NATIONAL FRAGRANCE DAY      

Spring is now in the air, and so is National Fragrance Day. Each year on March 21st, let your favorite scents lift your mood or carry you to another place.  

Have you ever been transported back in time simply by catching the scent of a loved one’s perfume? Or perhaps it was the smell of baby powder on a newborn that sent you reeling back to the days when your child was an infant. Maybe it was a combination of ginger and molasses, and suddenly you were in your grandmother’s kitchen.

Whatever the fragrance, scents, and memory are powerfully linked. We associate summer with the smell of freshly cut grass, thunderstorms with the smell of the damp air, and the acrid scent of sulfur when lightning has struck. We often connect memories of winter holidays with warm spiced pies and cookies.

Fragrance and Science 

The brain is an amazing thing, and science finds out more about it every day. Simply put, the olfactory bulb which is responsible for processing all those smells we take in is next to the hippocampus deep inside the brain. Neuroscientists have discovered that one of the responsibilities of the hippocampus is creating new memories. Research suggests smell and memory are closely related since the olfactory bulb and the hippocampus are adjacent to each other.

Our memories are most nearly linked to those we have loved. Your first love may have worn a unique botanical fragrance, or perhaps the uncle who taught you to tie intricate knots smelled of cedar as he told war stories. While we may often take a trip down memory lane by looking at a scrapbook, perhaps this time remembering our favorite fragrances will stir up memories that were long forgotten, or maybe we will make some new ones.

NATIONAL FRAGRANCE DAY HISTORY

In the early 1980s, perfume manufacturers launched National Fragrance Day to celebrate all the ways scents can improve our lives. 

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HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalFragranceDay

  • Find some new ways to enjoy your sense of smell.
  • Wear your favorite fragrance or find a new one. 
  • Light a candle or replace a wax melt.
  • Add fragrant oil to your bath.
  • Remember that a scent can improve a mood or become a signature style.
  • Place a bouquet of flowers in a vase to bring a floral fragrance to the room.
  • Shop our Fragrance Store for Her, Him, Home and Auto.
  • Use #NationalFragranceDay to post on social media. 

ST. PATRICK’S DAY

St. Patrick’s Day kicks off a worldwide celebration also known as the Feast of St. Patrick. On March 17th, many will wear green in honor of the Irish and decorate with shamrocks. According to lore, the wearing of the green tradition dates back to a story written about St. Patrick in 1726. St. Patrick (c. AD 385–461) used the shamrock to illustrate the Holy Trinity and worn green clothing. And while the story is unlikely to be true, many will revel in the Irish heritage and eat traditional Irish fare, too. 

In the United States, St. Patrick’s Day has been celebrated since before the country was formed. At times, the holiday has been a bit more of a rowdy one, with green beer, parades, and talk of leprechauns. However, in Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day takes on a more solemn mood. It wasn’t until events in the United States broadcast in Ireland that some of the Yankee ways spread across the pond. One Irish-American tradition not common to Ireland is corned beef and cabbage. 

Dont forget to try Irish Skillet, great for a family meal any day of the year. End it all with an Irish Coffee. If you’re heading to a pub try the green beer. Want more? Try music by Celtic Woman, if you’re in the neighborhood, McGuire’s Irish Pub will be resuming some activities too.

My family has strong decendants from Ireland, so yes laddie, my redhair and freckle kissed ivory skin are testament to my Irish ancestry. While born and raised here my parents were also born and raised here in the U.S. With the exception of crafting ginger beer and our utter delight when mom makes corn beef and cabbage, what we know of Irish culture came from research. First in books then later as available on computer.

SAINT PATRICK’S DAY HISTORY

The Feast of St. Patrick started in the early 17th-century. The day marks the death of St. Patrick and was chosen as an official Christian feast day and is observed by the Catholic Church. The day is also a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the British Overseas Territory of Montserrat. It is also widely celebrated by the Irish diaspora around the world, especially in Great Britain, Canada, the United States, Argentina, Australia, and New Zealand.

HOW TO OBSERVE #StPatricksDay

Remember to wear green. Read up about St. Patrick’s Day and cook up an Irish feast! Use #StPatricksDay to post on social media.

NATIONAL KANSAS DAY

On March 15, National Kansas Day recognizes The Sunflower State.
Magnificent herds of bison, elk, mule deer and antelope roamed the vast open plains populated by Cherokee, Osage, Pawnee and many other tribes. The region became a part of the United States with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803.

Generations of travelers came to Kansas as the country expanded. From the Corps of Discover in 1804 to the Pony Express, all the roads in Kansas seemed to point westward.
Railroads brought rapid settlement to the territory and with it the divisive decision for citizens regarding statehood. Would Kansas be free or slave? The debates turned so vicious, the territory earned the name “Bleeding Kansas” before entering the union as the 34th state and free.

Official Kansas Symbols

State Capital – Topeka
State Motto – Ad Astra Per Aspera
State Nickname – The Sunflower State
State Bird – Western Meadowlark
State Fish –
State Tree – Cottonwood
State Song – Home on the Range
State Animal – American Buffalo
State Reptile – Ornate Box Turtle
State Insect – Honeybee
State Beverage –
State Fruit –
State Grass – Little Bluestem Grass
State Flower – Wild Native Sunflower
State Amphibian – Barred Tiger Salamander
State Soil – Harney Silt Loam
State Dessert –

With the railroads, ranching, livestock, and agriculture grew. The verdant, fertile soil of the Kansas farmland made the state the Breadbasket of the World.
Frank L. Baum even depicted farm life for one young girl named Dorothy in his books about a place called Oz. 

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz took the world by storm, especially when Hollywood put Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr, Frank Morgan, Margaret Hamilton and Billie Burke in the cast. There was indeed no place like home, no place like Kansas.

Hidden Treasures

Coronado Heights Castle – Lindsborg

Dorothy’s House and Land of Oz – Liberal

World’s Largest Ball of Twine – Cawker City

Geographical Center of the Contiguous United States – Lebanon

World’s Largest Czech Egg – Wilson

One of the most critical decisions in Civil Rights history took place in Topeka, Kansas. The appeal of Brown vs. the Board of Education was brought before the Supreme Court of the United States in 1954. What had started with groups of parents and teachers in all-black schools in communities across the country had finally culminated in a final decision. Separate but equal violated the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

Kansas Flavor

Bierocks
Grebble
Lefse
Loose meat Sandwhich
Corn on the Cob
Zwieback
Fried Chicken
BBQ
Chicken and noodles
Sour Cream & Raisin Pie


Famous


Bessie Anderson Stanley – Writer – (1879 – 1952)

Bessie Anderson Stanley - He Has Achieved Success - 11x14 Unframed Typography Book Page Print - Great Gift and Decor for Poets, Artists and Home Under $15

by Personalized Signs by Lone Star Art
Bessie Anderson Stanley – He Has Achieved Success – 11×14 Unframed Typography Book Page Print – Great Gift and Decor for Poets, Artists and Home Under $15

by Personalized Signs by Lone Star Art

Clarence Batchelor – Cartoonist – (April 1, 1888 – September 5, 1977)


Hattie McDaniel – Actress – (June 10, 1895 – October 26, 1952)

Hattie: The Life of Hattie McDaniel Kindle Edition

by Carlton Jackson  (Author)
Hattie: The Life of Hattie McDaniel Kindle Edition

by Carlton Jackson  (Author)

Buster Keaton – Actor – (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966)

The Buster Keaton Collection - Volume 1 (The General / Steamboat Bill, Jr.) [Blu-ray]

Blu-ray

Buster Keaton (Actor, Director, Writer), Marion Mack (Actor), & 2 more
The Buster Keaton Collection – Volume 1 (The General / Steamboat Bill, Jr.) [Blu-ray]

Blu-ray

Buster Keaton (Actor, Director, Writer), Marion Mack (Actor), & 2 more

Amelia Earhart – Aviator – (July 24, 1897 – January 5, 1939)


Aaron Douglas – Painter – (May 26, 1899 – February 2, 1979)

Aaron Douglas: Art, Race, and the Harlem Renaissance Paperback – June 1, 1995

by Amy Helene Kirschke (Author)
Aaron Douglas: Art, Race, and the Harlem Renaissance Paperback – June 1, 1995

by Amy Helene Kirschke (Author)

William Inge – Playwright – (May 3, 1913 – June 10, 1973)

Life of William Inge: The Strains of Triumph Hardcover – June 1, 1989

by Ralph F. Voss  (Author)
Life of William Inge: The Strains of Triumph Hardcover – June 1, 1989

by Ralph F. Voss  (Author)

Gwendolyn Brooks – Poet – (June 7, 1917 – December 3, 2000)

The Essential Gwendolyn Brooks: (American Poets Project #19) Hardcover – November 17, 2005

by Gwendolyn Brooks (Author), Elizabeth Alexander (Editor)
The Essential Gwendolyn Brooks: (American Poets Project #19) Hardcover – November 17, 2005

by Gwendolyn Brooks (Author), Elizabeth Alexander (Editor)

Charlie Parker – Saxophonist – (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955)


Robert Altman – Film Director – (February 20, 1925 – November 20, 2006)

Robert Altman: The Oral Biography by Zuckoff Mitchell (2009-10-20) Hardcover Hardcover 
Robert Altman: The Oral Biography by Zuckoff Mitchell (2009-10-20) Hardcover Hardcover 



Harrison Ford – Actor – (July 13, 1942 -)


Basil Poledouris – Composer – (August 21, 1945 – November 8, 2006)

The Film Music of Basil Poledouris

Basil Poledouris (Author) 
The Film Music of Basil Poledouris

Basil Poledouris (Author) 


Lynette Woodard – Basketball coach – (August 12, 1959 – )

Lynette Woodard: The First Female Globetrotter (Sports Stars) Paperback – October 1, 1986

by Bert Rosenthal  (Author)
Lynette Woodard: The First Female Globetrotter (Sports Stars) Paperback – October 1, 1986

by Bert Rosenthal  (Author)

Melissa Etheridge – Singer/Songwriter – (May 29, 1961 – )

The Truth Is... My Life in Love and Music Hardcover – June 19, 2001

by Melissa Etheridge  (Author), Laura Morton  (Author)
The Truth Is… My Life in Love and Music Hardcover – June 19, 2001

by Melissa Etheridge  (Author), Laura Morton  (Author)

HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalKansasDay

Discover the trails and byways of Kansas! Follow the Yellow Brick Road, find an adventure and history or explore the back roads. Dive into barbeque while listening to live jazz. Celebrate National Kansas Day with us! Use #NationalKansasDay to share on social media.

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NATIONAL BAKED SCALLOPS DAY

March 12th is a food holiday celebrating a popular delicacy, the scallop.  National Baked Scallops Day celebrates the unique Flavor and enjoyment of this shellfish.

Scallops are a cosmopolitan family and can be found in all of the world’s oceans.  They are one of the most popular shellfish in the world and highly prized as a food source.

There are two fleshy parts of the scallop that are usually sold at market for human consumption. The adductor muscle is the white medallion of meat which is rich and sweet. This is the piece that is most familiar as the  “scallop” we see on a menu.

There is also the coral or the roe which can range in color from pale coral to bright orange. This crescent-shaped piece is usually discarded before the scallop is sold at market because it may contain toxins. However, sometimes it is sold attached to the adductor muscle. It is bitter and some say it cuts the richness of the rest of the scallop.

These meaty mollusks are very low in fat and are delicious prepared in a variety of ways.  Baking them omits much of the butter and fat that otherwise go into cooking this lean, white seafood.

Baked scallops are often found served as a delicious entree, however, they are also known and loved as an appetizer.

Explore More Seafood?

HOW TO OBSERVE

Try baking some scallops at home.

Use #BakedScallopsDay to post on social media.

NATIONAL BARBIE DAY

On March 9th, National Barbie Day celebrates an iconic toy that premiered on this day in 1959. Barbie debuted at the American International Toy Fair in New York. 

March 9th, 1959 also celebrates Barbie’s official birthday.

In 1959, Ruth Handler created the Barbie doll and launched an American icon. Barbie’s full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts, and she came with a full array of accessories. While toymakers mass-produced toys for years, before Barbie, none of them had adult features. Barbie’s adult features made the toy a first of its kind. Interestingly, Barbie’s marketing strategy relied on television advertising. For example, Barbie was the sole sponsor of the Mickey Mouse Club, marketing directly to children. At the time, the approach was unique. Estimates place over a billion Barbie dolls have been sold worldwide in over 150 countries. 

Detractors often criticize Barbie for being an unattainable ideal of a woman. While her figure alone is unrealistic, over the years, Barbie evolved both in style and shape. In 2019, the Barbie brand honored pioneering women across several eras, as well. The modern Barbie offers positive role models in business, science, education, and more. Barbie continues to change, year after year, keeping up with the styles and the headlines.

In 1961, Mattel introduce Ken Carson as Barbie’s boyfriend.

Barbie has several sisters. However, Barbie’s family dynamic keeps changing. These are the sisters that Mattel has released in various forms:

  • Kelly
  • Chelsea
  • Skipper
  • Stacie
  • Krissy

In 1998, the Toy Hall of Fame inducted Barbie into its hallowed halls. The toy joined hundreds of other famous toys, some of which National Day Calendar celebrates throughout the year. Some of those include the Duncan yoyo, chess, and Radio Flyer wagon. 

HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL BARBIE DAY