Category: May 14

  • NATIONAL DECENCY DAY – May 14

    NATIONAL DECENCY DAY

    National Decency Day on May 14th celebrates the basic standard of civility that every American deserves. DECENCY is a non-partisan grassroots movement launched to inspire decency in everyday life – in both conversations and actions. By raising awareness, the movement aims to encourage schools and local community groups to embrace DECENCY and integrate it into both curriculum plans and service projects.

    #NationalDecencyDay

    DECENCY is all about:
    Active listening
    Better understanding
    Compassion

    Decency offers an opportunity to be better role models for our children. If we can all be civil with one another, we are setting the right example.

    HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL DECENCY DAY

    On National Decency Day, mindfully listen while someone is talking to you.  Appreciate another person’s point of view, and the respect will be returned. Act and react with civility.

    • Start a conversation with, “What does Decency mean to you?”
    • Order DECENCY buttons and stickers to wear and share.
    • Encourage your school or local association to become a DECENCY partner.
    • Use #NationalDecencyDay to share on social media.
    • For more information on DECENCY visit https://www.decency.today

    NATIONAL DECENCY DAY HISTORY

    Lisa Cholnoky, a New York City-based parent and graphic designer, established National Decency Day in 2019 continuing a dialogue sparked by her motivation two years prior. The day addresses the divisive public discourse around her, as well as in the news and on social media. Determined to make a difference, Cholnoky set out to bring decency back into everyday conversations and actions. Initially, Cholnoky designed the DECENCY button and wore it every day. The impact was immediate; the message contagious.

    In July 2017, DECENCY and 535 DECENCY buttons were mailed to each member of the U.S. Congress. In September 2017, DECENCY was recognized on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, encouraging both sides to reach across the aisle with civility and serve as role models for us all.

    Since then, two schools in the country have incorporated DECENCY into their curriculums. They’ve engaged their local communities in the movement, too. This is a great opportunity for schools to energize students of all ages to treat everyone with respect and master the art of listening.

    By raising awareness, the movement aims to encourage more participants to embrace DECENCY and integrate it into both curriculum plans and service projects.

    For further information on Decency contact Lisa Cholnoky @ lisa@decency.today

    The Registrar at National Day Calendar proclaimed National Decency Day to be observed on May 14th annually.

    May 14th Celebrated History

    1804

    Captain Meriwether Lewis, Lieutenant William Clark, and their crew depart on the Corps of Discovery.

    1878

    Robert August Chesebrough trademarks Vaseline petroleum jelly.

    1904

    St. Louis, Missouri hosts the first Olympic Games in the United States.

    1973

    NASA launches the first U.S. space station, Skylab.

    May 14th Celebrated Birthdays

    Maria Smith Jones – 1918

    Marie Smith Jones was the last native speaker of the Eyak language. She spoke the language fluently, and it was possible, through her, to create an Eyak dictionary with the help of the University of Alaska.

    George Lucas – 1944

    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.

    Valerie Still – 1961

    Valerie Still played professional basketball for 12 years in Italy. She also played one season with the Washington Mystics in the WNBA.

    Mark Zuckerberg – 1984

    In 2004 as a college student, Mark Zuckerberg co-founded Facebook, Inc. At the time, it was known as The Facebook.

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  • MOTHER’S DAY – Second Sunday in May

    MOTHER’S DAY

    Mother’s Day is a time-honored tradition of recognizing the women in our lives who raised us, dried our tears, and well, mothered us. Everyone has one or has someone who is like a mother to them. On the second Sunday of May, we honor those women who are our mothers. Whether we shower her with gifts, take her to a fancy dinner or make her a homemade card, what moms want most is to be surrounded by the love of her family. Knowing the people they love are safe, sound, and healthy is a mom’s number one priority.

    #MothersDay

    HOW TO OBSERVE MOTHER’S DAY

    Pay tribute to your mother this holiday. Surround her with the love she deserves and shower her with the affection and attention you know she wants. For those of us whose moms are no longer with us, spend some time remembering the woman you miss. Visit with those who remember her and honor her memory. If you’re a mom, revel in the attention. You deserve it!

    Remember to put mom first on Mother’s Day and use #MothersDay to share on social media.

    MOTHER’S DAY HISTORY

    Mother’s Day has been celebrated around the world since, well, since motherhood. In the United States, Julia Ward Howe inspired the first movement toward a national observance during the Civil War. Appealing to the public for a “Mother’s Day for Peace” after witnessing the devastation left by war, Howe went on an international crusade. While her efforts never gained formal recognition for an official observance, she was acknowledged posthumously in 1988 for her achievements and her efforts for women’s rights.

    In 1905, Anna Jarvis, the daughter of Ann Marie Reeves Jarvis successfully introduced the idea for a national holiday recognizing mothers. Ann Marie Reeves Jarvis had followed Howe’s campaign and had pursued her own volunteer efforts during the Civil War. Ann Marie died on May 9, 1905, and her daughter, Anna, missed her mother greatly. She started a dedicated letter-writing campaign to declare an official Mother’s Day. Through Andrews Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia, the first observance occurred on May 10, 1908.

    This day, to honor Anna Jarvis’s mother, grew into a national observance until in 1911 when every state participated. Soon it was spreading internationally, and on May 9, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed Mother’s Day a national holiday to be held on the second Sunday of May.

    DATES
    14 May 2023
    12 May 2024
    11 May 2025
    10 May 2026
    9 May 2027
    14 May 2028
    13 May 2029
    12 May 2030

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  • NATIONAL BUTTERMILK BISCUIT DAY | May 14

    NATIONAL BUTTERMILK BISCUIT DAY | May 14

    May 14th ushers in National Buttermilk Biscuit Day to celebrate this high-rising breakfast staple.

    #ButtermilkBiscuitDay

    Biscuits are made using baking powder or baking soda as a leavening agent rather than yeast.  A typical buttermilk biscuit recipe contains flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, butter, and buttermilk.  They are often referred to as a “quick bread,” indicating they do not need time to rise before baking. While being made, the dough is beaten and folded to incorporate air, which expands while baking, causing the biscuit to rise. 

    Before the American Civil War, biscuits emerged as an inexpensive addition to meals. This sturdier bread product soon became popular as people realized it absorbed the gravy on their plate better than plain bread. Soon a new family favorite, biscuits, and gravy, was created.

    Alexander P. Ashbourne patented the first biscuit cutter in 1875.

    Supermarkets offer canned biscuits that are refrigerated until ready to be baked. In 1931, Ballard and Ballard patented these refrigerator biscuits.

    Biscuits have been a staple of the Southern United States cuisine for many years and are often made with buttermilk.  Traditionally served as a side dish with butter, they are also served at breakfast with molasses, light sugarcane syrup, maple syrup, sorghum syrup, honey, jam, or jelly, or as a breakfast sandwich.

    HOW TO OBSERVE BUTTERMILK BISCUIT DAY

    Share your favorite recipes and biscuit combinations. Aside from biscuits and gravy, give these biscuit ideas a try:

    • Make biscuit breakfast sandwiches with eggs and cheese.
    • Serve biscuits with your favorite soup. It’s better than dumplings!
    • Use biscuit dough to make pizza crust. Partially bake the dough before adding toppings.
    • Warm biscuits with butter and jelly satisfy every time.
    • Serve biscuits with pork chops, pork loins, or pulled pork.
    • BBQ and biscuits hit the spot, too. They soak up the juices quite well.
    • Whenever you have fresh fish, serve homemade biscuits. Catfish and biscuits are particularly delicious.
    • Who likes tomato sandwiches during the summer? When fresh tomatoes ripen on the vine, slice them up while they’re warm. Add a little bit of mayonnaise and sprinkle of salt and sandwich them between two warm biscuits.
    • Don’t forget dessert. Biscuits make an excellent base for strawberry shortcakes. Just add a little sugar to your dough to sweeten it. You’ll make up the rest of the sweetness with the strawberries and whipped cream.

    If you’re looking for a recipe, try one of the recipes below.

    Easy Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits
    Easy Biscuits

    Use #ButtermilkBiscuitDay to post on social media.

    NATIONAL BUTTERMILK BISCUIT DAY HISTORY

    Within our research, we were unable to identify the creator of National Buttermilk Biscuit Day.

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  • NATIONAL UNDERGROUND AMERICA DAY | May 14

    NATIONAL UNDERGROUND AMERICA DAY | May 14

    On March 14th, National Underground America Day recognizes the approximately 6,000 people who live in some form of underground architecture across North America. The observance also celebrates the lifestyle, architecture, and benefits of underground living. 

    #UndergroundAmericaDay

    Subterranean living boasts energy conservation as one of its top advantages. Completely covered homes or earth-sheltered homes are covered on all sides with soil while earth-bermed homes leave one side exposed. Both allow for more stable temperatures within the home and less exposure to the elements.

    However, living in an underground home also poses some disadvantages. If you like lots of light and throwing open the windows on a summer day, this type of house might not be for you. While the underground lifestyle may not be for everyone, the observance encourages exploring earth homes to discover the options available. 

    HOW TO OBSERVE UNDERGROUND AMERICA DAY

    While learning more about Underground America Day, tour an underground home or explore the various plans available. If you’ve ever considered an underground dwelling, weigh the pros and cons. Do you live in an underground home? Share your experience and what you enjoy most. Use #UndergroundAmericaDay to post on social media.

    NATIONAL UNDERGROUND AMERICA DAY HISTORY

    Founded by Malcolm Wells in 1974, National Underground America Day recognizes that thousands of Americans dwell within the Earth, not just upon it. Wells (1926 – 2009) is considered “the father of modern earth-sheltered architecture.”

    Wells was also a writer, illustrator, draftsman, lecturer, cartoonist, columnist, and solar consultant. He practiced what he preached by living in a modern earth-sheltered building of his own design, too.  He also took up the challenge of underground architecture as he believed the Earth’s surface was “made for living plants, not industrial plants.”

    Retiring in 2004, Wells continued his advocacy for underground living until the end of his life.

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  • NATIONAL DANCE LIKE A CHICKEN DAY – May 14

    NATIONAL DANCE LIKE A CHICKEN DAY

    National Dance Like a Chicken Day on May 14th encourages everyone to dance like a chicken! This day entertains from start to finish with people flapping their arms and strutting chicken-like. Everyone has probably danced the “Chicken Dance” at least once in their lifetime. This silly fun song is popular at wedding dances, Oktoberfest, and other celebrations, too. The song gets people of all ages up and moving on the dance floor.

    #DanceLikeAChickenDay

    Written in the 1950s by Werner Thomas, a Swiss accordionist, the Chicken Dance didn’t even make it to the United States until sometime in the 1970s. The Chicken Dance is associated with polkas or oom-pah-pah music. Originally written with the name Der Ententanz (The Duck Dance), rumors suggest the song was written as a drinking song for Oktoberfest. The song’s title later changed to Vogeltanz (The Bird Dance).

    Upon arriving in America in the 1970s, the song acquired choreography with repetitive beak, wing, and tail motions, as well as the new name, The Chicken Dance.

    Chicken Dance Facts
    • Cincinnati, Ohio, September 20, 2004 – At the Oktoberfest Zinzinnati, rock musician Vince Neil served as Grand Marshall at the World’s Largest Chicken Dance.
    • Judson Laipply’s Evolution of Dance featured “The Chicken Dance.”
    • November 13, 2009 – In support of the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, CIHT-FM played “The Chicken Dance” continuously until they sold 389 tickets at $100 each for the CHEO Dream of a Lifetime. They played for over 3 hours straight.
    • April 23, 2010 – Jake’s Restaurant in Byron Center, Michigan, hosted a fundraiser for Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital that attempted the World’s Largest Chicken Dance record. The restaurant is the site of a giant plastic chicken sculpture.
    • July 4, 2010 – Mandan, North Dakota established a new World Record for the Longest Chicken Dance at their annual Independence Day Parade and Street Festival.
      The Mandan, ND “Chicken Dance” line covered twenty-four city blocks and was 1.627 miles long.

    HOW TO OBSERVE DANCE LIKE A CHICKEN DAY

    Dance like a chicken. Be silly. Be erratic. Do The Chicken Dance. Organize a Chicken Dance dance-off. When you do, serve chicken nuggets and chicken fries, fried chicken and chicken-fried steak. Teach someone The Chicken Dance, too, because everyone should know how to participate. Use #DanceLikeAChickenDay to post on social media.

    NATIONAL DANCE LIKE A CHICKEN DAY HISTORY

    While National Day Calendar has been unable to identify the creator of this celebration, we have found that the phrase “dance like a chicken” existed long before the dance. It often described someone in trouble or upset, usually in the political or sports arena. The phrase often compares the offender to a “chicken with their head cut off” as they dance around trying to get out of their trouble. Others describe a chicken on a hot surface, such as a griddle or frying pan.

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