WHAT'S SPECIAL ABOUT TODAY?

Today is APRIL 4th.....

NATIONAL VITAMIN C DAY!

NATIONAL VITAMIN C DAY

Feel beautiful and vibrant when you recognize National Vitamin C Day on April 4th!

While Vitamin C is widely recognized for warding off colds, the vitamin is also clinically proven to be a powerhouse in other areas of health, too. For example, Vitamin C may reduce blood pressure and potentially lower risk of heart disease. Those at risk of gout can lower that risk by increasing their intake of Vitamin C.

Topically, Vitamin C keeps skin healthy by protecting it from oxidative damage caused by daily exposure to light, heat, and pollution. The popularity of topical vitamin C products has risen dramatically.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Learn more about why vitamin C is essential for skin health – find the right vitamin C serum for you.
Discover more with #vitaminCday on social media.

HISTORY

SkinCeuticals founded National Vitamin C Day in 2019 to celebrate this research and the proven benefits of vitamin C.

The research of Dr. Sheldon Pinnell, founding scientist of SkinCeuticals, established the parameters for effective vitamin C antioxidant delivery to the skin, allowing SkinCeuticals to pioneer the emergence of cosmeceuticals.

The Registrar at National Day Calendar® proclaimed National Vitamin C Day to be observed on April 4th annually. 

Today is.....

GOLD STAR SPOUSES DAY – April 5

GOLD STAR SPOUSES DAY
Gold Star Spouses Day on April 5 honors the surviving loved ones of military service members killed in the line of duty.
The day is a time of remembrance for the spouses and their families and a time of recognition of their sacrifices. Many communities and organizations hold events showing support for Gold Star families on this day. Through ceremonies, teas, memorial races, and luncheons, fallen warriors are honored and remembered.
The loss of our service members extends beyond the battlefield. They leave behind grieving wives and husbands who become members of an exclusive community no one asks to join. As a nation, our support, understanding, and respect are the least we can provide in return.
HOW TO OBSERVE
Attend a local event or volunteer with a veterans group. If you know a Gold Star family, stay connected. Find out more about Gold Star spouses by visiting goldstarwives.org. Use #GoldStarSpousesDay to share on social media.
HISTORY
World War I and Army Captian Robert L. Queissner paved the way for Gold Star families. National Gold Star Mother’s Day was designated on June 23, 1936, by a joint congressional resolution to occur on the Last Sunday in September. In 2011, President Barack Obama amended the day to “Gold Star Mother’s and Family’s Day.”
In 2010, the first Gold Star Wives Day was observed in December. In 2012, the U.S. Senate designated Gold Star Wives Day to be recognized each year on April 5th. The language was later changed to be more inclusive of all spouses, and the name of the day is often used interchangeably.
The nonprofit organization Gold Star Wives, Inc. welcomes all spouses.

What is special about today?

APRIL 7th is...

What is World Health Day About?

April 7 of each year marks the celebration of World Health Day. From its inception at the First Health Assembly in 1948 and since taking effect in 1950, the celebration has aimed to create awareness of a specific health theme to highlight a priority area of concern for the World Health Organization.

 

Over the past 50 years this has brought to light important health issues such as mental health, maternal and child care, and climate change. The celebration is marked by activities which extend beyond the day itself and serves as an opportunity to focus worldwide attention on these important aspects of global health.

The Focus of World Health Day 2019

Universal health coverage (UHC) is about ensuring all people and communities have access to quality health services where and when they need them, without suffering financial hardship. It includes the full spectrum of services needed throughout life—from health promotion to prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and palliative care—and is best based on a strong primary health care system.

APRIL 8TH is....

History
As a rule, discovering the next holiday (the today’s matter concerns the direction what day World Zoo Lovers Day in 2019 is) we have to tell our readers something really special about the historical background of the event. However, unfortunately, we haven’t managed to find our any information available about the holiday establishers. And at the same time we know nothing about the reasons to celebrate the event on April 8th annually.
The first institutions of this kind were opened outside the cities, when the owners of the farms organized separate aviaries for pets and birds and conducted excursions for local kids.
Zoos of the new format began to enjoy great popularity among visitors. A few years later, innovation reached the towns and the cities and has turned from the possibility of additional earnings for farmers in the main and profitable business of private entrepreneurs.

Meaning
What does National Zoo Lovers Day mean? All in all it is only up to you to decide what special occasions to hold and which ones can be quite forgotten.
However, we can’t but mention that among the contemporary children and their parents, so-called mini-zoos are becoming more and more popular all around the planet. They are also called rural or contact ones.
The main difference between the rural zoo and the usual one is that all birds and animals represented there are allowed to touch and to feed. However, the number of them, as a rule, is small. Basically, these are rabbits, chickens, ducks, geese, sheep, goats, pigeons, turkeys and pigs.

Today is April 9th

In 1987, President Ronald Reagan first proclaimed April 9th to be National Prisoner of War Recognition Day. 

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NATIONAL FORMER PRISONER OF WAR RECOGNITION DAY – April 9

NATIONAL FORMER PRISONER OF WAR RECOGNITION DAY

National Former Prisoners of War Recognition Day on April 9 honors the courageous men and women who have endured brutal treatment at the hands of their captors, separation from family and displayed incredible endurance and faith during their captivity.

On this day in 1942, the largest number of U.S. Forces were captured by Japanese troops in the Bataan Peninsula in the Philippines. After battling through extreme conditions and prolonged battles, the captured troops were forced to march 65 miles to the prison camp. Without medical attention, food or water thousands died. The mistreatment continued for those who survived the brutal journey. In the compounds, deep in the unfamiliar jungle, the hardships, brutality, and suffering lasted more than two years for those who could survive.

Many POWs endure conditions much like this. These heroes deserve a day of recognition. An annual presidential proclamation is signed for National Former Prisoner of War Recognition Day and government officials, veterans, civic and private organizations observe the day with ceremonies and events. Some states require the POW/MIA flag to be flown in this day.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Honor former POWs by helping to organize events.  Ensure your organization flies the POW/MIA flag.  Use #FormerPOWRecognitionDay to share on social media.

 

 

TODAY IS...

Today is.......

NATIONAL PEACH COBBLER DAY – April 13

NATIONAL PEACH COBBLER DAY
National Peach Cobbler Day is observed annually on April 13. It recognizes a delicious dessert that originated during the 19th century.
Unable to make traditional suet puddings due to lack of suitable ingredients and cooking equipment, the settlers instead covered a stewed filling with a layer of uncooked plain biscuits or dumplings, fitted together. When the dish is fully cooked, the surface has the appearance of a cobbled street. The name may also derive from the fact that the ingredients are “cobbled” together. Some cobbler recipes resemble a thick-crusted, deep-dish pie with both top and bottom crust.
In 2007, the world’s largest peach cobbler was made at the Georgia Peach Festival. It consisted of:
90 lbs of butter
150 lbs of sugar
150 lbs of flour
32 gallons of milk
75 gallons of peaches

Origin of "National Peach Cobbler Day":
Peach Cobbler Day was created by the Georgia Peach Council in the 1950's, to promote the consumption of canned peaches. Canned peaches can be enjoyed any month of the year. This helps to answer the placement of this special day in April, when fresh peaches are not available.

How to Observe

Find and eat as much peach cobbler as your stomach can hold.  Enjoy!

Today is.....

Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday - The History
Palm Sunday (first known as Pasha) originated in the Jerusalem Church around the late third or early fourth century. Ceremonies consisted of prayers, hymns, and sermons as people moved through the numerous holy sites within the city. At the last site, the place of Jesus’ ascension into heaven, the clergy would read the biblical account of Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. Then as evening approached, the people would return to the city reciting: “Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord” (Matthew 21:9). By the fifth century, the celebration had spread as far as Constantinople. It wasn’t until the sixth and seventh centuries that the ritual blessing of the palms was added. A morning procession replaced the evening one and by the eighth century, the Western Church was celebrating “Dominica in Palmis” or “Palm Sunday.”

Palm Sunday - The Tradition
Palm Sunday is also known as Passion Sunday in recognition of the beginning of Holy Week and Jesus’ final agonizing journey to His crucifixion. Falling on the sixth Sunday in Lent and the Sunday before Easter, Palm Sunday is celebrated in all major Christian churches—Roman Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox. In many Orthodox churches, Palm Sunday is known as Entry into Jerusalem. In some countries, the graves of loved ones are decorated with palms. Since palm trees are not indigenous to colder climates, branches of sallow, willow, and yew are often used. 

Today, many Palm Sunday traditions remain much the same as those celebrated in the tenth century. Some ceremonies begin with the blessing of the palms. Afterward, many people take the palms home and place them in houses, barns, and fields. In many churches, children serve as an integral part of the service since they enjoy the processions. Children often craft crosses from palm leaves which were used in the Sunday processional. The traditions of Palm Sunday serve as reminders of the life-changing events of Holy Week. 

Palm Sunday - The Remembrance

In the simplest of terms, Palm Sunday is an opportunity to reflect upon the final week of Jesus' life. Jesus did not deny the image that the crowd expected -- the fulfillment of the hopes of Israel that He would be their earthly king, destroying the Roman government. Instead, Jesus humbly entered Jerusalem to give His life on a cross, saving mankind from sin and death. One day, Jesus will return gloriously as a mighty warrior in battle (Revelation 19:11–16). Palm Sunday serves as a preparation of one’s heart for the agony of His Passion and the joy of His Resurrection. 
"Say to the Daughter of Zion, 'See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.'"

The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, 

"Hosanna to the Son of David!" 
"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"
"Hosanna in the highest!"

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, "Who is this?" The crowds answered, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee."

Just in Case Someone Out There does not know, 

Today Is......

Enough said!

TODAY is....

EMANCIPATION DAY!

Emancipation Day is a holiday in Washington DC to mark the anniversary of the signing of the Compensated Emancipation Act, which president Abraham Lincoln signed on April 16, 1862. It is annually held on April 16.

Is Emancipation Day a Public Holiday?

Emancipation Day is a public holiday in District of Columbia, where it is a day off for the general population, and schools and most businesses are closed.

Emancipation Day marks the signing of the Compensated Emancipation Act in 1862.

©iStockphoto.com/Felix Möckel

What Do People Do?

A wide range of events are arranged in Washington DC to mark Emancipation Day. These are spread throughout the month of April and include exhibitions, public discussions, presentations of historic documents, the laying of wreaths, concerts and poetry readings. The events aim to educate a broad spectrum of people about the history of the municipality of the District of Columbia in general and slavery in particular. Attention is also paid to the African origin of many slaves and racial issues in modern American society.

Public Life

April 16 is a legal holiday in Washington DC. Local government offices are closed and many public services do not operate. However, many stores and businesses are open and there are no changes to public transit services. In some years, Emancipation Day may be the reason to extend the deadline for filing an income tax return (Tax Day). In 2007, the observance Emancipation Day in Washington DC had the effect of nationally extending the 2006 income tax filing deadline from April 16 to April 17. This 2007 date change was not discovered until after many forms went to print.

In all other areas of the United States, April 16 is a normal day and public life is not affected.

Background

Formal slavery was legal until 1865 in most of the area that is now the United States. Many slaves were of African origin and many slave owners were of European descent, although some other groups also had slaves. By 1860, there were about four million slaves in the United States. On April 16, 1862, Abraham Lincoln, who was the US president at the time, signed the Compensated Emancipation Act, which freed more than 3000 slaves in the District of Columbia. However, slavery did not officially end in the rest of the United States until after the American Civil War, which lasted from 1861 until 1865.

The Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution formally ended slavery in the US. It was proposed on January 31, 1865, and ratified by 30 of the then 36 states in the same year. However, it was only ratified in Mississippi in 1995. Slavery and the racial divisions, upon which it was based, have had and continue to have huge implications for individuals and American society as a whole.

Emancipation Day in Washington DC marks the anniversary of the signing of the Compensated Emancipation Act. On January 4, 2005, legislation was signed to make Emancipation Day an official public holiday in the District of Columbia. Elsewhere in the United States, the emancipation of slaves is celebrated in Florida (May 20), Puerto Rico (March 22) and Texas (June 19). There are also similar events in many countries in the Caribbean, including Anguilla, Bahamas, Bermuda, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and the Turks and Caicos Islands. Many of these events occur during the first week of August as slavery was abolished in the British Empire on August 1, 1834.