June 12, 2015 – NATIONAL PEANUT BUTTER COOKIE DAY – NATIONAL RED ROSE DAY – NATIONAL JERKY DAY – NATIONAL LOVING DAY

                          NATIONAL PEANUT BUTTER COOKIE DAY

Peanut butter cookie lovers across the United States annually celebrate National Peanut Butter Cookie Day on June 12.

Alabama’s American agricultural extension educator, George Washington Carver, was the most well know promoter of the peanut.  Carver compiled 105 peanut recipes from various cookbooks, agricultural bulletins and other different sources.  In 1916, he put together a Research Bulletin called “How to Grow the Peanut and 105 Ways of Preparing it for Human Consumption“.  Included in this Research Bulletin were three recipes for peanut cookies calling for crushed or chopped peanuts as one of its ingredients.  

 It was in the early 1920′s that peanut butter was found listed as an ingredient in cookies. 

Homemade peanut butter cookies would just not be right without the traditional forked crisscross’s on them!

NATIONAL PEANUT BUTTER COOKIE DAY HISTORY

Within our research, we were unable to find the creator of National Peanut Butter Cookie Day, an “unofficial” National holiday.

National Red Rose Day – June 12

NATIONAL RED ROSE DAY

Each year on June 12, people in the United States celebrate National Red Rose Day.   It honors the flower that is a symbol of love and romance, the red rose.

Red roses were used in many early cultures as decorations in wedding ceremonies and wedding attire.  It was through this practice that, over the years, the red rose became known as a symbol of love and romance.  The tradition  of giving red roses as the strongest message of love is still practiced today.

In June, red roses are in bloom in flower gardens across the United States and their beauty and sweet scent fill the air with happiness.

* The June Birth Flower is the Rose *

NATIONAL RED ROSE DAY HISTORY

Within our research, we were unable to find the creator and origin of National Red Rose Day, an “unofficial” National holiday.

National Jerky Day – June 12

NATIONAL JERKY DAY

National Jerky Day is observed annually on June 12th.  National Jerky Day was created to celebrate the rich history, immense popularity and nutritional benefits of dried meat snacks.

“In many ways, jerky is an ideal snack. Naturally packed with protein, jerky will keep you satiated between meals; but since it’s low in fat, calories and carbs, it won’t sabotage a healthy diet,” said Jeff LeFever, director of marketing for Jack Link’s® Beef Jerky, the No. 1 U.S. meat snack brand.

This nutrient-dense meat has been made lightweight by drying.  A pound of meat or poultry will weigh only about four ounces once it is made into jerky and it can be stored for months without refrigeration because most of the moisture has been removed.  Salt is added to the meat, before it is dried, to prevent bacteria from developing.

“Jerky” is a word derived  from the Spanish word charqui, which came from the Quechua (a Native South American language) word ch’arki, which means to burn (meat).

Traditional jerky is readily available in nearly every convenience store, gas station, supermarket, and variety shop in the United States.

Due to it’s light weight and high level of nutrition, since 1996, jerky has been selected by astronauts as space food several times for space flights. 

NATIONAL JERKY DAY HISTORY

National Jerky Day, an “unofficial” National holiday was created by Jack Link’s Beef Jerky in 2012.

National Loving Day – June 12

NATIONAL LOVING DAY

National Loving Day is celebrated each year on June 12.   National Loving Day is an annual celebration that commemorates the anniversary of the 1967 United States Supreme Court decision Loving vs Virginia.  This decision struck down all anti-miscegenation laws remaining in sixteen U.S. states citing “There can be no doubt that restricting the freedom to marry solely because of racial classifications violates the central meaning of the equal protection clause”.  Anti-miscegenation laws in the United States were U.S. state laws banning interracial marriage.
Childhood friends, Mildred and Richard, met when she was 11 and he was 17.  Over the years they began courting and in 1958, when she turned 18, they married in Washington.  They returned back to their hometown north of Richmond and two weeks later, not realizing that interracial marriage was illegal,  they were arrested.  Mildred and Richard Loving pleaded guilty and to avoid jail time, they agreed to leave Virginia.
The Loving’s moved to Washington D.C. and started legal action writing to Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy.  Kennedy referred the case onto the American Civil Liberties Union.  The Warren Court unanimously ruled in their favor and the Loving’s returned to their Virginia home where they resided with their three children.
NATIONAL LOVING DAY HISTORY
National Loving Day, an “unofficial” National holiday, is not yet an official recognized holiday by the U.S. government, however there is a movement to persuade the government to do so.    This day was inspired by Juneteenth and seeks both to commemorate and celebrate the Supreme Courts 1967 ruling, keeping it’s importance fresh in the minds of a generation which has grown up with interracial relationships being legal as well as explore issues facing couples currently in interracial relationships.