Welcome to our series sharing Food Holidays: August 3rd, 2022. Today is the day we celebrate both Nuts and Watermelons. I will celebrate Nuts with Charlie. While David and Charlie asked for a Watermelon. How about you which holiday would you most want to celebrate and why?
One could call this a truly nutty day for several reasons.
First, let’s explore just what does “nuts” mean? Are we talking about nuts that you eat!? Most likely so. But, we also could be talking about the nuts that go with bolts. Or, perhaps this holiday is about some of our nutty friends. We’ve all got a few of those. Unfortunately, the creator of this holiday is unknown. They have not offered documentation on this holiday.
As far as we’ve discovered, information is very sketchy and only resident on the internet. Internet websites have unanimously assumed that this holiday is about nuts that we eat. Let’s follow that theme and grab a handful of nuts. This leaves us with yet another dilemma about today.
Grabbing a bunch of edible nuts poses yet another uncertainty. The problem here, is the definition of what is an edible nut. Most of us have heard over and over gain, that Peanuts are not nuts, but Legumes. Almost all of us will be amazed to know that technically Walnuts, Cashews, Pistachios and Almonds are not nuts either. Yet, all of us and the food industry refers them to as Nuts. The whole concept of this holiday is more than a little nutty when you stop and think about it.
This Fruit deserves it’s own holiday. We give pause to celebrate Watermelons on National Watermelon Day. Sweet and tasty, Watermelons, are one of Summer’s favorite Fruit. Watermelon is a standard fare at picnics. While Watermelon is over 90% Water, it sure tastes good. What picnic would be complete without a Watermelon Seed Spitting contest?
Summer is the time to consume Watermelons in large quantities. Watermelons ripen in the field in July and August, and even earlier in some Southern States. July is the peak month, just in time for Fourth of July picnics. Please don’t limit your consumption of Watermelon to just August. Stores carry Watermelon twelve months of the year.
World Record Watermelon: Watermelons can grow quite large, make that huge. There are small, home garden varieties that just about fit into the palm of your hand. There are Watermelons that can weigh hundreds of pounds each. Did you know the world record heaviest Watermelon weighed in at 350.5 pounds on October 4th, 2013. This Watermelon was grown by Chris Kent of Sevierville, Tennessee.
Related Holidays:
The History and Origin of National Watermelon Day:
The National Watermelon Promotion Board sponsors this holiday and they told us they did not create this holiday and do not know who did. In answering why this date was chosen, spokesperson Stephanie Barlow stated “Every day is National Watermelon Day to us!”
This holiday goes back to at least 2005.
National Watermelon Month is July, while National Watermelon Day is in August. No one knows why this is, although it gives us an extra day to celebrate Watermelons!
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
