What to Celebrate December 17 to 23, 2018
Celebration Ideas for December 17 – 23, 2018
There’s just over 2 weeks left in the month. And the year!
So whether you’re gearing up for Christmas or for Kwanzaa … or your celebrations are already over … let’s make the most of these last few days of the year.
Enjoy your time with family and friends. Eat well. Drink well (and responsibly!). And savor the season.
(And for heaven’s sake, stop stressing over “perfection”. It doesn’t exist).
So yes, let’s take a peek and plan our week. And most of all …
Enjoy!
Celebrate for the rest of December
For the rest of December we experiment with fruits & vegetables we may not normally eat.
We also vow to always drive sober and buy only safe toys & gifts.
National Impaired Driving Prevention Month: A reminder to not drink and drive … no matter how many holiday parties you need to juggle in one evening.
Root Vegetables and Exotic Fruits Month: Kick up your holiday menu with some root vegetables and exotic fruits. Now some root vegetables are already staples for holiday meals—mashed potatoes & sweet potato casserole, for example—but consider adding a few less common roots this year. Like parsnips, turnips, and celery root (celery root is not celery!). And experiment with exotic fruits for dessert or a snack. Mangosteen, persimmon, or dragonfruit, anyone? We’d suggest staying away from the horrendously stinky Durian, unless you’re trying to get your guests out of the house in a hurry! Here are a couple of recipes you might like (with slightly more common exotic fruits).
And as we head into the final week before Christmas, we remind you of Safe Toys & Gifts Month once more. We hope you’ve bought only safe gifts so far. Make sure any last-minute items you buy are also safe.
Weekly Celebrations for Dec. 17 – 23
This week is all about the holiday season!
Las Posadas (December 16 – 24, 2018): This 9-day Latin American tradition reenacts the Christmas story of Mary and Joseph, with each day representing one month of Mary’s pregnancy.
Saturnalia (December 17 – 23, 2018): This is a Roman celebration of their agricultural god Saturn. And while you may not believe in Saturn (the god, not the planet!), you can still enjoy the myth. Besides, if you celebrate Christmas you may already have most of your decorating done for this celebration … wreaths, and lights, and such. Then you just wear bright clothes & have parties. Yep … that sounds a lot like lots of Christmas traditions. And that makes sense since many of those traditions came from Saturnalia!
Celebration Days coming up for Dec. 17 thru Dec. 23
Celebrations tend to slow down for December, especially as we get closer to Christmas. But there’s still plenty of fun & deliciousness to be had.
And the 21st is an oddly busy day!
So dig in to date nut bread, oatmeal muffins, and roast suckling pig. Give wine, sip sangria, and pour on the maple syrup. Don’t forget the ugly Christmas sweaters!
And if you’re flying this season, commemorate the Wright brothers’ 1st successful flight. It was much shorter than yours is likely to be (120 feet in 12 seconds), but it still paved the way for you to fly across the country (or the world) to visit family & friends.
There’s lots more to distract you from all the holiday preparations still left undone too. So call it all good enough, stop stressing, and have another fun-tastic week!
December 17:
Wright Brothers Day: This day commemorates the Wright Brothers’ successful flight in a fixed-wing airplane … the first one ever. It happened at Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina on Dec. 17, 1903, and Orville was at the controls. Each year since 1963 the president has issued a proclamation for the day. This day is different from Aviation Day, which also celebrates the brothers (on Orville’s birthday) but also all things aviation.
National Maple Syrup Day: Cover everything you eat with mapley goodness in honor of this day! Or at least make a breakfast you can enjoy with maple syrup, like French toast or waffles. Or this pancake recipe.
Clean Air Day: Commemorate the 55th anniversary of the passage of the Clean Air Act.
December 18:
Give a Wine Club Day: Not sure what to get that person who has everything this Christmas? If your hard-to-buy-for friend/family member likes wine, then a wine club membership is perfect! Depending on what you can afford (and how much you like the person ;) ) you can give anywhere from a 1-month membership up to a whole year. Not sure where to find a wine club? Wine Folly offers a terrific guide.
National Roast Suckling Pig Day: If you’re feeling ambitious, try roasting a tiny pig for this day. Here’s a detailed recipe to try. But you’ll want to plan ahead, because it calls for 12-24 hours of brining. Or find a restaurant that serves it. You might be surprised at where you can find one near you (but order ahead!).
December 19:
National Oatmeal Muffin Day: Start your hump day right with a hearty oatmeal muffin for breakfast. No other kind of muffin will do for National Oatmeal Muffin Day! But you can add extras to your oatmeal muffins … blueberries, bananas, chocolate chips … whatever your taste buds desire!
National Hard Candy Day: After your healthy muffin (it was healthy right?), treat yourself with a piece or 2 of your favorite hard candy. So what’s your weakness? Butterscotch? Peppermint? Spearmint? Fruity flavors? … Did you know that one kind of hard candy, the lollipop, was named after a racehorse? Its name was Lolly Pop.
December 20:
National Sangria Day: Whip up a batch of your favorite sangria in the morning and it’ll be ready for you to enjoy by the end of your (no doubt busy) day! And if you happen to be hosting a party, well you know what to serve.
National Regifting Day: On the Thursday before Christmas we give away gifts we have received but don’t like with the hope our giftees will find them more pleasing. Or maybe we’re just trying to get that ugly thing out of the house … although that doesn’t really fit with the spirit of the season!
International Human Solidarity Day: This UN-created day asks us to “celebrate our unity in diversity.” Because while we’re all different, we share many more similarities. And only by working together can we make a better world … for ourselves and especially our children.
Mudd Day: This day celebrates … uhhh, honors … no, commemorates … ok, remembers the birth of Dr. Samuel Mudd. Why the confusion? Because Dr. Mudd treated John Wilkes Booth after he had assassinated President Lincoln. And then he didn’t report the visit even after learning of the president’s assassination, so he was accused and convicted of conspiring in the murder. He was later pardoned, but his conviction still stands.
December 21:
Winter Solstice: Celebrate the shortest day of the year and the astronomical start to winter. We also get to look forward to more daylight in the coming days … although it won’t be obvious for a while yet!
National Flashlight Day: On the shortest day of the year we also celebrate the flashlight … coincidence?! We think not! So use a flashlight to help illuminate this long, dark night.
National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day: Do you have a favorite ugly Christmas sweater? Wear it proudly for this day! And in the spirit of the season, encourage your fellow ugly Christmas sweater lovers (and haters!) to donate to Save the Children’s “Make the World Better with a Sweater” campaign. The founders of this day have partnered with the charity for the past few years and have a donation link on the website.
International Dalek Remembrance Day: The Daleks made their debut in the Whovian universe on this date in 1963. How to celebrate? Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!
Ann and Samantha Day: Join the effort to get Anne Frank and Samantha Smith featured on USPS stamps.
Underdog Day: On the 3rd Friday in December we celebrate the underdog. Peter Moeller created Underdog Day in 1976 to honor the “little guy,” the “long shot,” the unsung heroes who triumph despite the odds … the underdog!
Crossword Puzzle Day: Crossword puzzle lovers! Celebrate the anniversary of the very 1st crossword puzzle published in a newspaper. It was December 21, 1913, and the paper was the New York World. Do an extra crossword puzzle (or 2 or 3) to celebrate.
December 22:
National Date Nut Bread Day: Yum! Dates & nuts in a sweet, spicy bread. Bake a loaf & enjoy. This is a quick bread, so there’s no kneading & rising & all that fuss. Just mix, pour, & bake. This stuff’s so good it has 2 days each year! Here’s a yummy-looking recipe to try.
December 23:
National Pfeffernusse Day: Indulge in the small, spiced cookies with the strange name for this day! You can buy some good ones, but if you’ve got the time, make them yourself! Here’s a pfeffernusse recipe for you.
Festivus: This rather wacky holiday tradition became popular with Seinfeld fans after it appeared in “The Strike” in 1997. But the actual Festivus idea began with Daniel O’Keefe, father to Seinfeld writer Dan O’Keefe, back in 1966. No matter how it started, on this day you must gather ‘round your Festivus pole and celebrate!
HumanLight: This secular answer to the holiday season celebrates the vision of a “happy, just and peaceful future for our world …”. This seems like a worthy goal no matter your religious beliefs, or lack thereof.
