As fall is upon us, and the Halloween season approaches, many people’s thoughts (or maybe just mine) turn to that little tri-colored treat we like to call candy corn. Luckily for us, today is National Candy Corn day.

Candy Corn was invented in the 1880s by George Renninger, and first manufactured by the Wunderle Candy Company. The Goelitz Candy Company was the first to manufacture mass quantities around the turn of the century.

It consists primarily of corn syrup, honey, and sugar. Candy corn pieces are tradiationally cast in three colors: a broad yellow end, a tapered orange center, and a pointed white tip.

The National Confectioners Association estimates that 20 million pounds of candy corn are sold annually.

Can’t wait to celebrate? Yea, me neither. So first off, grab a handful of sweet, corny goodness, and enjoy. And while you’re doing that, here are some other ways to celebrate:

· Learn how candy corn is made.

· Make candy corn.

· Buy some (we would hate to run out).

· Make a candy corn Halloween costume.

· Make candy corn cookies or cakes.

· Make a candy corn frame, and put your favorite Halloween photo inside.

· Add peanuts to your candy corn for a homemade “Payday” candy bar treat.

· Make a candy corn candle.

But really, just eating handfuls of this tasty treat is enough to celebrate, the rest is just icing on the candy corn cake! Enjoy!

Image from www.hometowncandy.com.

Time to lock yourself in the house, turn all the phones off, and spend the day with yourself. Today is Hermit Day. A day to spend in silence and seclusion.

Hermits, whatever their reason may be, live in seclusion from society, and live a solitary existence.

For some of us, this day might be just what we needed from our frenzied lives. A day to get away from it all.

Here’s are some ways to celebrate:

• Spend the day in a secluded area or environment.
• Pick up that book that you’ve always wanted to read.
• Write down some thoughts/memories in a journal.
• Write a story or a poem.
• Draw or paint.
• Bake.
• Sleep.
• Spend some time with your pets (they don’t count as part of society, I promise).

So there you have it, have a happy, isolated, and hopefully peaceful Hermit Day.

Image from www.thehermit.info.

Today is St. Jude’s Day.

St. Jude, known as Thaddaeus, was on of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus, and is invoked in desperate situations, because his New Testament letter stresses the that the faithful should persevere in the environment of harsh, difficult circumstances, just as their forefathers had done before them. Because of this, he is the patron saint of desperate cases and lost causes.

Honor St. Jude today by persevering in whatever difficult situation you may find yourself in, and trusting that it will be okay.

(Let it be noted that St. Jude is not the same person as Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Our Lord and despaired because of his great sin and lack of trust in God’s mercy.)

Image from stjudechapel.net/.

There’s nothing like the poetry of Sylvia Plath to brighten up any birthday celebration, and good thing, because today is Sylvia Plath Day to celebrate the anniversary of her birthday.

Sylvia Plath was an American poet, novelist, and short story writer born in Massachusetts. She married fellow poet, Ted Hughes, and they had two children together.

Plath is credited with advancing the genre of confessional poetry, and is best known for her two collections The Colossus and Other Poems and Ariel. She also published a semi-autobiographical novel, The Bell Jar, in which she wrote about struggles with depression and mental illness. The Bell Jar details the mental and emotional journey of a college student who interns at a New York fashion magazine.

In 1963, shortly after the publication of The Bell Jar, Plath committed suicide by p[lacing her head in the oven.

Nealry two decades after her death, Plath became the first poet to win a posthumous Pulitzer Prize for The Collected Poems published in 1981, and so today, we celebrate her.

You can celebrate in a few different ways:

• Read some of her poetry.
• Read The Bell Jar.
• Watch a movie. Plath was portrayed by Gwyneth Paltrow in the 2003 film, Sylvia, that tells the story of Plath’s troubled relationship with Hughes.
• Get more information about Sylvia Plath.

But please, please, whatever you do, do not celebrate by sticking your head in the oven, focus on Plath’s writing and the good that came from it.

Image from thebutterflydiaries.wordpress.com.

Get those pipes ready, tonight is Worldwide Howl at the Moon Night.

Halloween just around the corner, it’s perfect timing for some eerie howling.

Celebrate tonight by gathering your friends together under the moonlit sky and howl away at 9:00 pm.

Image from fineartamerica.com.

When life gives you lemons, feel free to celebrate Sourest Day.

The pessimist’s response to Sweetest Day, Sourest Day gives all of us a chance to gripe and complain about all of life’s bitter misfortunes.

On October 25, feel free to complain a little. Nothing to complain about? Explore your pessimistic side (although it is really hard to do that looking at the cutest of cute pictures above). Still aren’t feeling sour? Celebrate today by indulging in your favorite sour candy (mmm…Sour Patch Kids), and pucker up!

Image from elisha06.mlblogs.com.

Americans eat 800 million pounds of bologna annually, it’s no wonder then that it has it’s own holiday, today is National Bologna Day.

Bologna sausage is an American sausage similar to the Italian martadella. It is generally made from low-value scraps (trimmings from steaks, roasts or other meat cuts). Because it is made from scraps, this may be the origin of the slang world baloney, meaning “nonsense.” Bologna is essentially made from much of the same meats as hot dogs.

There are many variations of bologna:

• Beef Bologna This is an all beef version, it is usually more of a red color than its mixed-meat counterpart.
• Kosher Bologna Typically made with only beef, but sometimes made from turkey. The manufacture of this variety of bologna must be supervised by a mashgiach to be certified kosher.
• German Bologna Also known as Garlic Bologna, this sausage is typically distinguished by adding garlic to the recipe. Despite the name, bologna in Germany – where it is very common and known as Fleischwurst or, for better varieties, Lyoner (“Lyon sausage”) – does not usually contain a noticeable amount of garlic.
• Lebanon Bologna Named for Lebanon County, this is the Pennsylvania Dutch variety of the sausage. Distinguished by its smokey taste and dark, coarse appearance, this is one of the more extreme flavors of bologna. New Zealand bologna
• In New Zealand bologna is actually referred to as savaloys or cheerios, and are essentially bologna meat in a red casing or other colors such as purple.
• South Africa polony In South Africa bologna is referred to as polony or French polony, and is often sold in thick sausage form which can be sliced onto sandwiches. Major producers include Eskort, Bokkie and Enterprise.

The easiest way to celebrate today is to have yourself a bologna sandwich. But if you want to get a little bit more extravagant, you can follow some of these recipes.

Image from www.enasco.com.

Today is Make A Difference Day, a day of neighbors helping neighbors, and the largest national day of community service.

This year is the 20th anniversary of Make A Difference Day, sponsored by USA WEEKEND and HandsOn Network.

Last year three million people joined in and volunteer on Make A Difference Day, accomplishing thousands of projects in hundreds of towns. Let’s try and make this year even better.

Celebrate today by lending a hand in your community. Your project can be big or small, as long as you’re helping. Alright, ready…break!

For more information visit USA WEEKEND or the HandsOn Network.

Image from weblog.plattsburgh.edu.

Feel free to just go nuts today, as we celebrate National Nut Day.

Not only are nuts are delicious, they’re also healthy and nutritious. A daily dose of nuts can bring about immense health benefits. Eating 25-50 grams nuts a day may reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease. Studies have also shown that those who included nuts as part of their diets were slimmer than those who did not, and they tend to live longer (although this may also be due to the fact that people who tend to eat nuts also tend to eat less junk food). For more information about the benefits of nuts, visit Nuts For Life.

Make sure you get your fill of nuts today. Order yourself some nuts here. Add nuts to a bag of M&Ms for a tasty snack. Or follow one of these recipes for a nutty treat.

And whether you like pistachios or almonds, peanuts or cashews, go nuts today for nuts.

What’s all the chatter you ask? Well, today is Babbling Day.

Babbling Day is no day for silence, it is the one day for all you blatherskites out there (a blatherskite is a person who babbles for those of us who didn’t know).

Celebrate today by first telling every one that you know about Babbling Day. Next, make sure you are surrounded by, and partake in lots and lots of chattering. Repeat and enjoy.