National Maple
 Syrup Day Holy hotcakes, Batman! There's a National (USA) Maple Syrup Day and it's celebrated on December 17th! Here's a few ideas on how to celebrate! http://www.wikihow.com/Celebrate-National-Maple-Syrup-Day


Wright Brothers Day Welcome to the Wright Brothers Aeroplane Company, a virtual museum of pioneer aviation. If this is your first visit, read About the Museum to get your bearings and consult our Site Map for help in navigating this web site. If you need specific information on the Wright brothers or pioneer aviation, the Museum Index and Search the Museum can help you find it. http://www.wright-brothers.org/General/Museum_Entrance/Museum_Entrance.htm

National Chocolate-
Covered Anything Day (CNN) - Everything is better covered in chocolate, right?

Everything should be better on Tuesday, since it's National Chocolate-Covered Anything Day.

It's a real thing, according to the National Confectioners Association.

Food.com has a few chocolate-covered suggestions: strawberries, pretzels, potato chips and bacon. http://www.live5news.com/story/27636369/national-chocolate-covered-anything-day-is-tuesday

Safe Toys and Gifts Month In recent years, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has created a robust toy safety system, by requiring testing by independent, third party testing laboratories around the world; enforcing stringent lead and phthalates limits for toys; imposing some of the most stringent toy standards in the world; and stopping violative and dangerous toys at the ports and in the marketplace before they reach children’s hands. These combined efforts continue to foster the confidence of American families as they prepare to shop for toys this holiday season. http://child-familyservices.org/december-is-national-safe-toys-and-gifts-month/

Tomato and Winter Squash Month December is National Tomato and Winter Squash Month, a time to celebrate two very versatile “vegetables” that contain a wealth of flavors and nutrients.

You may find this hard to believe, but at one point tomatoes (once called “love apples”) were considered poisonous and grown solely for their ornamental value. Today tomatoes are the most popular garden vegetable in America. While technically a fruit, they are considered a vegetable for culinary purposes and used in many dishes from countries and cultures around the world.

And not only do they taste good, but they’re good for you as well. Tomatoes are packed with vitamin C, potassium, fiber and vitamin A.

There are also plenty of reasons to fall in love with winter squash – they are versatile, nutrient-dense, and just plain delicious–but one of our favorite things about them is their shelf life. Just store them in a cool, dry place (don’t refrigerate!) and they can stay tasty for 1-3 months.

- See more at: http://blogs.usda.gov/2012/12/10/don%E2%80%99t-forget-your-winter-%E2%80%9Cvegetables%E2%80%9D/#sthash.d88xtbv5.dpuf

National Cupcake Day Some predicted that the reign of the cupcake was over, but we know they were sorely mistaken. On Dec. 15, we celebrate National Cupcake Day by asking some of our favorite chefs and cupcake enthusiasts to share their best creations and their recipes for you to make at home. Tell us in the comments below: What's your most beloved cupcake? http://www.today.com/food/cupcake-day-foodies-chefs-share-their-frosted-faves-1C9004919

Bill of Rights Day During the debates on the adoption of the Constitution, its opponents repeatedly charged that the Constitution as drafted would open the way to tyranny by the central government. Fresh in their minds was the memory of the British violation of civil rights before and during the Revolution. They demanded a "bill of rights" that would spell out the immunities of individual citizens. Several state conventions in their formal ratification of the Constitution asked for such amendments; others ratified the Constitution with the understanding that the amendments would be offered. http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/bill_of_rights.html

Cat Herders Day Today is one of our favorite holidays of the hear: National Cat Herders Day. It’s a day to celebrate those who, in their day-to-day lives, find that what they are doing is herding cats, whether literally or figuratively. http://catsherdyou.com/every-day-cat-herders-day/

National Bouillabaisse Day Thank the French for this salty and filling stew. Although it's traditionally a mix of fish, shellfish and other seafood, feel free to throw in whatever you've got.

Summer Bouillabaisse With Smoky Rouille
Cajun Bouillabaisse
Island Bouillabaisse
Bouillabaisse Seafood Chowder
Cioppino-Style Bouillabaisse
Healthy Bouillabaisse
Easy Fish Stew
http://www.food.com/food-holidays/bouillabaisse-day-1214


Monkey Day Monkey Day is an annual celebration of all things simian, a festival of primates, a chance to scream like a monkey and throw feces at whomever you choose. Or perhaps just a reason to hang out with your friends while grunting and picking fleas off each other. http://monkeyday.com/faq/


Worldwide Candle Lighting Day The Compassionate Friends:

Providing Grief Support After the Death of a Child

"The Compassionate Friends is about transforming the pain of grief into the elixir of hope. It takes people out of the isolation society imposes on the bereaved and lets them express their grief naturally. With the shedding of tears, healing comes. And the newly bereaved get to see people who have survived and are learning to live and love again." http://www.compassionatefriends.org/home.aspx


World Choral Day. The World Choral Day

The World Choral Day An international choral event to extol the values of solidarity, peace and understanding!

Thousands of choirs have joined in the celebration of World Choral Day on or around the 2nd Sunday in December in the past twenty years. Millions of singers across the globe have been involved in World Choral Day concerts, festivals, sing-alongs, choral seminars, Days of Friendship and other events.

The World Choral Day is an initiative of Alberto Grau from the Latin American Vice-Presidency of the International Federation for Choral Music, proposed and approved by the General Assembly of IFCM held in Helsinki in August, 1990, within the framework of the 2nd World Symposium on Choral Music:
http://www.worldchoralday.org/pagina/home.html

Ice Cream and Violins Day Normally we like to send folks scurrying off to the kitchen with a recipe to try, but we can get back to normal next week. Instead, lets all celebrate with a scoop or two and some good tunes to mark National Ice Cream and Violins Day.

I swear I’m not making this one up. Dec. 13 has long been acknowledged as National Violin Day, and a number of freakishly talented musicians have marked the occasion by attempting to set a speed record by playing “Flight of the Bumblebee” at paces that cause most metronomes to melt. The current champ, rock violinist Ben Lee, scorched through more than 15 notes a second on his way to a 54.24 second performance in 2011.

Some very clever people also noted that Dec. 13 happens to be the day that inventor Italo Marchiony submitted an application to the US Patent Office for a device that molds ice cream cups. And because we live in an era where seemingly incongruous happenstances are often subjected to the mashup treatment, a new holiday has born, with online references to the marriage dating back to at least 2004. http://foodies.blogs.starnewsonline.com/33672/the-meal-ice-cream-and-violins-day/


Tic Tac Toe Day Tic Tac Toe Day is coming Saturday, 12/13/14. This is the final time this century when the date is comprised of three consecutive numbers. (On the other side of the pond, they call it Noughts and Crosses Day, but they write their dates a bit differently and enjoyed their final one last year.) http://tictactoeday.net


Gingerbread Decorating Day Create a sweet street scene by decorating paper-maché houses with icing and candy. Complete the tableau with faux snow, a lollipop forest, a gumdrop pathway and peppermint-patterned plates.
Materials

Paper-maché house
Scrap paper (newspaper or an old grocery bag)
Brown spray paint (like Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch Ultra Cover Gloss in Kona Brown, about $6 for 12 oz; Michaels.com for stores)
1 lb confectioners’ sugar
3 Tbsp powdered egg whites (such as Just Whites, available in the baking aisle of most supermarkets)
6 Tbsp water
Electric mixer
Piping bag (ours had a #4 tip)
Pointed offset spatula or butter knife
Candy (like Mike & Ike, Jujubes and Wonka Exceptionals Fruit Jellies) http://www.womansday.com/home/craft-ideas/christmas-craft-no-bake-gingerbread-house-113150


Day Of The Horse The first National day of the Horse was recognized in congress in 2004. This event was created to remind congress and others what this day and the horse represents. Congress needs to finally ban horse slaughter and pass the SAFE Act and stop the roundups of wild horses. http://www.habitatforhorses.org/national-day-of-the-horse/

International Shareware Day A day to take time to reward the efforts of thousands of computer programmers who trust that if we try their programs and like them, we will pay for them. Unfortunately, very few payments are received, thus stifling the programmers efforts. This observance is meant to prompt each of us to inventory our PCs and Macs, see if we are using any shareware and then take the time in the holiday spirit to write payment checks to the authors. Hopefully this will keep the shareware coming. http://mcg.metrocreativeconnection.com/publish/sections/calendar-details.php?International-Shareware-Day-2382

Gingerbread House Day http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/gingerbread-house-recipe.html#lightbox-recipe-image

National 12-hour Fresh Breath Day

National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day As if December needed another holiday, National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day is set for December 12. How do you celebrate? We’re glad you asked. Wear an ugly holiday sweater of course. We’re sorry if you are one of the few who find them to be pretty, but as the fad has exploded, the prices have become no laughing matter.

Where do you find an ugly holiday sweater? Small businesses around the state will hope you look beyond the stores at the mall and search out your gem at antique malls, vintage stores, vintage shows, thrift shops and even sidewalk stands. Yes, we recently spotted several sidewalk stands in Austin selling ugly holiday sweaters. tageguidetotexas.com/2014/12/09/national-ugly-sweater-day-is-december-12/

Official Lost & Found Day Official Lost and Found Day The 2nd Friday of Each December http://lostandfoundday.atspace.cc

Poinsettia Day 1. Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first ambassador to the new Republic of Mexico, was historically responsible for the popularity of the ruby plant throughout North America. While visiting the Taxco region of Mexico in 1828, Poinsett became so captivated with the plant that he decided to send clippings of it back to his home in Charleston, South Carolina. Upon return, he forwarded the clippings to his friends, thus introducing and spreading the beauty of poinsettias throughout the region. http://www.chicagoflower.com/blog/2014/12/celebrating-national-poinsettia-day/

The holiday shopping season is the best time of the year for big retail chains across the United States. But not so much for the people who stock the shelves and ring up the Christmas sales.

As holiday gift-seeking shoppers return, retail businesses are hiring. But that does not necessarily mean employees are finding good jobs. In fact, if you find work in the slow-growing U.S. economy, it’s increasingly likely to be a low-wage job at one of our country’s retail giants.

Unfortunately for average retail workers, having a job may not be the life-sustaining endeavor it once was. The enormous profits and growth of globalized corporations are coming at great cost to many of their employees.

How abusive are conditions for employees at chains such as McDonald’s, Walmart, Barnes & Noble and Bed Bath & Beyond? Let us count the ways.

http://america.aljazeera.com/opinions/2014/12/us-retail-workersnewbillofrightslowwages.html

The Census Bureau is once again revising its U.S. population projections downward as the impact of the recession continues to dampen Americans’ desire to have babies.

The nation is projected to have 416.8 million people by 2060, 3.5 million fewer than estimated just two years ago, the Census Bureau said on Wednesday.

Projections made early last decade starkly illustrate the radical shift in population trends. In 2002 the bureau saw a nation growing to 439 million by 2050. In 2012 the forecast slipped to 400 million. Today it’s down even farther, to 398.3 million, with the 400 million mark pushed back to 2051.

“The pace of U.S. population growth is slowing, and the population continues to become more diverse,” said Kenneth Johnson, senior demographer at the University of New Hampshire’s Carsey School of Public Policy. “This will produce a rich tapestry of demographic change in the U.S. over the next several decades.”

http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/12/10/census-populationdiversity.html

Approximately 10% of new retail jobs in November came from the food and beverage sector, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Of 50,200 jobs created between October and November, 5,700 were in food and beverage stores — essentially, supermarkets — according to BLS figures released Friday.

That compares with 4,700 new jobs among health and personal care stores — essentially, drugstores; 1,200 at general merchandise stores; and 26,500 at restaurants, the BLS reported.


Read More: http://supermarketnews.com/retail-financial/food-and-beverage-sector-boosts-job-numbers#ixzz3La5YGZoa

Jewel-Osco and its former owner, Supervalu, were found to be in contempt of court for multiple violations of a consent decree the companies signed in 2011 with the Equal

Employment Opportunity Commission, a federal district judge in Chicago ruled Thursday.
Judge Ronald A. Guzman said Jewel failed to provide accommodations to three former employees who attempted to return to work following medical leaves of absence.

According to Guzman, “The evidence shows that, in making the determination these employees could not be accommodated, the company disregarded its own interactive process guidelines; failed to even consider the myriad resources available to assist it in identifying or fashioning reasonable accommodations for these employees; and failed to consider reassignment.”

Guzman ordered that the three employees be awarded approximately $82,000 in back pay and that a requirement that Jewel-Osco report to the EEOC be extended by one year.


Read More: http://supermarketnews.com/albertsons/jewel-held-contempt-2011-eeoc-case#ixzz3La4gfBCM