Welcome to our series sharing Unique Holidays: August 12th, 2022. Would you take a look at the holidays being celebrated today and let me know which holiday you most want to share and why. Charlie says he can’t wait to see the Annual Perseid Meteor Shower which he can study in his Homeschool Astrology Class.
Annual Perseid Meteor Shower – Peak Night – peak date varies slightly
The date varies for the annual Persied Meteor Shower but usually takes place between mid July through late August and is visible, Weather permitting, the peak is usually between August 9th – 14th.
Do, do not blink! If you do, you will miss the Meteor, as the Meteor flames across the night Sky. The Meteor is absolutely amazing showing a little piece of dust can do when it enters the Earth’s atmosphere traveling at 160,000 miles per hour. Meteors are seen as the Earth passes through the orbit trail of a Comet. As the Comet streaks through the Heavens, the Comet sheds dust and small debris. When this debris enters the Earth’s orbit, friction from the upper atmosphere burns up the Meteorite, resulting in a streak of light quickly blazing across the night sky. The brightness and longevity of the light, is a function of the size of the Meteor, how near it is to you. Before you begin to worry don’t worry, the Comet is thousands of miles away, and don’t let how dark the evening is bother you.
Did you know the annual Perseid Meteor Shower is one of he brightest, numerous and long lasting of all the Meteor showers. Best of all, Perseid Meteor Shower occurs each year in August. At a time when the viewing Weather is warm, most days and nights are cloudless. Many people are on vacation in August, allowing them to stay up all night to enjoy the Perseid Meteor Shower . The number of Meteors you see, is dependent upon how dark of a location you watch from, and the number of expected Meteors. This number can vary significantly from just a few to hundred per hour. On a good, Moonless night, 60 – 100 Meteors per hour are likely.
Did You Know? Meteorites are also called a “Shooting Star” or “Fallen Star”. Since ancient times, seeing a shooting Star was a sign of good luck to come.
When and How to Watch for the Perseid Meteors
- Watching the Meteor shower on the peak night, usually results in the most and brightest displays.
- If the peak evening is cloudy, select a date as near to the peak as possible.
- The best time to view the Perseid Meteor Shower, is between midnight and pre-dawn hours.
- Find the darkest location you can find, away from the City and Town lights, and street lights. The darker the area, the better.
- Once you have arrived at the viewing site you selected, look up into the night sky.
- For comfort, and to avoid neck strain, if its possible find a recliner to sit in.
- Don’t forget a coat and a blanket because he early morning hours in August can become chilly.
- Your fun evening under the stars, is best enjoyed with others bring your family with you.
Related Day:
National Kool-Aid Day – second Friday in August
I don’t know about you but I’m glad declared today to be National Kool-Aid Day. Which gives millions of us a chance to reminisce back to the days of our childhood, and remember just how much we loved Koo-Aid on a hot Summer day. Kool-Aid was a favorite Sugary drink. For decades Kool-Aid was the Summer drink of choice for kids of all ages. Never mind the fact that a pitcher of Kook-Aid contains a cup of Sugar. Back then, kids burned off calories faster than they could consume calories. Let’s not limit our thinking to days long past. Kool-Aid continues to be enjoyed by millions upon millions of today’s kids. As these children build their own future memories. There’s plenty of “not so young” kids who frequently drink Kool-Aid as well, brining back fond memories of fun filled Summer days.
During the Great Depression the company cut the price in half. As a result, Kook-Aid remained popular throughout the Great Depression. During WWII packages of Kool-Aid, minus the brand name, were included in a Soldier’s rations. Did you know the Monkees Davey Jones appeared in the Kool-Aid commercials during the 1960s?
While Summer is the peak time to drink Kool-Aid, Kool-Aid is consumed 12 months of the year. Kool-Aid is great for everyday consumption, and Kool-Aid a whole lot cheaper than healthier Juice Boxes. Kool-Aid is also popular at birthday parties and all kinds of kids events. You can also enjoy Kool-Aid in Freeze Pops, and other recipes.
Do you remember the 1960’s cartoon Kool-Aid Kids”?
Kool-Aid was invented in 1927 by Edwin Perkins of Hastings, Nebraska. According to the good folks at Kraft Foods, Edwin Perkins was inspired by the success of Jell-O and Coca Cola. Kool-Aid was originally created in his mother’s kitchen as a concentrate called “Fruit Smack”. To reduce shipping costs, Perkins removed the Water content and marketed his creation in powder form as “Kool-Aid”. As they say the rest is history. What’s your favorite flavor. The were six original flavors: Cherry, Grape, Lemon, Orange, Root Beer and Raspberry which was Perkin’s favorite). In the 1960s Kool-Aid packets sold for just one thin dime. Over the years, there has been dozens upon dozens of flavors. Even a Sugar free version is also available. I have a question for you. What good is Kool-Aid if you don’t get a Sugar high!?
Kool-Aid is the official soft drink of the state of Nebraska
Chances are, it’s hot an muggy outside fon’t let National Kool-Aid Day go by, without having a drink or two of Kool-Aid. Make a pitcher for the kids, and pour yourself a glass as well. Forget the diet for a second and don’t worry about the Sugar. Then share stories of your childhood with your children.
History and Origin of National Kool-Aid Day:
National Kool-Aid Day likely was created by Kraft Foods, the owner and marketer of the Kool-Aid brand although Kraft Foods has not yet answered our inquiry regarding this holiday.
The earliest reference we found for this holiday was 2017.
We did not find any documentation confirming this to be a “National” holiday and we found no congressional records or presidential proclamation.
This holiday is always observed on August 12th.
Today is National Vinyl Record Day which is a a day to celebrate this classic music format. Remember the terrific music and times of yesterday. Dust off your old vinyl 33 1/3 and 45 RPM records. Pull your phonograph, or turntable out of the attic or garage. Grab your favorite beverage and savor the music and memories from your youth with your family. The nostalgic trip down Memory Lane is certain to make you feel great. This trip down memory lane will also make you wonder “where did all the years go!?”
Records on a round disc have been around since Emile Berliner invented these disc in the 1800’s. Those early versions were made from a variety of materials, including shellac. Around 1960, the vinyl record was first produced. Known as the Golden Age of vinyl records, the 1960’s and 1970’s saw a tremendous cultural revolution occurring at the same time. Rock and Roll music exploded onto the scene, which was recorded on vinyl records. Like any other technology, it was destined to be outdated. Cassette tapes, and for a short while Eight Track Tapes, provided competition for vinyl records in the 1970s and 1980s.
Compact Disc (CD) records hit the music world in 1982, with improved sound quality. Like cassette tapes, there smaller, more compact size and durability allowed compact disc easily fit into automobile music systems and could be carried around with music players and boom boxes. In the late1990s, music downloads from the internet were put into I-pods and cell phones. Early in the 21st Century, vinyl records and phonographs saw a surprisingly popular revival. Never destined to replace the newer and better music technology, the vinyl revival record offered a pleasant nostalgic trip down memory lane.
While black vinyl records have always been the dominant color, over the decades vinyl records were made of many colors. The black color proved to provide the superior quality.
Your vinyl records could be worth big money. Don’t toss those old vinyl records, that have been gathering dust in your basement or attic. Don’t put them in a garage sale until you’ve checked their value. The recors could be worth less than $5.00, or the record could be worth much, more. The most expensive vinyl record ever sold was not Ringo Starr’s personal copy of the Beatles White Album (Serial #0000001) which sold for $790,000. The highest price ever paid for a vinyl record was Wu-Tang Clan’s Once Upon a Time in Shaolin. Only one copy was ever made and it sold for $2 million!!
Related Holidays:
The History and Origin of National Vinyl Record Day:
National Vinyl Record Day was created by Gary Freiberg of Los Osos, CA. Freiberg is a music enthusiast and founder of a non-profit group dedicated to preserving the Cultural influence of vinyl records on Society.
August 12th was selected to celebrate this holiday, as Thomas Edison invented the phonograph on August 12th, 1877.
We did not find any documentation confirming either of these days to be a true “National” holiday and we found no congressional records or presidential proclamation.
Today is huge, make that enormous International event. It’s World Elephant Day. According to the creator and sponsors of this Holiday, the goal of this holiday is to raise awareness of the plight of the shrinking populations of African and Asian elephants.
Elephants have a huge and impressive footprint and Elephants are the largest living land animal in the world. Despite their size, Elephants can be tamed to the extent that humans can work with them. Elephants can be taught to do work, including heavy lifting. We can even catch a ride atop a Elephants massive back. Elephants also have been employed in Wars. Elephants are beloved by children and adults alike. By far Elephants are the most popular animal in Zoos around the world.
Elephants are facing a struggle for survival. Here’s the facts: Just 100 years ago, there was an estimated 5 to 12 million African Elephants. Now, there is only approximately 400,000 African Elephants left. There were about 1,000,000 Asian Elephants 100 years ago. Now, there is just an estimated 20,000 to 40,000. Asian Elephants are on the “Vulnerable Species” list, while their cousins African Elephants are on the “Endangered Species” list. Elephants need our help to survive.
Elephant populations are decreasing in numbers for several reasons. Poaching is perhaps the number one problem. Poachers hunt and kill Elephants solely for their valuable Ivory tusks, leaving the carcass behind. Poachers illegally hunt Elephants in open ranges, as well as Elephant sanctuaries. Loss of habitat is a another huge reason for the Elephants declining numbers. As human populations continually increase, more and more Wildlife areas are razed and converted to farms to feed the ever growing need for food. That causes increasing conflict with humans, as the Elephants roam into and damage farmlands. Mistreatment of Elephants in captivity is also a stress on the steadily decreasing Elephant population.
Elephant Trivia:
- African Bush Elephants are the largest land animal weighing up to 13,000 pounds.
- Elephants typically spend 16 hours a day eating.
- Elephants really do have a good memory.
- Elephants do indeed like peanuts.
- Over 300 species of Elephants have roamed the earth for over 55 million years.
- Elephants are afraid of B and Farmers use Bee hives to keep Elephants from coming onto their land.
- The oldest elephant lived to be 86 years old.
- Elephants are pregnant for 22 months.
- Elephants weigh up to 260 pounds at birth.
Celebrate World Elephant Day by supporting organizations that strive to protect the remaining Wlephants left in the Wild.
Everyone’s Favorite Elephant: Is either Dumbo from the Disney Movie or Mr. Snuffleupagus from Sesame Street.
Related Holidays:
The History and Origin of World Elephant Day:
World Elephant Day was conceived in 2011 by Canadian filmmakers Patricia Sims and Michael Clark of Canazwest Productions, along with Sivaporn Dardarnanda, the Secretary General of the “Elephant Reintroduction Foundation (ERF)” in Thailand. Patricia Sims and the ERF went on to create World Elephant Day in 2012.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
