A member of the Hickory family, the pecan is native to the central and southern United States. “Pecan” is an Algonquian word, meaning a nut requiring a stone to crack. They are an excellent source of copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, zinc, and vitamin E. Pecans can help reduce LDL cholesterol and increase HDL cholesterol levels in the blood. They are also rich in dietary fiber. Pecans make great snacks all on their own, but they also make terrific garnishes for other foods such as desserts, salads, or the main meal. Sweet or savory, pecans can add a little glamor to a dish or be the star of the show.
Whether you want to grow vegetables, fruit, flowers, houseplants, or anything in between, National Gardening Day celebrates a satisfying pastime that you will enjoy for decades. Growing your own food also provides fresh and natural nourishment for your family and saves you time and money at the grocery store. As many gardeners know, the benefits of gardening come from more than the produce. Spending time in the garden also provides physical activity and an opportunity to join nature. The day is a call to action to get out and grow flower or vegetable gardens. No matter how you garden, plant in the ground, in containers, in straw bales, or in a square-foot gardening box. Just garden!
National Thomas Jefferson Day each year on April 13th honors the birth of the third President of The United States, Thomas Jefferson, who was born on April 13, 1743.
National Pet Day is April 11, although if you’re a pet owner, you know there’s not a day that goes by that you don’t celebrate your animal companion! So hug your hedgehog, bond with your bunny, and cut your kitty some catnip! That critter makes you happy.
We celebrate National Dandelion Day on April 5. Dandelions belong to a large genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. It is also an edible flower and was once native to Eurasia. Now dandelions are found all over the world. Travelers from Europe introduced the plants to North America. Dandelion is a perennial plant that is known to endure harsh conditions. The sight of dandelion seeds gliding with the wind to reach new lands to grow is inspiring and scenic. We are spending this day celebrating the unique qualities of the flower and the versatile traits that helped it thrive all over the world.
Rats are so smart that some people keep them as pets. Besides being easy to care for, rats are easily tamed. Rats are also very curious, social, and full of personality. These characteristics make these rodents excellent pets. Rat owners should know that like most pets, these animals need their exercise. Owners should take them out of the cage at least once a day for about an hour.
Spring is coming on strong and, according to the calendar, is technically already here by the time this month rolls around. And for those who have not already begun looking at planting this year’s garden–it’s time to get a move on right away! The changing weather promises good growing seasons very soon and National Garden Month encourages people in the northern hemisphere to get out and start preparing that soil. Those who haven’t been able to find the motivation should take a moment to let the smell and taste of freshly grown tomatoes tempt, or the sweet taste that can’t be seen from anything other than homegrown cucumbers, and strawberries. Depending on the particular location in the world, National Garden Month is the perfect chance to get out and start preparing the garden, tilling the soil, or planting seeds for everything that will be growing this year!
National Weed Appreciation Day on March 28th each year reminds us that some weeds are beneficial to us and our ecosystem. Humans have used weeds for food and herbs for much of recorded history. Some are edible and nutritious, while other weeds have medicinal value.
Native to China, giant pandas are members of the Bear (Ursidae) family. Their rapidly shrinking habitat is a major cause for concern. As an endangered species, successful panda breeding programs are rare. In the wild, there are approximately only 1,864 (according to the World Wide Fund for Nature) and 100 living in zoos around the world. With their white face and black eyes and body, panda bears are easily identifiable. However, their black-and-white coloring was designed for their natural habitat. They disappear into the snowy mountains and temperate forests of southwest China. And despite their sweet disposition, they tend to isolate themselves in the wild. They eat mostly plants and do not hibernate in the winter like many other bears.
The Star-Spangled Banner at Dealey Plaza, Dallas, Texas
National Anthem Day commemorates the day the United States adopted “The Star-Spangled Banner” as its National Anthem. Written by Francis Scott Key, the “Star-Spangled Banner” became the National Anthem in 1931.
The story behind “The Star-Spangled Banner” is as moving as the anthem itself. While an attorney, Key was serving in the Georgetown Light Field Artillery during the War of 1812. In 1814, his negotiation skills as a lawyer were called upon to release Dr. William Beane, a prisoner on the British naval ship, Tonnant. Early in September, Key traveled to Baltimore in the company of Colonel John Skinner to begin negotiations. While Key and Skinner secured Beane’s release, the British navy had begun attacking Baltimore. The trio waited at sea to return to Georgetown. Fort McHenry is built on a peninsula of the Patapsco River. Just across the Northwest Branch is the city of Baltimore. In 1814, the population of Baltimore was roughly 50,000 people, hardly the metropolis it is today. The country itself was still young, and often families of soldiers lived nearby, providing support to their soldiers.
The British navy abandoned Baltimore and turned their full attention to Fort McHenry on September 13th. As the 190-pound shells began to shake the fort, mother nature brought a storm of her own. Thunder and rain pelted the shore along with the bombs and shells. Throughout the night, parents, wives, and children in their homes could hear and feel the bomb blasts across the way. There were reports of the explosions being felt as far away as Philadelphia. It was a long night of fear, worry, and providing comfort for one another. At sea, Key had a similar night. Being a religious man, one who believed the war could have been avoided, he watched the bombs bursting in the air over the water and steadily pummeling Fort McHenry. It was undoubtedly a sight to behold. For 25 hours, the star-shaped fort manned by approximately 1,000 American soldiers endured over 1,500 cannon shots. The Fort answered with almost no effect.
In the early morning of September 14th, after Major George Armistead’s troops stopped the British landing party in a blaze of gunfire, the major ordered the oversized American flag raised in all its glory over Fort McHenry. Sewn a few months before by Mary Pickersgill and her daughter, the enormous banner replaced the storm flag, which had flown during battle. As Key waited at sea for dawn to break and smoke to clear, imagine the inspiring sight in the silence of the morning to see his country’s flag fully unfurled against the breaking of the day and the fort standing firm. Key was so moved by the experience he immediately began penning the lyrics to a song which were later published by his brother-in-law as a poem titled “Defence of Fort M’Henry.”
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The Star Spangled Banner
O say can you see, by the dawn’s early light, What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming, Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight, O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming? And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there; O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
On the shore dimly seen through the mists of the deep, Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes, What is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep, As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses? Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam, In full glory reflected now shines in the stream: ‘Tis the star-spangled banner, O long may it wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
And where is that band who so vauntingly swore That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion, A home and a country, should leave us no more? Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps’ pollution. No refuge could save the hireling and slave From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave: And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave, O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
O thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand Between their loved homes and the war’s desolation. Blest with vict’ry and peace, may the Heav’n rescued land Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation! Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, And this be our motto: ‘In God is our trust.’ And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
National Cabbage Day on February 17th recognizes a delightful garden staple that provides some of the best recipes for the Celtic holidays coming up next month. It’s an excellent day to test your corned beef and cabbage skills alongside other delicious seasonal dishes.
Under The White Oak Leaves 