NATIONAL STRAWBERRY DAY
We continue with February’s heart-shaped and red theme by observing National Strawberry Day on February 27. These juicy, sweet berries can brighten up any dish and are delicious all on their own.
There are a few different stories behind the origin of the name. The more widely accepted version is that the berries would drop off the leaves and become “strewn” about the plant. Overtime “strewn-berries” became “strawberries”. There was a time (and some gardeners still do this today) when strawberry beds were mulched with straw, insulating the plants over the winter, keeping weeds at bay during the growing season and making it easier to harvest. Another sweet story tells of English children stringing the berries on grass straws and selling the “straw berries” in their neighborhoods.
Strawberries are a little weird as far as fruits go; they wear their seeds on the outside.Not only are they delicious, they are fragrant as well. One of the more fragrant fruits, they belong to the rose family.
Strawberries are grown in nearly every corner of the Earth (if the Earth had corners) except for her most frozen southern and northern reaches. Along with all these possible locations, there are over 600 varieties of strawberries as well.
A great source of Vitamin C, strawberries are also a good source of folic acid, potassium and fiber. At 55 calories and zero fat in 1 cup, these sweet things really hit the spot when a snack is called for!
For more information, visit the National Day Calendar page for National Strawberry Day.
NATIONAL KAHLUA DAY
February 27th recognizes National Kahlúa Day. This day was created as a day for those, over the age of 21, to enjoy this creamy rich alcoholic liqueur. To celebrate, you may want to use Kahlua, a coffee-flavored rum-based liquor, to flavor your ice cream or another dessert such as cheesecake or cake. It also tastes great in coffee, hot chocolate, creamy cocktails as a shot or on the rocks.Pedro Domecq began producing Kahlúa in 1936. In 1994, the company merged with Allied Lyons forming Allied Domecq. In 2005, Allied Domecq was partially acquired by Pernod Ricard which merged with the Swedish Vin & Sprit (V & S Group) in March of 2008.
Kahlúa is made from coffee and rum, so does have caffeine. Kahlúa is found to be used in a few notable cocktails, including the following:
- B-52
- Baby Guinness
- Black Russian
- Mudslide
- White Russian
- Espresso Martini
- Caribbean Mudslide
NATIONAL POLAR BEAR DAY
National Polar Bear Day, also known as International Polar Bear Day is observed on February 27th. It is a day to learn more about the polar bear and conservation efforts where the polar bear is concerned.Polar bears can reach a height of 9 ft tall and a weight of 1400 pounds. They have large front paws, which are slightly webbed, that are used to paddle as they swim. As they are very strong swimmers, some polar bears have been seen swimming hundreds of miles from land, however, some of the distance may have been covered by floating on sheets of ice.
The polar bears have a warming layer of fat which is covered by their thick coat of insulating fur. This helps them live in the colder environments.
There are organizations that use this day to raise awareness of the declining number of polar bears worldwide. It is believed, by many, that these beautiful creatures are threatened due to global warming and the consequential loss of their natural habitat. Groups, around the world, gather together to find ways to make a difference and spread information to others.
HOW TO OBSERVE
Learn more about the polar bear, its environment and how it lives. Use #NationalPolarBearDay to post on social media.
HISTORY
Polar Bear Day has been recognized since at least 2011 and founding credit has been given to Polar Bears International which sponsors educational challenges annually.
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