old year, it is an excellent time to look back at the year and reminisce with friends and family.
Many cities throughout the world go all-out to celebrate this exciting night. Fireworks, concerts, countdowns, and ball drops are usually among the many festivities. Some of the best cities to celebrate include New York City, Sydney, Bangkok, Dubai, Cape Town, London, and Las Vegas.
In Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries, it is a tradition to eat 12 grapes during the countdown to midnight, symbolizing hopes for the new year. Around the world, eating anything in the form of a circle or ring symbolizes coming full circle and is considered good luck.
As a Christian observance, it is traditional to hold an evening Mass the night before a Holy Day. New Year’s Day in the Roman Catholic Church honors the Virgin Mary. In some countries, St. Sylvester, Pope of the Catholic Church from 314 to 335, is celebrated on New Year’s Eve.
Other ways to participate:
Host a party to ring in the New Year
Champagne toasts are a common tradition, so please drink responsibly
Set some achievable goals
If you can’t be at a celebration, watch one live on television
Have a game night with your family and see who lasts until midnight
Go for a midnight run
Attend a concert that goes past midnight
Go ice-skating at a nearby park or indoor rink
Kiss your spouse or significant other at midnight
Enjoy a quiet evening at home journaling
Think about what you can do to make next year the best one of your life
No matter what you decide to do to ring in the New Year, share it on social media with a picture and #NewYearsEve.
Each year on December 8th, brownie lovers across the nation enjoy one of their favorite baked goods on National Brownie Day.
In the United States, the chocolate brownie is a favorite, with the blonde brownie running a close second. A blonde brownie is made with brown sugar and no chocolate and is often called a blondie.
The earliest recipes for brownies we are familiar with today are found published in regional cookbooks and newspapers around the turn of the last century. The 1904 Laconia, NH Home Cookery, the 1904 Chicago, IL Service Club Cook Book, and an April 2, 1905, edition of The Boston Globe are three early examples. In 1906, Fannie Merritt Farmer published a recipe in an edition of The Boston Cooking School Cook Book.
Enjoy some fudgy, warm brownies. Be sure to invite friends and family to enjoy them with you, too! Pour a glass of milk and maybe add a scoop of ice cream. Share your recipes and celebrations by using #NationalBrownieday on social media.
National Cookie Day on December 4th serves up a sweet treat. Bakers across the country warm up the ovens for holiday baking, and we enjoy giving tins of cookies to friends and family all season long. We can thank the Dutch for more than windmills and tulips.
The English word “cookie” is derived from the Dutch word koekie, meaning “little cake.”Hard cookie-like wafers have existed for as long as baking has been documented. Not surprisingly, they traveled well, too. However, they were usually not sweet enough to be considered cookies by modern-day standards.
The origin of the cookie appears to begin in Persia in the 7th century, soon after the use of sugar became common in the region. They then spread to Europe through the Muslim conquest of Spain. Cookies were common at all levels of society throughout Europe by the 14th century, from the royal cuisine to the street vendors.
Cookies arrived in America in the 17th century. Macaroons and gingerbread cookies were among the popular early American cookies.
In most English-speaking countries outside of North America, the most common word for cookie is “biscuit.” In some regions, both terms, cookies, and biscuits are used.
Cookies are classified into different categories, with the most common ones being:
Bar cookies – Drop cookies – Filled cookies Molded cookies – No bake cookies Pressed cookies – Refrigerator cookies Rolled cookies – Sandwich cookies
NATIONAL COOKIE DAY HISTORY
In 1976, Sesame Street included National Cookie Day on its calendar for the first time on November 26th. The Cookie Monster also proclaimed his own National Cookie Day in the 1980 book The Sesame Street Dictionary.
Then in 1987, Matt Nader of the Blue Chip Cookie Company out of San Francisco created Cookie Day, celebrating it on December 4th.
Pick up some cookies at your local bakery. Remember to share some of your cookies with your family and friends! A great way to get started is by making a list of your favorite cookies to bake and enjoy. Then organize your baking tools and start your assembly line.
