WORLD FLOUR DAY

On March 20th, World Flour Day recognizes the importance of flour in our daily diets and our health. In every part of the world, products made from flour provide daily sustenance for billions of people.

Flour is the main ingredient in delicious foods like pasta, cakes, pastries, bread, and biscuits. For thousands of years, humans have consumed grains ground into flour. Ancient humans gathered the oat kernels growing wild around them. Using a stone tool much like a pestle, they crushed the kernels into a coarse flour.

Today, we continue to enjoy many varieties of domesticated grains. In the Northern Hemisphere, many farms prepare to plant these grain crops around March 20th. The earth is warming and ready to grow. In the Southern Hemisphere, autumn has arrived. The grains have ripened, and harvest is beginning.

The day honors the farmers and millers, shippers and truckers, processors and bakers who bring the white gold to our tables. It’s a day for gratitude, and one of hope as the seeds are sown, and harvests are reaped.

WORLD FLOUR DAY HISTORY

The Flour World Museum founded World Flour Day on March 20th in 2019 to celebrate the global significance of flour in our daily lives.

About the Flour World Museum

The Flour World Museum in Wittenburg near Hamburg, Germany, has set itself the goal of creating a monument to flour in all its globe-spanning significance. After all, some 750 million tonnes of wheat flour are harvested each year and turned into a wide variety of foods.

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HOW TO OBSERVE #WorldFlourDay

  • Invite a friend for a meal made with flour. A whole-grain sandwich or a sweet pastry sounds delicious.
  • Don an apron and bake up some cookies; deliver them to your favorite farmer or co-worker.
  • Try a new recipe while you’re at it.
  • Learn about varieties of flour and try baking with one you’ve never used.
  • Practice making a rue. One of the key ingredients is flour, and it makes some of the most amazing sauces and soups.
  • What’s your favorite flour product? Tell us using #WorldFlourDay and share on social media.

National Flour Month

National Flour Month in March is a time to recognize the versatility of this ground staple kitchen item. Grab your apron and start celebrating!

It’s been thousands of years since humans learned they could mill wheat seed between stones into flour. While wheat is the most common variety of flour, corn, peas, potatoes, nuts, and other grains are also used to produce flour, too.

We use flour to make baked goods, pasta, crackers, pastries, and sauces. As a key ingredient in many recipes, flour fills canisters in a well-stocked kitchen.

A loaf of homemade bread would fill the home with an aroma of yeasty goodness in the middle of March. However, flour doesn’t limit us to bread baking. Perhaps we thicken a stew with freshly made noodles and wrap up the day with piping hot pie. Whatever we decide, we know with the right ingredients and the right amount of flour everything will be delicious.

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HOW TO OBSERVE

Select your favorite recipe and start baking. Use #NationalFlourMonth to share on social media.

The Velvet Heart of Winter: Amethyst, February’s Enchanting Birthstone

As February cloaks the world in a quiet, romantic hush, its birthstone emerges as a burst of regal color against the winter palette. Amethyst, with its captivating range from soft lilac to deep, velvety purple, is more than just a gem; it is a piece of the twilight sky crystallized. Its beauty lies in its serene yet profound hue—a color long associated with royalty, spirituality, and the delicate, introspective heart of winter. Whether catching the light in a delicate pendant or gleaming from a statement ring, amethyst possesses a quiet magnetism, a beauty that feels both ancient and intimately personal, making it a truly romantic gem for those born in the month of love.

The romanticism of amethyst is woven into its very legend. Ancient Greek mythology tells of the maiden Amethystos, who was spared from Dionysus’s wrath by the goddess Artemis, transforming her into a pure, clear quartz statue. Remorseful, Dionysus wept tears of wine, staining the quartz a magnificent purple, thus gifting the world the first amethyst. This tale imbues the stone with a narrative of protection, transformation, and passionate grace. It is a gem that speaks of serene devotion and the profound beauty that can arise from vulnerability and care, making it a deeply symbolic gift for lovers, a tangible whisper of a protective and enduring affection.

Beyond its poetic origins, amethyst carries centuries of rich symbolism. For millennia, it has been cherished as a “stone of sobriety,” believed by the ancients to ward off intoxication and clear the mind—a quality that lent it to being carved into goblets and worn by rulers seeking wisdom. This symbolism evolved into attributes of balance, peace, and spiritual wisdom. It is a gem that represents a calm mind and a pure heart, offering a symbolic anchor of clarity and inner strength. For the February-born, it serves as a personal talisman, encouraging introspection, humility, and a centered spirit amidst life’s storms.

In the realm of adornment, amethyst offers unparalleled versatility. Its availability in large, eye-catching crystals makes it perfect for bold cocktail rings and dramatic pendant stones, while its more delicate lavender shades lend themselves to ethereal, everyday jewelry. Paired with the cool sparkle of white diamonds or the warm glow of yellow gold, amethyst consistently captivates. It is a democratic gem—once as prized as rubies and sapphires in royal crowns, now accessible enough to be a beloved centerpiece in any jewelry collection, allowing its wearer to carry a touch of historic luxury and personal meaning.

Ultimately, to wear amethyst is to carry a piece of winter’s most mystical magic. It is the perfect emblem for February souls: a gem that balances the fiery passion of the heart with the cool, calming clarity of a thoughtful mind. It symbolizes a love that is deep, protective, and wise—a romance that goes beyond fleeting feeling to embody true understanding and tranquility. In its majestic purple depths, one finds the quiet beauty of a winter sunset, the rich tapestry of ancient myth, and a timeless invitation to embrace both serenity and strength.

NO INTERRUPTIONS DAY

No Interruptions Day on the last workday of the year sets aside the day to get organized for the new year by cleaning up your workspace without interruptions.  

This is the day set aside for cleaning out emails, tossing long-saved memos, and delegating those tasks that, well, just need to be delegated. Clear out those menial tasks that you dread. Get them finished and cleared off your to-do list. 

Everyone’s to-do list is different. The very nature of our job dictates what we consider organized and cleared workspace. One career may be facing new regulations while another looks at all new technology to learn. A day without interruption allows us to focus on big things and small. 

However, some people use this day to focus hard on those end-of-year tasks that always seem to slip through the cracks. Often these are the details of work one pushes off until the last minute. And today is that last minute.

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HOW TO OBSERVE #NoInterruptionsDay

Turn off the phone, ignore your e-mails, close your door, and enjoy the peace of no interruptions for a full day. You can do this, right? When you have reached that goal, use #NoInterruptionsDay to post on social media and tell the world how successful you were!