December 6th, 2014 – NATIONAL PAWNBROKERS DAY – NATIONAL RHUBARB VODKA DAY – NATIONAL MICROWAVE OVEN DAY – NATIONAL GAZPACHO DAY – SKYWARN RECOGNITION DAY

                                                 NATIONAL PAWNBROKERS DAY

Each year on December 6, people all across the United States acknowledge National Pawnbrokers Day.  This holiday was created as a day to pay tribute to a profession that provides a valuable service to those in need of cash funds and also those looking for a reasonably good deal.

The word pawn is derived from the Latin word pignus, for pledge.

The history of pawnbroking begins thousands of years ago in the west in Ancient Greek and Roman Empires and in the East over 3000 years ago in China.
Five years ago, the National Pawnbrokers Association began a wonderful program on National Pawnbrokers Day called Musical Instrument Gift Day.  Pawnbrokers across the country make generous donations of  musical instruments to organizations in need.  December 6, 2012, they worked with The Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation and collected instruments for a high school in Mississippi.   For more information, see: http://www.giftday.org/
NATIONAL PAWNBROKERS DAY HISTORY
National Pawnbrokers Day, an “unofficial” national holiday is celebrated on International St. Nicolas Day, the patron saint of pawnbroking.

NATIONAL RHUBARB VODKA DAY

National Rhubarb Vodka Day December 6. Photo Credit http://www.mapleriverdistillery.com/

The registrar of National Day Calendar has designated the first Saturday in December of each year as National Rhubarb Vodka Day.  This day celebrates the unique tartness that Rhubarb gives to Vodka.

Rhubarb Vodka was  originally introduced in the United States of America in 2010 by Maple River Distillery in historic downtown Casselton, North Dakota.  Rhubarb is a local favorite so the idea was born to infuse Rhubarb into Vodka.  The idea was an instant hit and has become a popular distilled beverage across the USA.

• Rhubarb, although known as a tart fruit to most, is actually a vegetable.   It was decided in a New York court in 1947 that since rhubarb was used in the United States as a fruit, that it was to be counted as a fruit for the purposes of regulations and duties.

More information can be found at http://www.mapleriverdistillery.com
NATIONAL RHUBARB VODKA DAY HISTORY
Based on the popularity of  Rhubarb Vodka and its quick rise as a popular beverage,  the registrar at National Day Calendar has declared the 1st Saturday in December as National Rhubarb Vodka Day.

     

National Microwave Oven Day – December 6

NATIONAL MICROWAVE OVEN DAY

One day in 1945, as American self-taught engineer Percy Spencer was working on an active radar set, he realized that the candy bar  he had in his pocket was melting.   The radar had melted his chocolate bar with microwaves and it was right then, on that day, that the specific heating effect of a high-power microwave beam was accidentally discovered.
Popcorn was the first food that was deliberately cooked with Spencer’s microwave and an egg was the second.  The egg however, exploded in the face of a fellow experimenter.
Raytheon filed an United States patent application for Spencer’s microwave cooking process on October 8, 1945.
Raytheon built the first commercially available microwave oven in 1947.  It was called the “Radarange”

It is believed that 90% of homes in the United States have a microwave in them.

To celebrate National Microwave Oven Day, cook your favorite meal in the microwave tonight or heat up some of last nights dinner in their.  Happy National Microwave Day!

NATIONAL MICROWAVE DAY HISTORY

Within our research, we were unable to find the creator or origin or National Microwave Oven Day, an “unofficial” national holiday.

NATIONAL GAZPACHO DAY

National Gazpacho Day is celebrated across the United States each year on December 6.  Gazpacho is typically a tomato-based vegetable soup which is served cold.  Originating in the southern Spanish region of Andalucia, Gazpacho is widely consumed in Spanish cuisine, usually during the summer months.
The original Spanish recipe includes stale bread, tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, onion and garlic, olive oil, wine, vinegar, water and salt.
Following is the typical method of preparing gazpacho:

• Washing vegetables
• Peeling tomatoes, garlic and onions.
• Chop all vegetables (traditionally pounded with mortar) and process in food processor.
• Add soaked bread.
• Blend part of the processed contents until liquid, depending on desired consistency.
• Add chilled water, olive oil, vinegar and salt to taste.
• Add remaining processed ingredients.
• Add garnishes as desired.

In Andalucía, most gazpacho recipes typically include stale bread, tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, onion and garlic, olive oil, wine vinegar, water, and salt.
Gazpacho has many modern variations including that of avocados, cucumber, parsley, watermelon, grapes, meat stock, seafood and a few other ingredients.
Gazpacho is sometimes served with ice cubes when it has not had enough time to chill before serving.
Enjoy the following “tried and true” Gazpacho recipe: 
http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/gazpacho/