February 25, 2016 – NATIONAL CHILI DAY – NATIONAL CHOCOLATE COVERED NUT DAY – NATIONAL CLAM CHOWDER DAY

                                  NATIONAL CHILI DAY

The fourth Thursday in February celebrates one of America’s favorite winter dishes–chili, which is also known as chili con carne (chili with meat).
In Spanish, chili refers to “chili pepper” and carne means “meat”.
Chili is most commonly made up of tomatoes, beans, chili peppers, meat, garlic, onions and cumin.  However, there are many variations to the basic chili.
Chili is often a favorite dish in cook-offs.
American frontier settlers used a “chili” recipe of dried beef, suet, dried chili peppers and salt, which was all pounded together, formed into bricks and dried.  The bricks could then be boiled in pots on the trails. 
At the Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893, the San Antonio Chili Stand helped people from all over the United States appreciate the taste of chili.  Because San Antonio was a significant tourist destination, it helped Texas-style chili con carne spread throughout the South and West.  In 1977, House Concurrent Resolution Number 18 of the 65th Texas Legislature designated chili con carne as the official dish of the U.S. of Texas.
Prior to World War II, hundreds of small, family run chili parlors (also known as chili joints) were found popping up throughout the state of Texas as well as other places in the United States. Each new chili parlor usually had a claim to some kind of secret recipe.
For more information, visit the National Day Calendar page for National Chili Day.
 

National Chocolate Covered Nut Day – February 25

NATIONAL CHOCOLATE COVERED NUT DAY

National Chocolate Covered Nut Day is celebrated each year on February 25th.  It is a day for the delicious crunchy nut to be enjoyed once it has been covered in chocolate.  The possibilities are endless as there are so many different types of nuts, as well as different types of chocolate.
For thousands of years, nuts have been a staple of the human diet.  The walnut was a favorite of the ancient Greeks and Romans while the pecans were  a favorite of the Native Americans.
Both chocolate and nuts can be good for you.
Dark chocolate seems to posses substantial amount of antioxidants, while the nuts contain the essential fatty acids and linolenic acids.  The fats in nuts for the most part are unsaturated fats, including monounsaturated fats.  Nuts also provide arginine, a substance that may help make the walls of the arteries more flexible and less prone to blockage from blood clot formation.  Many nuts are good sources of vitamins E and B2, and are rich in protein, folate, fiber, and essential minerals, such as magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, and selenium.
The original chocolate covered peanut candy are Goobers which were first sold in 1925.  The word “Goober” was a common slang word for peanut. 
One of the more well-known chocolate covered nut is the M & M.  These chocolate covered peanuts or chocolate covered almonds have become a favorite of many.  The peanut M & M was introduced in 1954.  They were tan until 1960 when the colors red, yellow and green were introduced.
HOW TO OBSERVE
Whether it be unsweetened chocolate, sweet chocolate, semisweet chocolate, white chocolate or dark chocolate mixed with peanuts, cashews, almonds, macadamias, pecans, or any other nut, enjoy your favorite combination!! Use #ChocolateCoveredNutDay to post on social media.
HISTORY
Within our research we were unable to identify the creator of National Chocolate Covered Nut Day.
 

National Clam Chowder Day – February 25

NATIONAL CLAM CHOWDER DAY

Each year on February 25th people across the nation have a bowl and spoon ready to be filled with clam chowder as they prepare to participate in National Clam Chowder Day.
A chowder in its simplest form is a soup or stew containing clams or fish.  The most common type of chowder includes milk or cream as well as potatoes, though the Manhattan clam chowder has tomatoes.
The origin of the word “chowder” is up for a little bit of debate.  The French word for cauldron is “chaudiere”.  The English word “jowter” means fish peddler.  Both are on the hook for possible origins.
In chowder, along with the clams, it is common to find diced potatoes, onions (often sautéed in pork or bacon drippings) and celery.
For more information, visit the National Day Calendar page for National Claim Chowder Day.