Sweet or savory, National Tamale Day on March 23rd celebrates a traditional Mexican dish made from a cornmeal dough and filled with a variety of meats, vegetables, or fruit.
#NationalTamaleDay
Traditional tamales are made with a dough called masa. When making tamales, you spread the dough on a corn husk or banana leaf before adding the fillings. Then you wrap the leaves around the entire package and steam it into a fragrant, mouthwatering meal. While they are popular street food in South America and the southern United States today, the tamale likely has its origins in Mesoamerica as early as 8000 to 5000 B.C.
Masa is made from nixtamalized cornmeal. Nixtamalized corn has been soaked and cooked in an alkaline solution such as limewater or hardwood ash to remove the seed husk.
Savory tamales consist of beans, rice, cheese, pork, chicken, turkey, and various vegetables and seasonings. Traditionally, people enjoy the tamale fresh from its steamy package, unenhanced by salsa and crema. However, that isn’t to say that you shouldn’t drizzle a little hot sauce or guacamole if you choose.
Dessert tamales satisfy sweet tooths of every kind. Think fruity, caramel, and creamy steamed hand pies. Usually a smaller version of the hearty, savory tamale, these dessert tamales provide a little indulgence at the end of a meal.
HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL TAMALE DAY
Discover a delicious new recipe on National Tamale Day.
Take a cooking class to learn how to make authentic tamales.
Share your favorite tamale recipe with others.
Teach others how to make authentic tamales.
Visit your favorite street vendor or restaurant for savory and dessert tamales. Be sure to give them a shout-out on social media.
Let us know what your favorite kind of tamale is.
Attend a tamale festival or celebration. There are over 40 across the nation.
When you celebrate, use #NationalTamaleDay to share on social media.
NATIONAL TAMALE DAY HISTORY
In 2015, Richard Lambert, owner of Santa Barbara-based Tamales-To-Go, founded National Tamales Day to celebrate the family’s love of tamales and his signature dish. They chose March 23rd to encourage the enjoyment of tamales all year long and because the only food competition on the calendar was Melba Toast.
Tamale FAQ
Q. Are tamales sweet or savory? A. Tamales are versatile and can be made either sweet or savory.
Q. Can tamales be frozen? A. Yes. It’s important to allow the cooked tamale to come to room temperature before sealing in an airtight, freezer-safe container.
On March 23rd, National Chia Day recognizes the tiny, yet powerful chia seed that has earned its reputation as being one of the most nutrient-rich foods on the planet. Revered by the Maya and Aztecs for their amazing healing powers and natural energy, chia seeds have become a trusted staple for people around the world and can be enjoyed in many foods and beverages!
#NationalChiaDay
High in Omega-3s, antioxidants, fiber, and complete protein, chia seeds are neutral in flavor and can be added to virtually any recipe to boost the nutritional profile.
Nutrition Facts:
8x more Omega-3s than salmon
25% more fiber than flaxseed
30% more antioxidants than blueberries
2x more potassium than bananas
6x more calcium than milk
HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL CHIA DAY
Add chia to your diet on this day (and every day) to enjoy the strength and vitality that these seeds bring to your life.
Start your day with chia granola, power through the day with chia bars, and enjoy chia beverages anytime.
Share recipes that include chia as an ingredient.
Try a new recipe.
Celebrate every meal by adding chia! Post on social media using #NationalChiaDay.
NATIONAL CHIA DAY HISTORY
Mamma Chia founded National Chia Day in February of 2016 to celebrate the powerful chia seed.
By the policies set forth to designate a National Observance, this proclamation has been certified by the Registrar at National Day Calendar® to be observed on March 23rd, annually.
Chia FAQ
Q. Can I grow chia at home? A. Yes. You can also eat the resulting sprouts instead of the seeds directly. Add the chia sprouts to a sandwich or salad.
Q. How many calories are in chia seeds? A. A 1 ounce serving of chia seeds has 140 calories.
March 23rd recognizes National Melba Toast Day, a food holiday. Melba toast is a dry, crisp and thinly sliced toast. It is sometimes served with salad or soup or may be eaten plain or with a topping.
Chef Auguste Escoffier of the Savoy created Melba toast. He named it after Dame Nellie Melba, the stage name of the Australian opera singer, Helen Porter Mitchell. The singer was quite popular with the chef. He created not just this diet toast for Ms. Melba, but a famous dessert as well – Peach Melba.
#NationalMelbaToastDay
Over the years, chefs and cooks have developed recipes for Melba Toast because it’s such an excellent canvas to build appetizers. The sturdy toast holds up well and adds to a beautiful canapé plate. Top it with a variety of spreads, paté, fruits, and vegetables, it makes for a delicious and elegant service.
Another useful benefit of Melba toast’s firmness is it doubles as a teething biscuit for infants when they reach an age old enough to chew.
HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL MELBA TOAST DAY
Melba toast can be eaten much like crackers by adding toppings or spreads.
Try seasoning some or include it with your meal.
Reading up about Chef Auguste Escoffier.
Listen to Dame Nellie Melba Sing.
Learn to make homemade Melba toast.
Learn about the history of the Savoy.
Create a new dish and name it after someone you know.
Use #NationalMelbaToastDay to post on social media.
NATIONAL MELBA TOAST DAY HISTORY
National Day Calendar continues researching the origins of this food holiday.
Melba Toast FAQ
Q. How many calories are in Melba toast?
A. A serving of three Melba toasts contains approximately 60 calories.
Q. Are Melba toast and zwieback toast the same thing?
A. No, but they are similar. The primary difference between the two types of toast is that zwieback is sweeter than Melba toast.
March 23rd Celebrated History
1857
Elisha Otis installs the first public elevator in the E.V. Haughwout & Co. building located at 488, 490, and 492 Broadway in New York City. The five-story building in SoHo occupied three floors of ornate china, glassware, and textiles. Workers in the top two floors created custom cut glass and painted dinnerware.
1875
The British survey ship, H.M.S. Challenger discovers the deepest known region of the Earth’s oceans when it made its first sounding of the Mariana Trench. The discovery was made during the ship’s global oceanographic expedition.
1950
The United Nations established the World Meteorological Organization.
1996
The first U.S. astronaut arrives at the Russian space station Mir for an extended stay. Astronaut Shannon Lucid boarded Mir after traveling aboard the U.S. space shuttle Atlantis. The biochemist was the first woman to live aboard the space station. Another added achievement included being the first woman to fly in space five times.
2001
After 15 years orbiting the Earth, the Russian space station Mir came to an end when it burned up in the Earth’s atmosphere. The strategic destruction of the first modular space station was a coordinated effort, with communications provided to island nations, ships, and planes in the debris zone over the Pacific Ocean.
March 23rd Celebrated Birthdays
Florence Ellinwood Allen – 1884
On November 2, 1920, Florence Ellinwood Allen became the first woman in the United States elected to a judicial office. She was elected to the judgeship of the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas. But she wouldn’t stop there. In 1934, President Franklin D. Roosevelt nominated her for the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals for which the U.S. Senate unanimously approved. Allen became the first woman appointed and confirmed to a federal appeals court judgeship.
Fannie Farmer – 1857
In 1896, the American culinary expert published The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book. Farmer immersed herself in the education of cooking and opened her own school – Miss Farmer’s School of Cookery.
Wernher Von Braun – 1912
The German-born aerospace engineer was a leader in rocket development in the early stages of space exploration. During World War II he was instrumental in the development of V-2 ballistic missiles used by the Nazis. Braun and his team would surrender to Americans before the end of the war and through Operation Paperclip, many of them came to the U.S., including Braun.
Bette Graham – 1924
A single typo used to ruin an entire page. Wads of paper could fill wastebasket, hunting and pecking resume at the typewriter attempting to get it right. Until one day in 1951 when types Bette Nesmith Graham created a white fluid that she could brush onto the paper. Once dry, the experienced typist could retype the correct letter, word, or phrase. Her invention? Liquid Paper.
Robert C. Gallo – 1937
In 1984, Dr. Robert Gallo and researchers at the Pasteur Institute in Paris discovered the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
Moses Malone – 1955
Moses Malone played 19 seasons in the American Basketball Association and the National Basketball Association. The 6’10 center was a 12-time NBA All-Star and named MVP 3 times. Despite his legendary career, his only championship win was in 1983 while with the 76ers.
Notable Mentions
Amalie Noether – 1882
Cedric Gibbons – 1893
Joan Crawford – 1904
Viktor Korchnoi – 1931
Chaka Khan – 1953
From a national view, each day many of us face a near miss here and there. March 23rd commemorates the day the entire Earth faced a near miss when a massive asteroid (4581 Asclepius) nearly hit us in 1989. National Near Miss Day celebrates the day 4581 Asclepius flew right on by.
#NationalNearMissDay
On March 22-23, 1989, a mountain-sized asteroid came within 500,000 miles of colliding with the earth. “On the cosmic scale of things, that was a close call,” said Dr. Henry Holt. Geophysicists estimate that a collision with Asclepius would release energy comparable to the explosion of a 600 megaton atomic bomb. A collision would have had catastrophic effects on our planet. Scientists discovered the asteroid on March 31, 1989 – nine days after its closest approach to Earth.
There have been other near misses that have happened on an infrequent basis.
HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL NEAR MISS DAY
Have you ever had a near-miss? This might be the day to share the story.
Explore asteroids up close by visiting the NASA website.
Share stories about near misses. Write it out or share a video.
Read about other near misses or not so near misses. Like the one known human to have been struck by a meteorite,Ann Hodges.
Watch videos about asteroids, meteors, and meteorites, like the one below.
Use #NationalNearMissDay to post on social media.
NATIONAL NEAR MISS DAY HISTORY
While the origin of the observance is obvious, the creator of the day is considered nearly missing from our sources. However, we suspect the person to be a stargazer of sorts.
Near Miss FAQ
Q. How often do asteroids hit the Earth?
A. Large asteroids don’t hit the Earth very often. In fact, most burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere before hitting the Earth often creating unexpected meteor showers. The last large asteroid to impact the Earth’s surface occurred millions of years ago during the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction.
Q. What type of scientist studies asteroids?
A. An astronomer studies asteroids, comets, galaxies, moons, planets, stars, and other objects in space.
On March 23rd, it is a National Day just for the chip and dip! National Chip And Dip Day celebrates a perfect combination loved by many across the country. Chips and dip are a quick and easy party dish that also makes for great parties. We enjoy them for just about any occasion. From watching the game to hunkering down for a big storm, chips and dips are the way to go. Just no double-dipping, please!
#NationalChipAndDipDay
Only a few days earlier on March 14, we celebrate Potato Chip Day, and now we add a partner, the dip. And people have been dipping their food for centuries. Hummus-like recipes date back to the 13th century. These are some of the first “dip” recipes found.
Potato chips are not the only mode of celebrating the day. There are tortilla chips, corn chips, pretzel chips, and even popcorn chips to name a few. After you have chosen your chips, there are dozens of dips to partner with them. There are a variety of dips usually made with sour cream, cheeses, salsas, and seasonings. The combinations are endless. Don’t hesitate to mix up your favorite or try something new!
HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL CHIP AND DIP DAY
Invite some family and friends over and have a chip and dip party! Be sure to share your favorite recipes, too. Like this Mexican Party Dip recipe or one of the many others we’ve provided below.
Use #NationalChipAndDipDay to post on social media.
NATIONAL CHIP AND DIP DAY HISTORY
While National Day Calendar has yet to discover the origins of this food holiday, we are certain no double-dipping occurred in the making of this holiday.
Chip and Dip FAQ
Q. What kinds of foods are used to make chips?
A. Some of the most common types of chips are made from potatoes or tortillas. However, chips are also made from other vegetables and grains, too. Some of those foods include:
beets
sweet potatoes
carrots
turnips
spinach
chickpeas
Q. What ingredients make a delicious base for a dip?
A. Some great dip bases include sour cream, cream cheese, hummus, oil and vinegar, and mayonnaise.
Observed each year on March 23rd, National Puppy Day celebrates the unconditional love and affection puppies bring to our lives. Their cuddles and wiggles make us smile and without a doubt, there are squeals of delight when there are puppies around!
#NationalPuppyDay
The day also brings awareness to the need for care of and homes for orphaned pups as well as to educate people about the horrors of puppy mills across the country. Puppies are a big responsibility. Be sure to consider everything involved and adopt from a shelter. The puppies there need love and a home just as much as any other and they grow into loyal pets, too!
According to the ASPCA, approximately 3.3 million dogs enter shelters every year. Some of these dogs come with litters of puppies. If you’re seeking a puppy to start your furry family, check the shelters first. When these abandoned and abused animals find their way to a shelter, each one needs a forever home and their potential is limitless.
HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL PUPPY DAY
Use #NationalPuppyDay and post photos of your puppy on social media.
Go to the dog park and let your puppy play.
Pick up a special treat for your puppy.
Go for a walk with your young friend.
Show your puppy love every day! Get your puppy sockshere.
NATIONAL PUPPY DAY HISTORY
National Puppy Day was founded in 2006 by Pet Lifestyle Expert, Animal Behaviorist and Author, Colleen Paige. Paige is also the founder of National Dog Day and National Cat Day.
Puppy FAQ
Q. When do puppies become adults?
A. Puppies attain adulthood at various ages depending on the breed and size of the animal. However, they typically become adult dogs between their first and second birthday.
Q. Which is easier to train, puppies or adult dogs?
A. Both puppies and adult dogs can be successfully trained. However, puppies haven’t developed any bad habits yet, so training a puppy is often easier than training an adult animal.
Q. Do I have to have a puppy to celebrate National Puppy Day?
A. No. Anyone who is a dog lover can celebrate the day.
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