June 5, 2016 – NATIONAL MOONSHINE DAY – NATIONAL GINGERBREAD DAY – NATIONAL CANCER SURVIVOR’S DAY

 

JUNE 5 – NATIONAL MOONSHINE DAY – NATIONAL GINGERBREAD DAY – NATIONAL CANCER SURVIVOR’S DAY

NATIONAL MOONSHINE DAY

Every June 5 National Moonshine Day is observed.  This beverage has a notorious record of blurring the lines of history and the law, turning common men (and women) into criminals and common criminals into legends.
Moonshine traditionally is an illegally distilled spirit. Mostly made from a corn mash, moonshine is a distilled whiskey that is typically produced by an individual illegally without a permit. Also known as white lightning, mountain dew, homebrew, hillbilly pop, rotgut and too many more to list here.
Prohibition

Distilling skills first came to the United States during the 1830s with the Scotch-Irish as they settled in Virginia.
Temperance laws and prohibition legislation were passed in several states before the Civil War, but it wasn’t until the turn of the century that the temperance movement picked up steam. By the time the 18th Amendment was ratified early in 1919, over half the country was dry.
Prohibition lasted 13 years. It created a demand for moonshine unlike any that may have existed before. Moonshine became big business overnight.
Modern Moonshine
These days, moonshine in the legal sense has a following.  Small-batch distilleries are producing legal moonshine giving moonshiners a new name.  Bringing moonshine out of the woods and going up against other whiskies for a place on the shelf.  Many are packaging their homebrews in canning jars embracing their rich history while at the same time experimenting with flavor and branching out with food pairing similar to that of wine and beer.
For more information, visit the National Day Calendar page for National Moonshine Day.

National Gingerbread Day June 5

NATIONAL GINGERBREAD DAY

Many people are familiar with the gingerbread house at Christmas time however there are some delicious gingerbread bread, cake, bars, biscuit and cookie recipes that are perfect any time of the year.  Each year on June 5, gingerbread lovers across the nation observe National Gingerbread Day, a day that was created to bring attention to gingerbread.

The term “gingerbread” originally referred to preserved ginger, later referring to a confection made up of honey and spices. 

Gingerbread is a sweet food that typically uses honey or molasses rather than just sugar and is flavored with ginger. Gingerbread foods range from a soft, moist loaf cake to something closer to a ginger biscuit.
It is believed that gingerbread was first brought to Europe in 992 by an Armenian monk.  He lived there for seven years teaching gingerbread cooking to the French priests and Christians until his death in 999.

Sources indicate that in 1444, Swedish nuns were baking gingerbread to ease indigestion.

In the 17th century, gingerbread biscuits were sold in monasteries, pharmacies and town square farmers markets.   During the 18th century, gingerbread became widely available.

National Cancer Survivor’s Day First Sunday in June

NATIONAL CANCER SURVIVOR’S DAY

Observed annually on the first Sunday in June, National Cancer Survivor’s Day has been set aside to “demonstrate that life after a cancer diagnosis can be a reality.”
Each year on National Cancer Survivor’s Day, events and celebrations are held and hosted around the United States by local communities, hospitals and support groups honoring cancer survivors.  Events may include parades, carnivals, art exhibits, contests and testimonies. President George W. Bush and the National Cancer Institute director each included a commencement at the 2008 celebration.
More information on National Cancer Survivor’s Day can be found on their official website.
HOW TO OBSERVE
Use #CancerSurvivorsDay to post on social media.
HISTORY
National Cancer Survivor’s Day was first announced by Merril Hastings during the second national conference meeting of the National Coalition for Cancer Survivor-ship in Albuquerque, New Mexico on November 20, 1987.  Hastings then filed the name as an International Class 042 Service and also registered it with the United States Patent and Trademark Office in the name of Pulse Publications.  The first National Cancer Survivor’s Day was held on June 5, 1988.