NATIONAL AMBROSIA DAY
Right in the middle of the holiday season, National Ambrosia Day brings a refreshing salad to the celebration table. On December 12th, bring ambrosia to your holiday dinner or celebration and go home with an empty bowl.
#NationalAmbrosiaDay
Ambrosia, according to Greek mythology, is the nectar of the gods, endowing strength and immortality to those who eat it. The term itself can mean something especially delectable to taste or smell.
The earliest recipes for ambrosia salad appeared around the 1800s. The recipes called for citrus fruit, coconut, and sugar. However, those who find coconut disagreeable leave it out of the recipe. We must note that if you omit coconut, a forceful objection could be heard from a true southerner.
A genuine ambrosia salad is served the same day it is prepared. However, more modern recipes suggest overnight refrigeration of the dish. Other ingredients often added to the salad include pineapple, nuts, cherries, apples, bananas, whipped cream, or yogurt.
HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL AMBROSIA DAY
Ambrosia accompanies many family dinners and pot lucks. The dish’s light and fresh flavor offset some of the more heavy recipes we encounter over the holidays. Ambrosia adds just a little bit more flair than traditional fruit salad. Some hostesses even have trouble deciding whether to put it with the desserts or the side dishes. No matter how you choose to celebrate, be sure your ambrosia with others. We Celebrate Every Day better when there’s a crowd to ooh and ahh over this sweet dish!
Need a recipe? Try these Ambrosia Salad recipes:
Use #NationalAmbrosiaDay to post on social media.
NATIONAL AMBROSIA DAY HISTORY
National Day Calendar® continues researching this fresh and delightful food holiday.
December 12th Celebrated (And Not So Celebrated) History
1899
George F. Grant, the second African American to earn a dental degree, also gained a love of golf. As a dentist, he also had to be inventive. His inventiveness carried to his love of golf, and in 1899, Grant obtained patent No. 638,920 for wooden golf tee dated December 12, 1899.
1901
The inventor Guglielmo Marconi sent the first transatlantic radio signal to Percy Wright Paige. Marconi transmitted the Morse code for the letter S and sent from Poldhu in Cornwall, England, to Page in St. John’s, Newfoundland.
1953
Flying the Bell X-1A, Chuck Yeager becomes the first person to exceed twice the speed of sound.
1961
On the anniversary of Marconi’s first transatlantic radio signal, the U.S. military launched the first privately built satellite into orbit around the Earth. OSCAR1 – short for Orbiting Satellite Carrying Amateur Radio – hitched a ride aboard a Discoverer satellite that was launched into orbit by a U.S. military Thor-Agena rocket. The payload orbited the Earth for 22 days sending the message “Hi” by Morse code to approximately 300,000 amateur radio operators tracking OSCAR1.
December 12th Celebrated (And Not So Celebrated) Birthdays
Henry Wells – 1805
In 1850, the American businessman established the American Express Company. Soon after, he also helped to establish Wells, Fargo & Company. He was also an advocate of higher education for women and due to his personal struggles with stuttering, opened schools with a focus on curing the affliction.
Edvard Munch – 1863
The expressionist painter is known for his dark and evocative art. One of his most recognized works of art, The Scream, is on display at National Museum in Oslo. Munch painted The Scream in 1893. He also created a lithograph of the piece which The Munch Museum holds.
Kate Shelley – 1863
A fierce storm blew through Des Moines River Valley on the night of July 6, 1881. The storm washed out the Honey Creek Bridge. That night, 15-year-old Kate Shelley who lived near the bridge heard the Chicago & Northwestern tumble into the creek. Raised by a railroad man, she attempted to rescue the crew. However, when her lantern blew out, she redirected her efforts to the Midnight Limited which was bound for Honey Creek. Racing to the depot, she alerted the agent of the bridge and he was able to flag down the train in time saving many lives.
Frank Sinatra – 1915
One of the most influential big band singers of the 1940s and 1950s, Frank Sinatra crooned his way into the limelight. A member of the Rat Pack, he not only dazzled on stage, but he was also equally at home on the big screen.
Robert Noyce – 1927
The physicist is one of the scientists who made significant contributions to the establishment of Silicon Valley. In 1957, he and 7 other engineers founded Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation. There he developed one of the first integrated circuits. In 1968, he co-founded Intel Corporation and the company released the first microprocessor in 1971.
Helen Frankenthaler – 1928
The Abstract Expressionist painter is credited with developing a direct to raw canvas staining technique.
Toshiko Akiyoshi – 1929
The classically trained pianist discovered a love of jazz at a young age. During her six-decade career, Toshiko received 14 Grammy nominations and is the first Japanese musician to receive the NEA Jazz Master Award.
Dionne Warwick – 1940
The pop singer rose to fame in the 1970s with songs like “Walk on By” and “I Say a Little Prayer.”
