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Snowcare for the Troops week (Previously in November) encourages volunteers to help clear snow and ice from the homes of families of deployed, deceased, elderly, or injured veterans. Call (888) 611.2955 to participate in your area, either as someone needing help or volunteering. Greencare for the Troops is the summer initiative.

Africa

Jan

Snowmobile Safety & Awareness Week: January 22-29

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Snowmobile Safety & Awareness Week raises awareness about snowmobile safety. Promoted by the International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association (ISMA), snowmobile safety is a pressing issue, with over 1.2 million registered snowmobiles in the United States.

Africa

Jan

Social Security Check Day (1940): January 31

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Social Security Check Day marks the anniversary of the first Social Security check issued in the United States on January 31, 1940, to Ida May Fuller for $22.54. Its number, 00-000-001, reflected this. Miss Fuller had filed her retirement claim on November 4 of the previous year, having worked under Social Security for almost three years. Social Security continues as a vital part of the United States' retirement program for senior citizens and a safety net for the disabled.

Africa

Jan

Someday We'll Laugh About this Week: January 2-8

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A reminder of the healing power of laughter and the need not to take life too seriously, "Someday We'll Laugh About This" is a universal statement of coping. Why wait? Laugh today. This event began in 1977.

Africa

Jan

Soup Month, Ntl.: January

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January is the National Soup Month in the United States. Soups have been an essential component of cuisine for centuries in every culture. Cold or hot, spicy or not, sweet or salty, soups are versatile, economical, hearty, and healthy.

Africa

Jan

Space—Year of Open Science: 2023

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The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) joins the champions list this year, declaring 2023 as the Year of Open Science.

This year's focus is to promote adopting open science principles and best practices, accelerate discovery, and increase participation from historically underrepresented demographics in science.

Africa

Jan

Spaghetti Day, Ntl.: January 4

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National Spaghetti Day celebrates the round wheat noodle known as spaghetti. The ancient Greeks first wrote about spaghetti nearly 3,000 years ago. Later the lauded Roman statesman and poet Cicero documented his love for spaghetti and his propensity to overindulge. When archaeologists uncovered the remains of the Mount Vesuvius and Mount Etna eruptions of the first century, they found spaghetti and the instruments used to make the pasta. During this period, and well before the Islamic era, Arab cultures of the Gulf and Levant fashioned dried pasta in strips. Arabians of western Asia were nomadic peoples who shared their version of dried pasta throughout East, South, and West Asia. When Islam conquered Sicily in June 827 AD, the culinary arts of Europe and Asia met. To this day, they share similarities in cuisine. During the 12th century, Abu Abdullah Mohammed al Idrisi wrote of the importance of spaghetti to Sicilian culture in "The Book of Roger," noting specifically the town of Trabia in Sicily. Here, the natives made the dough using hard wheat into long strands that they then exported to other areas. A century later, Marco Polo traveled to and lived for several years in China, and he may have carried spaghetti with him. The Chinese also create noodles, not from wheat but rice. For some reason, the legend persists that Marco Polo brought pasta to Europe. No, the Greeks ate it first. What about the red sauce now associated with spaghetti? Tomatoes arrived in Europe from Central and South America via the Spanish Conquistadors during the 16th century. The Aztec word "xitomati" is the original name. It would take a while for the funky fruit to catch on, nearly 200 years. Legend suggests its popularity soared after being rumored to be an aphrodisiac in aristocratic circles. The French called tomatoes "love apples." Tomatoes proliferate quickly, making them accessible to ordinary people. By the mid-18th century, this inexpensive and easy-to-grow food became a staple in southern European diets. However, the sauce would not be complete until the mid-19th century, when India's contribution of fresh basil was added. Therefore, if you sit down to a plate of spaghetti today, thank the Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Aztecs, Spanish, Indians, and Italians. Your plate of pleasure is 3,000 years and three continents in the making!

Africa

Jan

Spouse's Day: January 26

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Spouse's Day in the United States demonstrates gratitude and appreciation for the man or woman who stands beside you, your spouse, through thick and thin.

Africa

Jan

Spring Festival Holiday (CN): January 21 - 27

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THE SPRING FESTIVAL The dates shown are for the official national holiday. The Spring Festival, a major holiday, is the name for the 15 days between Chinese New Year's Eve and the Festival of Lanterns. It is revered like Christmas in the west or the Eid holidays in the Islamic world. Nationally, it is a whole week's celebration. During the Spring Festival, gifts and red packets of money in even number denominations are exchanged. Families travel to be together; holiday foods are prepared on Chinese New Year's Eve. That night's feast is the "reunion dinner" and the most important holiday meal. Retailers go crazy with specials leading up to and during the festivities. Activities culminate on the 15th day with the Lantern Festival, marking the end of the annual Chinese New Year Celebration. For organizations with business interests in China, block out the week leading up to and the first seven days of the Spring Festival. Getting anyone to pay much attention will be challenging, and celebration is the theme. Each day of the Spring Festival has a different activity. Day one is the welcoming of the deities with firecrackers, dragon dancing, and a vegetarian diet. On day two, married daughters visit their parents. Day three is Red Mouth Day, and paper is burned, symbolizing the destruction of wrath. It is considered very unlucky to visit or have guests on this day. Day four features dinners hosted by employers. Businesses go back to work. Day five features birthday celebrations for the god of wealth. Firecrackers light the sky, ensuring his favor, good fortune, and prosperity in the year ahead. Day six is a day of rest. Day seven is the universal birthday, where everyone becomes one year older, regardless of their actual birthday. Buddhists will avoid meeting people, and non-Buddhists will eat a raw fish salad to promote wealth and prosperity in the year ahead. Day eight focuses on family dinners, with companies hosting lunch or dinner to celebrate the birth of the Jade Emperor. In the hours leading up to midnight, burning incense and food offerings make their way to the shrines of the Jade Emperor. Should a family fail to make offerings, the kitchen god reports their lack of adherence to the Jade Emperor. Day nine is a day for prayers and offerings to the Jade Emperor. Days ten through twelve host parties for the Jade Emperor. Day 13 is vegetarian, a day designed to cleanse the stomach. Prayers, offerings, and tributes to the Chinese god of war, General Guan Yu of the Han Dynasty, take center stage. Day 14 is open. The final day features the Shangyuan Festival of Lanterns. People eat traditional Chinese foods like rice dumplings, rice ball soup, and candies. Traditionally, families stroll the town carrying colorful lanterns.

Africa

Jan

Squirrel Day: January 21

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Squirrel Day, or Squirrel Appreciation Day, expresses our love for the little, nut-eating rascals. Squirrels are an essential part of the ecosystem and provide hours of joy to those lucky enough to watch them go about their day. This event was created in 2001 by Christy Hargrove of the Wild North Carolina Nature Center.

Africa

Jan

Stalking Awareness Month, Ntl.: January

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National Stalking Awareness Month in the United States aims to raise awareness of stalking. Stalking is a serious social issue that happens more often than most realize. Most stalking victims keep it to themselves or fail to realize it is happening. Stalking often leads to rape, murder, blackmail, and theft. Stalking Awareness Month reminds people of the problem and urges us to learn the warning signs.

Africa

Jan

Static Electricity Day: January 9

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Static Electricity Day celebrates static electricity's oft-amusing and somewhat annoying physical effect. Whether you've zapped your hand on a doorknob or had your hair flip out after removing a scarf or a hat, we've all experienced this interesting phenomenon. Check Science Made Simple's article on static electricity to see how exactly this works and why it happens: http://www.sciencemadesimple.com/static.html

Africa

Jan

Stephen Foster Day (1864): January 13

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Stephen Foster Day is a historic anniversary marking his death on January 13, 1864. Born on July 4, 1826, Stephen Foster is an American songwriter known as 'the father of American music. Foster wrote over 200 parlor and minstrel songs, including "Oh! Susana," "Camptown Races," "Old Folks at Home," "My Old Kentucky Home," "Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair," "Old Black Joe." and "Beautiful Dreamer." His work continues to live on as a part of childhood and the American experience.

Africa

Jan

Sticker Day, Ntl (1907): January 13

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Today is the birthday of Ray Stanton Avery, January 13, 1907. Avery invented the first self-adhesive labels for pricing, known as the Kum Kleen Pricer Stickers. This single invention grew into the company we know today as Avery Dennison Corporation. From the humble price sticker developed, an entire industry of commercial and copyrighted colorful stickers, ranging from gold stars and smiley faces to well-known cartoons and characters. National Sticker Day celebrates the contributions of Avery to commerce and popular culture and occurs annually on the day of his birth. Avery died on December 12, 1997.

Africa

Jan

Stock Exchange Holiday (NYSE Closed): January 16

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Stock Market Holidays are days when the stock exchange is closed, and no trading occurs.

Africa