JANUARY 3, 2014 – NATIONAL CHOCOLATE COVERED CHERRY DAY – NATIONAL DRINKING STRAW DAY – NATIONAL FRUITCAKE TOSS DAY

      NATIONAL CHOCOLATE COVERED CHERRY DAY

Recognized by the National Confectioners Association and celebrated by millions of people across the country, January 2nd is National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day.
It is almost impossible to eat just one of these chocolate covered cherry candies that have combined two favorite flavors into one delicious treat.  The candy often times is made with a sweet liquid center and in some cases has a liquor filling center.
Known to many as a “mid winter pick-me-up” chocolate covered cherries, also called chocolate cordials, can be either store-bought or homemade.  There are also many recipes that mimic the flavor of the long known and well loved candy.

In the 1700′s in England, cherries were enclosed in chocolate with a little kirsch (cordial) liqueur. After finding their way to America, they were well accepted with the little bit of alcoholic cordial surrounding the fruit that had been dipped in chocolate.  Although originally made with the liqueur, cordials/chocolate covered cherries are more commonly made with a sugar syrup flavored with cherries.  The pitted cherries that are used have been cooked in sugar syrup and jarred.

Enjoy your day sharing some chocolate covered cherries with your friends and try one of the following “tried and true” recipes:

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/chocolate-covered-cherries

http://www.food.com/recipe/chocolate-covered-cherry-cake-69460

http://www.food.com/recipe/chocolate-covered-cherry-fudge-148285

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/chocolate-covered-cherry-cookies

NATIONAL CHOCOLATE COVERED CHERRY DAY HISTORY

Within our research, we were unable to find the creator and origin of National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day, an “unofficial” national holiday. 
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                   NATIONAL DRINKING STRAW DAY

On January 3, 1888 Marvin C. Stone received the patent for the paper drinking straw.  In acknowledgement of that invention, each year on January 3, people across the nation celebrate National Drinking Straw Day.
It is believed that the very first drinking straws were used by the Sumerians for drinking beer.  It is speculated that they used the straws to avoid the solid byproducts of fermentation that would have sank to the bottom.  The oldest drinking straw known to be in existence was found in a Sumerian tomb dated 3,000 B.C.E.  This found straw was a gold tube inlaid with a precious blue stone.
Neighbors to the Sumerians, the Argentines used a similar metallic device called a bombilla.  Used for hundreds of years, the bombilla acted as both a straw and a sieve.



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                     NATIONAL FRUITCAKE TOSS DAY

Many people receive fruitcakes as gifts sometime during the holiday season.  Some people eat the fruitcakes, some re-gift them, some throw them away while other save them for January 3rd so they can celebrate National Fruitcake Toss Day.