February 28, 2016 – NATIONAL PUBLIC SLEEPING DAY – NATIONAL TOOTH FAIRY DAY – NATIONAL CHOCOLATE SOUFFLE DAY – NATIONAL FLORAL DESIGN DAY

                                             NATIONAL PUBLIC SLEEPING DAY

Are you tired?  If you are (and it’s February 28), go ahead a take a nap.  February 28th is National Public Sleeping Day.  It is a day for anyone and everyone to take a nap on a blanket at the beach, at the park, in the movie theater, on a bus, train, or subway or any other public place that may work for you.  However, it may not be a good idea to take that nap at your desk during work!
There are different types of naps. The Power Nap is approximately 10 to 20 minutes long and can give a boost of energy to get us through the rest of the day. It also doesn’t leave us drowsy like some longer naps might and will also allow us to fall asleep at a decent time at night.
The Hangover is about 30 minutes long, 10 too many leaving us loopy and wanting to just stay asleep. We will snap out of it, and feel much like the Power Nap, but it may take a bit of effort before we feel those benefits.
The Brainiac lasts about 60 minutes and includes the deepest sleep. While we my feel a little grogginess upon waking, much like the Hangover, our ability to recall facts, names and faces will be improved. This type of nap may be the best nap after a round of studying or prior to a big test.
The California King lasts about 90 minutes and is typically a full cycle of sleep. It will also include REM or a dream stage. This nap avoids the hangover like the power nap does and improves creative thinking and motor memory, but night time sleep may become elusive.
For more information, visit the National Day Calendar page for National Public Sleeping Day.
 

NATIONAL TOOTH FAIRY DAY

February 28th is a day to look back on the history of one of dental care’s little helpers and to keep encouraging our children to develop good dental hygiene.  It’s National Tooth Fairy Day.  
Like some of the mythological creations who oversee children, the tooth fairy is a relative new comer to the world of child fantasies.
In the mid-1920s fairies were used for all sorts of health education from bath fairies to fresh air fairies as a way to get children to remember to eat their vegetables, wash behind their ears and get a good nights rest. Like tooth pastes today that advertise fruity flavors and sparkles to get kids excited to brush their teeth, in 1925 it was probably quite a bit more difficult considering the pastes were mostly peroxide and baking soda. One advertisement was for a Fairy Wand Tooth Whitener. This product promised to brush away cigarette and coffee stains.  This advertisement was definitely aimed at both children and adults, we hope!
Then in 1927, Esther Watkins Arnold printed an eight-page play-let for children called The Tooth Fairy. It was the same year Sir Arthur Conan Doyle “proves” his claim that fairies and gnomes are real and has a picture with pictures of two little girls surrounded with fairies “verified”. So, the world was ripe with imagination and primed to have a tooth fairy about to come collect the lost teeth of little boys and girls and leave a coin or two behind.
For more information, visit the National Day Calendar page for National Tooth Fairy Day.
 

NATIONAL CHOCOLATE SOUFFLE DAY

A delightfully delicious dessert is observed each year on February 28th as it is National Chocolate Souffle Day.
The word souffle is the past participle of the French verb souffler, which means “to blow up” or more loosely “puff up”, which describes a souffle perfectly.  A souffle is a lightly baked cake made with egg yolks and the beaten eggs whites that are combined with various other ingredients.  Souffle can be found served as a savory main dish or sweetened as a dessert.
There are two basic components that make up every souffle.
1.  a French creme patisserie base/flavored cream sauce or puree
2.  egg whites beaten to a  soft peak meringue
The flavor is provided by the base and the “lift” is provided by the beaten egg whites.  A variety of cheeses, jams, fruits or chocolates can be baked into the base of the souffle.  Many souffle bakers like to puncture the top of the souffle after it is removed from the oven, and pour mouth watering sauces onto it, such as chocolate, vanilla or for a savory flavor cheese and herbs.
For more information, visit the National Day Calendar page for National Chocolate Souffle Day.

NATIONAL FLORAL DESIGN DAY        

National Floral Design Day is observed annually on February 28th.  For thousands of years, floral design has been an important cultural art form.  This is the day we celebrate that art form.  It may be in a bouquet, a painting, in fabric, in a garden or a floral arrangement.
Floral design is a multi-billion dollar industry that brightens our lives on a daily basis.
From great, historic gardens to a bridal bouquet on that special day floral designers have an eye for color, style and perspective. Floral design can complete a space, complementing existing structures and bringing brightness and color to them.
As with many arts, floral design has traditional roots hearkening back to Egyptian temple offerings to gods. Design changed from era to era, each having distinct customs and traditions.
For more information, visit the National Day Calendar page for National Floral Design Day.