December 12, 2021 - Gingerbread House Day | National Poinsettia Day

Welcome to December 12, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate the humble beginnings of two holiday favorites. 
The first gingerbread was often used in religious ceremonies thanks to the Armenian monk, Gregory of Nicopolis. In 992 AD, he taught French Christians the art of molding his favorite food into the figures of saints. But when the Brothers Grimm told the tale of Hansel and Gretel and their fateful visit to a gingerbread house, German guilds began crafting the sturdy dough into candy-covered cottages. Do you think that some stories are invented to scare kids into keeping their mitts off the treats? Cause that is one scary story. On Gingerbread House Day build your own festive villages and celebrate the sweet, spicy scent of this holiday tradition.  
The cheerful red plant that we associate with the holidays got its start in 16th century Mexico. One legend tells the story of a poor girl who wanted to bring the Christ child a gift. The girl gathered weeds by the side of the road and by the time she presented them, the bouquet had transformed into bright red stars. American botanist Joel Roberts Poinsett sent the first cuttings of the plant from Mexico to the United States in 1825. But it was a California farmer who made their magic bloom. Paul Ecke discovered a technique that made the seedlings grow in branches. In the early 1920s he began selling the plants at a simple roadside stand. On National Poinsettia Day we celebrate this beautiful symbol of the season and its humble beginnings. 
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to December 12, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate the humble beginnings of two holiday favorites. 

The first gingerbread was often used in religious ceremonies thanks to the Armenian monk, Gregory of Nicopolis. In 992 AD, he taught French Christians the art of molding his favorite food into the figures of saints. But when the Brothers Grimm told the tale of Hansel and Gretel and their fateful visit to a gingerbread house, German guilds began crafting the sturdy dough into candy-covered cottages. Do you think that some stories are invented to scare kids into keeping their mitts off the treats? Cause that is one scary story. On Gingerbread House Day build your own festive villages and celebrate the sweet, spicy scent of this holiday tradition.  

The cheerful red plant that we associate with the holidays got its start in 16th century Mexico. One legend tells the story of a poor girl who wanted to bring the Christ child a gift. The girl gathered weeds by the side of the road and by the time she presented them, the bouquet had transformed into bright red stars. American botanist Joel Roberts Poinsett sent the first cuttings of the plant from Mexico to the United States in 1825. But it was a California farmer who made their magic bloom. Paul Ecke discovered a technique that made the seedlings grow in branches. In the early 1920s he began selling the plants at a simple roadside stand. On National Poinsettia Day we celebrate this beautiful symbol of the season and its humble beginnings. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices