National Days in December

National Days in December

National Days in December

Did you know there are several National Days in the month of December?

Dec. 1, for instance, was National Christmas Lights Day. Do you know the story behind Christmas lights?Well, before the invention of electric lights, families would balance candles on the branches of their Christmas trees — a risky practice that naturally led to several house fires. Electric Christmas lights were first invented in 1880 by Thomas Edison. Because people were initially distrustful of electricity, however, it took another several decades for this invention to catch on. It wasn’t until 1903, when General Electric began selling pre-assembled kits of Christmas lights, that electric lights became popular. Today, electric lights are a big part of the winter holiday seasons.

There are many more National Days in the month. Dec. 4 was National Cookie Day. Dec. 6 was National Microwave Oven Day. And, of course, Dec. 7 is Pearl Harbor Day.

Also, Dec. 12 is National Gingerbread House Day. Do you know the story behind gingerbread houses? According to some food historians, the tradition of making gingerbread houses started in Germany in the early 1800s. The first gingerbread houses were the result of the well-known Grimm’s fairy tale “Hansel and Gretel.” After this story was published, German bakers began baking ornamented fairy-tale houses made from gingerbread. They were brought over to America by German immigrants and became popular during the Christmas season.

Dec. 14 is National Free Shipping Day, which is a good one to remember. Dec. 15 is National Cat Herders Day (interesting enough).

One of my favorites is National Chocolate Covered Anything Day on Dec. 16. Dec. 18 is National Answer the Phone like Buddy the Elf Day! And to wrap up my list of National Days, Dec. 21 is National Short Girl Appreciation Day. These are just a few fun ones to remember during the month if you need a good laugh.