January 7, 2021 – National Tempura Day | National Bobblehead Day

Do You Know Which Bobbleheads Collectors Go Crazy For?

Welcome to January 7th, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate the origins of a Japanese foodie favorite and famous noggins.

You may think of tempura as a Japanese dish, but the art of batter frying first came to Japan from Portuguese missionaries. In the mid 16th century Nagasaki, Japan was a closed-port to most of the world, but the Portuguese were allowed to bring in Catholicism and with it, a food made during lent.  The name tempura actually comes from the Latin quattuor anni tempora or Days of Ember when no red meat was eaten.  And with fresh veggies, prawns and fish in a delicious light batter, apparently no one was missing it.  The dish caught on with street vendors called yatai, and it soon became a foodie favorite.  On National Tempura Day we celebrate this culinary technique that covers everything from ice cream to squid.

Bobbleheads have been around since the 18th Century. They were brought to Europe from China, where they were known as temple nodders or nodding head figures. But the bobbleheads we treasure today, first became popular in the 1960s, when sports teams began depicting their mascots and famous players. Some of the earliest were Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays. Then in 1964, the first modern bobbleheads that didn’t depict an athlete were made of the Beatles, and they’re still some of the most sought after by collectors today.  Now you can find a bobblehead of just about anyone famous. On National Bobblehead Day, you can even get a custom one made of yourself, as long as you don’t let it go to your head.  

If you’d like to know more, be sure to follow us on Facebook and check out our website TheNationalDailyShow.com. I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson.  Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day!