National Winnie-the-Pooh Day

Winnie-the-Pooh day is celebrated each year on January 18th, the birthday of the author, A.A. Milne. This day has been celebrated since 1986, but no one knows the origin of its creation. 

“Friendship," said Christopher Robin, "is a very comforting thing to have."

                                               ~A.A. Milne

The Winnie-the Pooh stories came about after Milne bought his son, Christopher Robin, a stuffed toy bear. The bear’s name was chosen after a black bear named Winnie which father and son saw at the London Zoo, plus a favorite swan named Pooh.  Because of Christopher Robin’s fascination with the bear at the zoo, A.A. Milne began crafting stories around his son's collection of stuffed animals. These tales first emerged in verse before being compiled into the classic 1926 book, Winnie-the-Pooh.

The stories take place in the  Hundred Acre Wood, which was inspired by Five Hundred Acre Wood in Ashdown Forest in East Sussex—30 miles south of London—where the Londoner Milne's country home was located.

The enduring appeal of Winnie-the-Pooh characters lies in their ability to mirror deeply human traits through a lens of innocence and simplicity. Today, their popularity continues to grow as they represent universal archetypes that resonate across all ages. 

Image courtesy of TatianaDm on Pixabay

“Rivers know this: There is no hurry. We shall get there some day.”

                         —Winnie the Pooh

The Complete Tales and Poems of Winnie-the-Pooh

THE COMPLETE WINNIE-THE-POOH COLLECTION

• Winnie-the-Pooh
• The House at Pooh Corner
• When We Were Very Young
• Now We Are Six

All 4 of the Pooh books were illustrated by E. H. Shepard. You can find it here on Amazon. 

In the 1960s, Disney bought the rights to the Winnie-the-Pooh characters, dropping the hyphen from Pooh's name. The illustrations were a bit different, too.

Related Reviews:

• Disney Winnie The Pooh #21326 Lego Set Reviewed written by Sylvestermouse Cynthia
• Pooh’s Heffalump Halloween Movie Review for Children written by Sylvestermouse Cynthia

“You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think.”

                            —Christopher Robin

*Image description of the intro image: The Original Winnie-the-Pooh stuffed toys are located at the Donnell Library Centre in New York City. Clockwise from bottom left: Tigger, Kanga, Edward Bear "Winnie-the-Pooh", Eeyore, and Piglet. Roo was also one of them but got lost in the 1930s in an apple orchard somewhere in Sussex. Owl and Rabbit did not have plush toy originals.

*The story behind the holiday “National Winnie-the-Pooh Day” was written by Wednesday Elf

Winnie-the-Pooh (Illustrated): The 1926 Classic Edition with Original Illustrations

GUND Disney Official Winnie The Pooh Oh So Snuggly Plush, Teddy Bear Stuffed Animal for Babies and Infants, Yellow, 12.5”

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”

National Name Your Car Day – October 2nd.

October 2nd is 'National Name Your Car Day'.  There is no real origin or reason why October 2nd was chosen, but it's the perfect day to give your favorite car a name if it doesn't already have one.  We spend a lot of time in our cars, and caring for them, so they deserve a name.    Just remember, cars have feelings – so don't give your 'ride' an embarrassing name!

Car Name Suggestions

• Guys with 'muscle cars' or sports cars should go with strong names that reflect the car and the owner. 
• “Chick” cars need sweet names.  
• Luxury cars probably need a formal or regal-sounding name. 

Famous Movie Car Names

Some fun movie car names are familiar to us. These include:

• The Love Bug
• Lightning McQueen from Cars 
• Kit from Knight Rider
• General Lee from The Dukes of Hazzard
• Bandit from Smokey and the Bandit. 

Our Car Names

Our Cars - The Pumpkin and the Super-Beetle

We have had a lot of cars over the years, but our favorite were the Volkswagen Beetles.  The last ones we had included a Super-Beetle (the blue one in the picture) and our son had the Orange one.  

The Orange VW was the only car with a real name.  We called it ~ appropriately ~ 'The Pumpkin'.

Do you have a name for your car(s)?  Come tell me what kind of car and what you call it. 

Happy 'National Name-Your-Car Day'.

Race Car Tissue Box Cover ~ Etsy

(c) Wednesday Elf.  Originally written on October 1, 2013 for another site. 

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”

Gingerbread House Day ~ A Fun Holiday

Gingerbread House - Source: Wikimedia

December 12th is known as Gingerbread House Day. 

This unofficial holiday has no known source, but has become a fun day to celebrate.

National Gingerbread House Day is a day set aside for creating a gingerbread house.  Parents and children can have a family activity making a gingerbread house. Or you could bake a large gingerbread house and have a party where the invited guests help to decorate it with icing and candies. The best part is this 'sweet treat' can then be eaten.

Hansel & Gretel

My first Illustrated Fairytale Board Book - Hansel and Gretel Board Book (My First Fairytales)Check Price Remember the Grimm Fairy Tale "Hansel & Gretel"? It was published by the Brothers Grimm in Germany in 1812.  The house in the story is a cottage built of bread and cakes, with windowpanes of sugar.  The old lady the children meet is really a 'witch' who built her house of dainties to lure children to her so she could cook and eat them.  That sweet house in the story became the basis of the Gingerbread House popular today. 

What is Gingerbread?

Source: Pixabay

Gingerbread originally meant 'preserved ginger', but today it refers to a confection made up of honey or molasses flavored with ginger and other spices. 

There are other favorite gingerbread desserts in the form of cakes and cookies and the fun gingerbread man.  

 

Gingerbread Holidays

Gingerbread has become such a popular taste treat that it has generated special days throughout the year.  

• June 5 is now known as National Gingerbread Day, a day created to bring attention to the gingerbread.
• November 21st is National Gingerbread Cookie Day.  There are ginger snaps and regular gingerbread cookies which can be cut into shapes like Christmas cookies with cookie cutters, including the cutest of all, the gingerbread man or gingerbread boy cookie. 
• And the holiday we are now celebrating on December 12  - National Gingerbread House Day.

Gingerbread House Christmas Tree Ornament

Gingerbread House Christmas Tree Ornament

This Gingerbread House Christmas Tree Ornament is handmade by the Etsy Shop Ornaments Are Forever and can be personalized. 

Playtime Gingerbread House

LEGO DUPLO Santa's Gingerbread House Building Set, Christmas Toy for 2 Year Old Boys and Girls, Includes Santa Claus Figure, Stocking Filler Idea, Great Gift for Toddlers, 10976Check Price

If you don't have the time to bake a gingerbread house yourself, your children can enjoy building their own gingerbread house out of Legos with this fun set. 

This Lego gingerbread house is a mini set, perfect for small children to build to add to the family's Christmas decor. 

There are also larger Lego gingerbread houses available on Amazon.

Gingerbread House Festivals

Gingerbread House Festival

Gingerbread Houses have generated Gingerbread House Festivals around the country during the Christmas holidays.  I attended one such charming festival in Savannah, Georgia.

Happy Gingerbread House Day

So, enjoy your gingerbread in any form, especially as a gingerbread house on National Gingerbread House Day! 


(c) 12/3/2016 - Wednesday Elf. 

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”

National Fish & Chips Day

"Fish & Chips" Day is celebrated each year on the first Friday in June. 

The history of this holiday comes from Great Britain.  In the late 1800s, trawl fishing became a major part of the industry in the North Sea, making fresh fish available all over, including inland and within the cities. It became known as a meal of the working class, because being 'easily available' meant 'cheaper'.  And being a high caloric meal meant it was filling for the  workers who held physically demanding jobs.

Today fish & chips is popular all over, including in Canada where it is frequently sold from ‘Chip Wagons’, and throughout the USA.

Fish & Chips …. without Chips?

 

Source: Pixabay

I recently went out to lunch with a friend. I ordered fish & chips and the waitress rattled off a long list of 'sides' of which I heard almost none (she talked too fast and not understandably so). Therefore, I just said 'coleslaw', which was the only word I actually heard and a dish I enjoy with fish.

When my order came, the plate had fish and coleslaw and NO French fries (chips). I said 'where's the 'chips' and she said, well that was included in your choice of a 'side' and you said 'coleslaw'.  What?! Wouldn't you assume that if you ordered a menu item that stated 'fish & chips', you'd get the French fries with it and the coleslaw or other choice would be the side?

The waitress ended up bringing me a plate of 'free' French fries for the misunderstanding, but I think she entirely missed the point. One doesn't order 'fish & chips' and get only 'fish'. Huh! :-)

Celebrate Fish and Chip Day

So, as you can see, a good way to celebrate this day is naturally by having a platter of fish & chips - order some up from your favorite restaurant (or 'Chipper' in England) or make it yourself at home. Serve with some tarter sauce (popular in America) or with a bit of mayonnaise (in Canada). 


Fish N Chips-MovieCheck Price
After enjoying your dinner, finish up your evening with your children by viewing  this cute animated movie called (what else) Fish & Chips!  An adventure of a young fish named "fish" and his nemesis "Chips" a cat. The two tear across land and sea and face off for the love of the same catfish and bones of fish's ancestor.  Their hilarious adventures are sure to have both children and adults laughing. 

 (c) Wednesday Elf

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”

June is National Candy Month

A Collection of Candies and 'Candy Days'

 

Sweet-tasting treats we call Candy have been around for thousands of years. Early man first discovered how great sweets tasted when he began digging honey out of bee hives.

Various types of actual 'candy' were found in the recorded history of the Egyptians 3500 years ago. In the 17th century, boiled candies became popular. 

Homemade hard candies, like peppermints and lemon drops became a favorite in America in the 1800s, as sugar-beet juice and the advancement of mechanical appliances made sweet-making into an industry! And we haven't even started on how much chocolate and gum makes us candy-lovers happy. :)

Origin of National Candy Month

After doing a long search through many types and sources of Candy, all we know for sure is that JUNE is National Candy Month. No one appears to have given a reason for either the national celebration or why June was chosen as 'candy' month, so we will simply 'enjoy' and 'indulge our sweet tooth' throughout June. :)

Candies Associated with Holidays

 

1960s Holiday Retro Candy Gift Box

These 'sweet snacks' called Candy are especially popular around certain special events throughout the year and have become integrated in celebrations and holidays.

Halloween, Christmas, Easter and Valentine's Day are the biggest candy selling days . . in that order.

We Love Candy!

We all know certain candies are associated with particular holidays, but, did you know that there are many, many other days throughout the year that celebrate the sweetness we call candy in one form or another, with ‘chocolate’ being the #1 term used? Let’s check out a few of those chocolate ones.

 

 Chocolate Candy Holiday Celebrations

Chocolate Poster by CarriesCamera
 

• January 3rd - National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day
• February 19 - Chocolate Mint Day
• The 3rd Week of March is 'American Chocolate Week'.
• March 19 - National Chocolate Caramel Day
• March 24 - National Chocolate-Covered Raisin Day
• April 21 - National Chocolate-Covered Cashews Day
• May 12 - National Nutty Fudge Day
• June 16 - FUDGE Day!
• July 7 - CHOCOLATE DAY!
• July 28 - National Milk Chocolate Day
• September 13 - International Chocolate Day
• September 22 - National White Chocolate Day

For 'whatever' reason, there appears to be several 'Days' devoted to the celebration of CHOCOLATE (and, why not... :). National Chocolate Day is on a Candy Holidays list for October 28th, December 28th and December 29th. Perhaps these days are set aside to finish up those chocolate treats from Halloween and Christmas! :-)

• November 7 - National Bittersweet Chocolate with Almonds Day
• And (Finally... and rightly so).... December 16 - National Chocolate-Covered Anything Day!

Candy Man

 

Listen to 'The Candyman... While you Check out these Candy Holidays

A Collection of Candies and 'Candy Days'

The various types of candy are too numerous to list in one article. They include everything from Candy Bars to Lollipops to candies associated with particular holidays. I've included just a few here, but they all taste delicious! And...as you can see... your 'candy' days don't have to be limited just to June!

• February 14 - Valentine's Day
• April 22 - Jelly Bean Day
• May 23 - National Taffy Day
• July 20 - National Lollipop Day

• October is National Caramel Month

• October 30 - Candy Corn Day
• October 31 - Candy Apple Day
• December 26 - Candy Cane Day

A Bit of Trivia for National Candy Month

  

Candy is easily made by melting sugar in water. The candy type depends on the temperature at which it is heated. Hot temperatures result in hard candy; medium temperatures make soft candy and low temperature result in chewy candy.  Fun to remember this when making (or eating) your next batch of fudge or peanut brittle or chocolate bon-bons. 

© 2012 Wednesday-Elf  (originally written on another site). Updated on 7/7/2023

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”

National Taffy Day

National Taffy Day, always  held on May 23, has no known origin and is considered an 'unofficial' (though tasty) holiday. 

 

Salt Water Taffy

 

Salt Water Taffy on Amazon

Salt water taffy was “invented” in Atlantic City in 1883. It has become a beach-side tradition since it first appeared, quickly becoming a favorite tourist souvenir.  Taffy has also become popular in the Midwest at county fairs and at some theme parks.  

Taffy is a variation of soft toffee*  At first, it was unflavored, then later molasses and vanilla were added as flavorings.  Today's taffy can be found in flavors from banana to chocolate and coffee, and lemon and mint to hot chile.  When the fancy flavors were added, the taffy was also colored to match the flavor.  The three most popular flavors are  peppermint, cinnamon and chocolate.

Salt water taffy is made with sugar, cornstarch, corn syrup, glycerine, water, butter, salt, flavoring and food color.  Taffy actually contains NO salt water (seawater). However, it does contain both salt and water.   In modern recipes, corn syrup may be added to prevent crystallization. 

The taffy is stretched or pulled for 20 minutes or so and rolled into ropes, then, cut into pieces no longer than two inches and wrapped in wax paper to keep it soft.


*Toffee is a candy that originated in the United Kingdom and is made by caramelizing sugar or molasses)

Grandma's Taffy Recipe*

 

"A quick and easy recipe for any flavor of taffy"

Prep:  5 m ~ Cook:  15 m ~ Ready In: 20 m - Makes 40 servings (63 cal)

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup corn syrup
• 1-1/2 cups water
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• tablespoon orange, or other flavored extract
• 8 drops any color food coloring 

Directions

In a large saucepan, stir together the sugar and cornstarch. Add the butter, salt, corn syrup and water; mix well. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to mix in butter. Heat to 275 degrees F (134 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped from a spoon forms hard but pliable threads.

Remove from heat, and stir in the vanilla, flavored extract and food coloring. Pour into a greased 8x8 inch baking dish. When cooled enough to handle, remove candy from the pan, and pull until it loses its shine and becomes stiff. Pull into ropes, and use scissors to cut into 1 inch pieces. Wrap each piece in waxed paper.

*Grandma's Taffy Recipe can be found on AllRecipes.com 

Laffy Taffy

 

Source: Amazon

In the 1970s,  a brand of taffy called Laffy Taffy was manufactured.  Made by Nestlé, it's sold under the Willy Wonka Candy Company brand.

Laffy Taffy is a type of taffy that comes in many fruit flavors. Laffy Taffy also comes with jokes, sent in by kids, written on the wrapper.

National Taffy Day

So, on May 23, come celebrate this day with a Taffy Treat. And for a list of more 'candy days' throughout the year, visit June is National Candy Month.




(c) Article by Wednesday Elf







Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”