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NATIONAL FROG JUMPING DAY

Observed each year on May 13, National Frog Jumping Day is a favorite National Day for both young and old alike. Let’s jump right into a little history about frog jumping!

In 1865, Mark Twain published his first short story, Jim Smiley and His Jumping Frog. Later, he changed the name and published it as The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County. This same story also had a third title, The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.

The current frog jumping record was set in 1986 by Rosie the Ribeter, who jumped 21 feet, 5-3/4 inches.

While fans of Mark Twain, or perhaps the Calaveras County Fair, might have you believe frog jumping competitions only happen in Calaveras County, that’s just not true. They happen throughout the country and with more frequency than one might expect. Frog jumping contests happened in other states and municipalities in 1865 and the events take place across borders in the last century and this one, too. You might even know of one where you live, say in Michigan or Florida or Idaho.

However, we might have to concede, the most well-known might be the Calaveras County Frog Jumping Contest if for no other reason than Mark Twain wrote a story about it, and the author became well-known and loved for his stories.

NATIONAL THIRD SHIFT WORKERS DAY

National Third Shift Workers Day falls on the second Wednesday in May and recognizes the workers who face the night to keep businesses running, hospitals staffed, and streets safe. The day is also known as National Night Shift Workers Day.

NATIONAL FRUIT COCKTAIL DAY

If you’ve been celebrating the food holidays routinely, National Fruit Cocktail Day on May 13th may be a way to improve the calorie count. Many of us have childhood memories of a dish of fruit cocktail regularly served with a meal. Why not enjoy this delicious treat and take a walk down memory lane at the same time!

CHILDREN OF FALLEN PATRIOTS DAY

Every year on May 13th, we observe Children of Fallen Patriots Day to honor the children who have lost parents in military conflict. This day is dedicated to raising awareness of the sacrifices these children endure in the wake of their parents’ deaths. Since its inception, the day serves as a reminder of the ongoing support needed to help these families move forward.

Although not officially recognized as a national day of remembrance, since 2014, governors from 27 states and the District of Columbia have issued proclamations to observe the day. Notably, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf and Hawaii Governor David Ige have expressed their commitment to honoring these children, highlighting a collective effort to recognize their loss.

Efforts continue to encourage more states to officially recognize this important day. By raising awareness, the Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation hopes that one day, May 13th will be nationally celebrated as a day of remembrance.

NATIONAL RECEPTIONISTS’ DAY

Each year National Receptionists’ Day falls on the second Wednesday in May as a day to give recognition to receptionists and the valuable contributions they make to the companies where they work.

NATIONAL CROUTON DAY

National Crouton Day on May 13th recognizes a tasty topping that shouldn’t be overlooked. Out goal today is to show you.

Many of our words for bread-related foods come from the French and for good reason. The French love bread. Croutons are no different. The French word croûte means crust. Croutons are often made from day-old bread which has been cut into cubes and seasoned with herbs, oil, or butter. The bread is then either toasted in the oven or tossed in a hot pan until crunchy.

We’re probably most familiar with croutons on our salads. And when we add croutons to our salads, it’s a bit of celebration – a crunch celebration. Each flavorful, crunchy bite adds to our crispy, enjoyment.

NATIONAL APPLE PIE DAY

National Apple Pie Day is America’s favorite dessert and is observed annually on May 13. This food holiday is not only delicious, it’s one of the oldest traditional foods everyone serves at every holiday!

The first apple pie recipe printed was in England in 1381. The list of ingredients included good apples, good spices, figs, raisins, pears, saffron, and coffyn (a type of pastry crust).

While the apple pie existed well before the Pilgrims landed on the eastern shores of what is now The United States, Americans wax poetic about how American apple pie is. The phrase “as American as apple pie” has been around for more than 100 years.

During the turn of the 20th century when whole toasted cereals were becoming the ‘health food’ fad, pie gained a bad reputation. Apple pie saved the day of sorts, being more nutritious than other pies according to some.

Teddy Roosevelt was impressed to have a taste of home when he was served an American apple pie while traveling in Africa.

Soldiers during World War II were often quoted they were fighting “for Mom and apple pie.” In 1970, advertisers used the patriotic connection with a commercial jingle “Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, and Chevrolet.”