Supermarket employees are a vital element of our supply chain and community. That’s why Supermarket Employee Day on February 22nd is a time for the food industry to acknowledge employees at every level.
#SupermarketEmployeeDay
All across the country, supermarket employees help feed families and enrich lives. From every shipment ordered and received to every shelf stocked, these employees help ensure the supplies we need are available every day. They deliver produce, dry goods, prepared meals, frozen foods, and so much more.
Nearly 6 million employees in the United States comprise our nation’s $800 billion food industry workers. Supermarket employees have consistently sought to enhance the health and well-being of each customer, addressing his or her unique needs and tastes all while facing unprecedented challenges. These employees have met and exceeded any challenge they have faced, with the result of the American public witnessing their food retailers’ courage, compassion, dedication, and leadership in a bold redefinition of customer service and community outreach.
Supermarket Employee Day recognizes employees everywhere, celebrating their accomplishments and efforts to support the food industry and our communities.
HOW TO OBSERVE #SupermarketEmployeeDay
Celebrate the day by recognizing supermarket employees at every level. Join local celebrations at your supermarket. Encourage state and local representatives to proclaim the day. Engage in social media campaigns to share your appreciation. It’s also a day for supermarkets to shine the spotlight on their phenomenal employees.
Honor your supermarket superhero by using #SupermarketEmployeeDay when you post on social media.
NATIONAL SUPERMARKET EMPLOYEE DAY HISTORY
In 2021, FMI – the Food Industry Association (FMI) proclaimed the first National Supermarket Employee Day to celebrate Supermarket Heroes with the national recognition they deserve. The first observance garnered the participation of nearly every type and level of FMI membership around the world. Additionally, eleven states issued proclamations. Media coverage also shared local and national stories spotlighting events around the country.
The National Day Calendar proclaimed National Supermarket Employee Day in 2022 to be observed on February 22nd, annually.
Ash Wednesday signals the beginning of Lenten season for Christians. It takes place 46 days before Easter and the day after Shrove Tuesday.
#AshWednesday
Those who celebrate Ash Wednesday reflect, fast, repent and celebrate. The ashes represent death and repentance and Ash Wednesday services focus on both. In many churches, the ashes are made from the palm branches that are burned from the previous Palm Sunday service.
Following a service or mass, the pastor or priest will invite their congregation to receive the ashes on their forehead. A cross pattern or other similar mark is made.
This solemn day begins a time of meditation, reflection, self-examination, study, and contemplation when Christians consider their own mortality and sinfulness in preparation for Easter.
HOW TO OBSERVE #AshWednesday
Attend an Ash Wednesday service.
Learn more about the history of Ash Wednesday.
Share your #AshWednesday events and services.
ASH WEDNESDAY HISTORY
The use of ashes during spiritual occasions has ancient non-Christian roots. However, Ash Wednesday and the beliefs that accompany it, date back to the 6th century.
Ash Wednesday FAQ
Q. What kinds of ashes are used for the service?
A. The palms used during the previous year’s Palm Sunday are usually burned and the ashes are kept and then blessed for use in Ash Wednesday services.
Q. Is this only a Catholic holiday?
A. No. Ash Wednesday services are performed in many churches of the Christian faith.
Q. When may I remove the ashes from my forehead?
A. There is no requirement to leave the ashes on the forehead though many will wear them until evening.
On February 22nd, National California Day recognizes the Golden State.
#NationalCaliforniaDay
For more than a century, Spanish missionaries settled in California. Manifest Destiny and the Mexican American War would play a pivotal role in making California a U.S. Territory. Under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, Mexico sold California along with its territories north of the Rio Grande for 15 million dollars.
Only days before the treaty was signed, gold was found at Sutter’s Mill in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The gold rush of 1849 would set off an era of settlement unlike any a new territory had ever seen. On September 9, 1850, two years after the gold rush began, California became the 31st state.
While many think of sunny beaches and orange groves, California has a diverse climate. Each region boasts an opportunity for seasonal outdoor adventures. Whether surfing or downhill skiing is on the agenda, it’s sure to be found. If hiking among giant redwoods or touring historic missions is more to your liking, you’ll discover it here.
Of course, we can’t overlook Northern California’s wine country. Beautiful road trips and wine tastings along the magnificent Napa Valley or Sonoma County are a must for wine lovers.
Swimming pools and movie stars, California has those in large numbers. While moving pictures weren’t born in California, Hollywood sure made them flourish. By the turn of the 20th century, Hollywood built a foundation of movie studios that continued to grow and many of which still exist today.
Known for heading up the rivalry between two New York papers that created yellow journalism, William Randolph Hearst’s drive for sensational headlines carried beyond the ink. He also owned newsreel and movie production companies. Much to Hearst’s displeasure, in 1941, Orson Welles released Citizen Kane, a fictionalized biography of Hearst life.
California’s first licensed woman architect, Julia Morgan designed numerous homes and commercial buildings throughout the state and the U.S. One of her most notable designs is La Case Grande for William Randolph Hearst.
The poetry of Robert Frost illustrates life through the voice of a New Englander. In his lifetime, Frost earned the Pulitzer Prize in poetry four times. His poems and style fall easily into the realm of 19th-century poets like Henry David Thoreau, Emily Dickinson, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Walt Whitman.
Author and journalist, Jack London published numerous novels. His wilderness adventures brought to life vivid characters that were immensely popular. London’s most noted works are Call of the Wild and White Fang.
Throughout his military career, George Patton’s acted with calculated abandon often earning an injury as a result. During World War II, the already distinguished officer led U.S. forces across France.
Dorothy Arzner was one of the first woman film directors. During the early age of movies, Arzner began her career editing both silent and sound flicks.
Noted for his sweeping landscape photography, Ansel Adams’ ability to capture the essence of a wilderness brought with it a creative drive. One of his biggest supporters, The Sierra Club, published his earliest photographs, launching Adams’ into the public eye.
Author of numerous short stories and novels, John Steinbeck earned the Nobel Prize for literature in 1962. Steinbeck’s ability to weave humor and serious social topics into his writing brought a sense of humanity to his characters. Novels like Of Mice and Men, The Grapes of Wrath (1939), and East of Eden found enormous acceptance.
During the 1920s and 30s, Helen Wills dominated the tennis court. Her unnerving focus and stoic demeanor carried both on and off the court. Wills’ polar opposite, Helen Hull Jacobs, provided just enough competition to keep the game interesting. She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1959.
Along with his brother Julio, Ernest Gallo started a winery in 1933. From Modesto, California, they created a brand that dominated the inexpensive wine market. Gallo gained a reputation as a savvy businessman with marketing know-how. Over the years, Gallo eventually branched into more fine wines.
As an inspirational television chef, Julia Child made French cuisine accessible to millions of American home cooks. She published several cookbooks and presented her recipes on television for several decades.
Richard Nixon served as the 37th president of the United States. He resigned in 1974 to avoid impeachment after the Watergate Scandal brought light illegal activities. Nixon is the only president to resign from office.
Iva Toguri had the misfortune to be stranded in Japan after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. As a result, the Japanese used her to promote propaganda on the radio to the American military. She became known as Tokyo Rose. Later arrested for treason, it would take nearly 30 years to receive a presidential pardon.
Etta James’ long soulful blues career is marked by ups and downs. Always able to recover with her powerfully rich voice and immense talent, James continued to persevere. She was inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Blues Hall of Fame.
Best known for being a filmmaker before his time, George Lucas created the Star Wars franchise when much of the technology didn’t exist to produce it. Lucas continues to push the boundaries of filmmaking with magical finesse.
In June 1983, Sally Ride became the first American woman in space. Aboard the space shuttle Challenger, Ride completed a week-long mission launching communication satellites. She later would become a champion of science education.
Co-founder of Apple Computer with Steve Wozniak, Steve Jobs helped to revolutionize an industry and thrust it into an age that had only been imagined before. Octavia Butler is best known for the novel Kindred, also published the Patternist series of science fiction novels. She brought human issues to her storytelling and opened the door for other black women writers to pursue science fiction.
Across the United States, National Cook A Sweet Potato Day on February 22nd celebrates a root vegetable packed with flavor and a bit of history, too. The sweet potato is eaten and loved, each day, by millions of people across the nation.
#CookASweetPotatoDay
Either Central America or South America is thought to be the center of origin and domestication of sweet potatoes. In Central America, sweet potatoes were domesticated at least 5,000 years ago. Peruvian sweet potato remnants dating as far back as 8,000 BC have been found in South America.
The sweet potato is an excellent source of vitamin A, which supports good vision, the immune system, and bone growth. Sweet potatoes are a good source of vitamin B-6, magnesium, and vitamin C. It’s also great for the complexion.
While many Americans confuse the sweet potato with a yam, the two are different. A yam is a starchy tuber while the sweet potato is truly a sweet root vegetable. The sweet potato also comes in a variety of sizes and colors, including pale to bright orange, white, and purple. High in fiber and low in fat and calories, this root vegetable is a healthful alternative to snack foods when prepared without added butter, sugar, or salt.
Unlike other potatoes, sweet potatoes like long, hot growing seasons. This might explain why it is the state vegetable of North Carolina.
When storing your sweet potatoes, keep them in a cool, dry place. However, don’t refrigerate them unless they’re cooked. Refrigeration will give them a bitter taste, ruining their sweet flavor.Cooks find numerous ways to experiment with sweet potatoes, too!
National Day Calendar continues to research the origins of this sweet potato cooking challenge.
Sweet Potato FAQ
Q. How do I cook a sweet potato?
A. There are several ways to cook a sweet potato. In most cases, you can treat the root vegetable just like a white potato. For example:
Bake it. Top it with butter, brown sugar or drizzle a little honey on it.
Cut it into bite-sized pieces, season it and roast it in the oven.
Make potato fries. You can bake, air fry or deep fry them.
Mash it with a little butter.
Q. What goes well with sweet potatoes?
A. If you can think of a dish, sweet potatoes probably go well with them. This vegetable is quite versatile.
National Margarita Day on February 22nd rims a glass with salt and serves up a beverage that tastes like the summer sun. Whether you enjoy them on the rocks or blended, this day is for you!
#NationalMargaritaDay
Known to be the most common tequila-based cocktail served in the United States, the margarita is a cocktail that consists of tequila, triple sec, and lime or lemon juice. A key ingredient is the freshly squeezed lime juice. In the United States, the most common lime is the thick-skinned Persian lime. When margaritas are made with lemons, they have a much softer taste.
When it comes to sorting out the legends associated with the origin of the margarita, there are many. Two things are certain; the cocktail included tequila, and the bartender edged the rim of the glass with salt. In Mexico, when drinking straight tequila (especially if the quality was bad), the best course of action was to down it in one swallow, suck on a wedge of lime, and lick a dash of salt off the back of your hand.
It makes sense that the salt followed the lime and the tequila to the margarita glass. Today, lime is not the only flavor of margarita, and the specialists behind the bar have gotten creative mixing dried herbs, infused sugars, and exotic salts to enhance both the presentation of the glass and the flavor of the cocktail.
Margaritas can be served on the rocks (shaken with ice), frozen (blended with ice), or straight up (without ice).
Legends
There are many different stories and myths, beginning as early as 1938, as to how and when the margarita was created.
In the December 1953 issue of Esquire magazine, the margarita cocktail was the “Drink of the Month.” The recipe as printed was:
1 ounce tequila
Dash of Triple Sec
Juice of 1/2 lime or lemon
Pour over crushed ice, stir. Rub the rim of a stem glass with a rind of lemon or lime, spin in salt—pour, and sip. (Wikipedia)
The margarita was further popularized with the 1977 release of Jimmy Buffett’s song “Margaritaville.”
HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalMargaritaDay
Mix up a margarita at home.
Ask your favorite bartender to make one for you. Leave a big Margarita Day tip, too!
Share your favorite flavor of margarita and explore menus for new ones.
Find your Margarita Day deals by visiting our Celebration Deals page.
Let us know how you’re celebrating using #NationalMargaritaDay to post on social media. Remember, always drink responsibly and never drink and drive.
NATIONAL MARGARITA DAY HISTORY
National Margarita Day is claimed to have been founded by a few dozen bartenders, so it’s hard to trace its exact origin.
Q. What is the flavor of a classic margarita?
A. The flavor of a classic margarita is lime.
Q. How many calories are in a classic margarita?
A. It depends on who is making it. An 8-ounce margarita on the rocks can run between 200-400 calories. The range is so broad because some places add simple syrup or another sweet ingredient to cut the alcohol. However, a truly classic margarita will fall at the lower range of calories.
February 22nd Celebrated (and Not So Celebrated) History
1879
Just like inventors, businesses are trial and error. Frank Woolworth learned that soon after he opened his first 5 Cent Store in Utica, New York on this day in 1879. The budding entrepreneur with a vision of customers flocking to his store for the 5 cent items they could afford didn’t give up. He had that Get Up spirit and opened another store in Lancaster, Pennsylvania but added 10 cent items as well. Soon, he expanded, and in 1912 after merging with other retailers, Woolworth & Co stores were in 37 states.
1959
The first Daytona 500 NASCAR race finished in a thrilling dead heat, requiring judges to review video footage to decide the winner. Lee Petty in a’59 Oldsmobile and Johnny Beauchamp in a ’59 Ford Thunderbird crossed the finish line in a photo finish, but there was no technology at the finish line. Three days after the 47,000 spectators went home, judges declared Petty the winner over Beauchamp. in his 1959 Ford Thunderbird.
1980
Known as the Miracle on Ice, the US Men’s Olympic hockey team upset the Soviet Union in a 4-3 win to advance to the final round. Lake Placid, New York, hosted the 1980 Winter Olympics, and in the midst of the Cold War, and a dominant Soviet hockey team, the game was a match the whole world was watching.
1988
The Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance goes to…DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince for “Parents Just Don’t Understand”!! DJ Jazzy Jeff and Will Smith won the first Grammy Award ever presented at the Grammy’s for Rap music.
1997
One sheep, two sheep, three sheep four…zzzzz. Counting sheep earned a whole new meaning when scientists in Scotland at the Roslin Institute announced the first successful birth of a cloned sheep named Dolly.
February 22nd Celebrated (and Not So Celebrated) Birthdays
George Washington – 1732
We know him as the first President of the United States. He was a farmer, a revolutionary, a statesman, and a general. In colonial America, Washington was a common man with a grade school education. He had strengths and weaknesses – some apparent and some revealed much later. Washington was born owning slaves and made his conscience known about the practice as he aged.
William Joseph Klem – 1874
“For it’s one, two, three strikes you’re out at the old ball game!” Someone had to call the balls and strikes and one of those people was William Joseph Klem. As a professional umpire in Major League Baseball, Klem pioneered the way the world looked at and treated umpires. He brought a dignity to a profession that was often looked upon as lesser than politicians and they were paid less! The fans in the cheap seats can thank him for the hand signals that let you know the call, whether you like it or not. After 37 years as an umpire, Klem left a lasting impression on the sport that is still felt today.
Zitkala-Sa – 1876
She was not only a woman of many names but also one of many cultures and it was her mission to preserve the one most at risk – her Sioux culture. Born Gertrude Simmons, she achieved her mission through many different methods. Zitkala-sa wrote articles, essays, short stories, and books; she was an educator and collaborated with William F. Hanson on the first opera by a Native American – The Sun Dance. In 1926, Zitkala-sa founded the National Council of American Indians.
Robert Wadlow – 1918
He was larger than life but only lived to the age of 22. In those short years, Wadlow grew to 8-feet 11 inches tall, and at the age of 19, he became the world’s tallest man at 8-feet, 4 inches tall. Wadlow died in 1940, but he’s still the tallest man who ever lived.
Edward Gorey – 1925
If Edward Gorey’s surname evokes surreal images and dark tales, then his name fits. The German illustrator and author was known for his macabre work in the mid-20th century. Some of his works include The Beastly Baby, The Gashleycumb Tinies, and The Doubtful Guest.
Michael Chang – 1950
Wins are important celebrations. For Michael Chang, winning the 1989 French Open was significant. Defeating Stefan Edberg was the pinnacle of the day and the major celebration. However, the cherry on top was the fact that Chang was the youngest player to ever win the title.
Notable Mentions
Horace Pippin – 1888
Edna St. Vincent Millay – 1892
Julie Walters – 1950
Julius Erving – 1950
Steve Irwin – 1962
Drew Barrymore – 1975
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In 2021, FMI – the Food Industry Association (FMI) proclaimed the first National Supermarket Employee Day to celebrate Supermarket Heroes with the national recognition they deserve. The first observance garnered the participation of nearly every type and level of FMI membership around the world. Additionally, eleven states issued proclamations. Media coverage also shared local and national stories spotlighting events around the country.