Welcome to our series featuring Unique Holidays: December 13th, 2022. Would you take a look at the Holidays being celebrated today and let me know which holiday you most want to celebrate and why you choose that Holiday.
Gingerbread House Day– always observed on December 12th
Today is Gingerbread House Day. Gingerbread cookies are a Christmas tradition. Can you imagine the Christmas Season without Gingerbread Men!? The same holds true with Gingerbread Houses, which are made from the tasty Cookies. .
Ginger has been popular for flavoring foods and drinks since ancient times, all over the world. In 992 A.D., Armenian Monk Gregory of Nicopolis brought Gingerbread, his favorite food, to Europe. Armenian Monk Gregory taught local Christian bakers how to make Gingerbread. There are also some records suggesting that Christian crusaders brought Gingerbread back with them after the crusades.
It wasn’t until the 1800s, that someone got the wonderful idea of making houses out of Gingerbread and decorating the houses. The tradition of making Gingerbread houses originated in Germany and it’s popularity spread around the world. Making Gingerbread Houses in the days before Christmas is a lot of fun. You purchase Gingerbread kits, or make them from scratch. Kids and adults alike, enjoy cutting the Gingerbread to size and using Frosting to glue the house together. Decorating is done with a wide variety of colorful Candies. Gingerbread houses are very popular at Christmas parties. One of the highlights at Christmas parties is giving the okay to tear apart and eat the Gingerbread House.
You can make a Gingerbread house from scratch or purchase a kit. Making Gingerbread Houses from scratch is involved and time-consuming. Nowadays, most people purchase an easy-to-use kit.
The Guinness World record for the largest Gingerbread House is a massive 60 feet long by 42 feet wide and 10 feet tall. This Gingerbread House was created by Traditions Club in Bryan, Texas in 2013.
Tasty Gingerbread trivia facts
- In the 1700’s, making Gingerbread was exclusively done by professional bakers.
- Queen Elizabeth I is credited with creating the idea to make the first Gingerbread Man.
- Ginger helps preserve Bread.
- In some parts of the world, Gingerbread Houses are popular at Easter.
- Ginger soothes upset stomachs and it’s great after a big holiday meal.
- The Brothers Grimm story about Hans and Gretel inspired the creation of the Gingerbread house.
- The world’s largest Gingerbread house was made in 2013 by the Traditions Club in Bryan, TX. This Gingerbread House was 60′ long, 21′ tall, and 2,520 square feet.
- Every year, the town of Bergen, Norway creates an entire city of Gingerbread houses.
History and Origin of Gingerbread House Day
There is a wealth of information about using Ginger as a flavoring for foods, and about how Gingerbread became popular throughout the world.
Unfortunately, our research has not uncovered who created Gingerbread House Day, or when Gingerbread House Day annual holiday was first created. Gingerbread House Day appears to have been around since before 2,000.
National Ding-a-Ling Day– always observed on December 12th
Today is National Ding-a-Ling Day, a very special day to “Ring your Bell”. Nope, we’re not talking about the Salvation Army Bell Ringers, standing with their bells and kettles, outside of every store in the Country. On National Ding-a-Ling Day, you should brace yourself for bizarre and crazy behavior, from all of the people you encounter today. Even normally conservative people have been known to go a little crazy on National Ding-a-Ling Day.
Some people say National Ding-a-Ling Day is a day for wackos, lunatics, and others who are off their rockers. We say National Ding-a-Ling Day is simply a day to cut loose and act a little weird.
Ding-a-Lings and Ding Bats are not quite the same things. Ding-a-lings are just weird. Ding-a-Lings are funny and fun to be with and watch. Dingbats are Bat crazy and not a lot of fun.
How to Celebrate National Ding-a-Ling Day
Be ever vigilant to the ding-a-lings that will come out of the woodwork. Ding-a-Lings will be everywhere: on the road, on the street, in stores, and even in your house. There’s no shortage of ding-a-lings where you work. We suggest you get into the holiday spirit and become a ding-a-ling yourself. Please do so for just one day.
If you prefer to do something good and worthwhile, we suggest you be the ding-a-ling that rings the bell for the Salvation Army. Your efforts will raise money to help people in need in your community.
Poinsettia Day– always observed on December 12th
On December 12th we celebrate a beautiful Seasonal flower and John Poinsett who brought Poinsettia to the United States. Beautiful Poinsettia flowers are a well-recognized symbol of the Christmas Season. National Poinsettia Day was officially declared by an Act of Congress. It is in honor of Joel Roberts Poinsett, who died on December 12th, 1851. Poinsett was the first Ambassador to Mexico and he was also a botanist and a physician. Poinsett brought this colorful Plant back to his plantation in the U.S. Joel Roberts Poinsett grew the plants in his Greenville, S.C plantation and gave them out as gifts to friends.
According to Mexican folklore, there is a story of a little poor girl who had nothing to bring to Church for Christmas. On her way to Church, she picked some Plants by the side of the road. As she entered the Church, the leaves at the tips of the branches, called bracts, turned into bright, brilliant red flowers Poinsettias.
About Poinsettia Flowers
Originally from Mexico and Central America, Poinsettia Plants are by far the most popular Flower Plants during Christmas. As a matter of fact, Poinsettia are the largest flowering Plant Crop in the U.S. with sales of over 63 million pots! Native to the warmer Southwestern U.S. climates and Mexico, Poinsettias are susceptible to cold and frost. When you bring Poinsettias home in cold weather, make sure to bring the Flowers right home. Don’t leave them in your car and go back to your Christmas shopping.
When selecting Plants, choose ones with leaves that are fully in bloom. The long-lasting blooms take a while to produce full color. Once they do, they’ll last for several weeks, usually well beyond Christmas and New Year.
There are over 100 varieties of Poinsettias. These Perennial Plants actually are a Shrub that can grow 10-15 feet in the wild. The traditional red Poinsettias Plants are by far the most popular. There are several other colors, including pink, white, salmon, yellow, and multi-colored bracts
Poinsettias are sometimes called the “Christmas Plants”. In Chile and Peru, Poinsettias are called the “Crown of the Andes”.
Poinsettia Trivia
- Poinsettias area also called “Lobster Flower” or Flame-Leaf Flower”.
- German Botanist Wilenow gave the Poinsettia its botanical name, Euphorbia Pulcherrima, which means “very beautiful.”
- Poinsettias are the highest-selling potted flowering plant.
- During Joel Roberts Poinsett’s day, many botanists considered Poinsettias to be a Weed.
- Leaves can measure 6 to 8 inches across.
- The sticky white sap causes skin irritation in some people.
- The Aztecs used the dap to control fevers and the red bracts for making red dye.
- Poinsettias can be “forced” to bloom in future years.
How to Celebrate National Poinsettia Day
- Purchase Poinsettia flowers for your home.
- Give Poinsettias as gifts to people.
- Learn how to grow Poinsettia’s
- Decorate with Poinsettia’s
History and Origin of National Poinsettia Day
Our research has not yet identified an individual who created National Poinsettia Day, honoring and giving recognition to Joel Robert Poinsett and the beautiful Poinsettia flowers.
National Poinsettia Day was established by an act of the U.S. Congress. Resolution H Res. 471 was voted on and approved by the U.S. Congress on July 22, 2002. In the resolution it stated that “December 12th has been traditionally recognized as National Poinsettia Day for over 150 years”. Congress made this longstanding holiday official.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
