May 27 Sun Screen Day

Today May 27 Sun Screen Day as a reminder to make sure you are properly protecting yourself from the sun, such as by keeping out of the rays at the hottest time of the day (11 am – 2pm), drinking plenty of liquids and, of course, wearing sun screen.

Did you know that there are many scientists that are credited with discovering modern sunscreen? In 1936, chemist Eugene Schueller invented a preventative sunburn cream, and went on to start L’Oreal. Around the same time, Swiss chemist Franz Greiter was inspired to develop a sun lotion after he was sunburned while climbing Mount Piz Buin. His product came to the market under the name Piz Buin in 1946, and is still sold today. In 1944, Florida pharmacist Benjamin Green patented Red Vet Pet sunscreen, which became Coppertone suntan cream and was very popular throughout the 1950s and still is today.

Sun screen defends the skin from damaging ultraviolet rays by forming a protective barrier – used properly, sun screen can help prevent skin cancer. Exposure to the sun also damages the skin and can worsen signs of ageing, so wearing sun screen will also keep your skin looking younger. 

May 26 Blueberry Cheesecake Day

Blueberry Cheesecake Day is observed on May 26th. cheesecake recipes can be traced all the way back to Ancient Greece, the flavored versions we know and love today are a fairly recent innovation. People have come up with all sorts of interesting and unique cheesecake flavors, but today is a celebration of the classic blueberry variety.

The type of cheese used to make cheesecake has a huge impact on the flavor and texture of this delicious dessert. American cheesecakes are made with cream cheese, Italian cheesecakes are made with ricotta, and German and Polish cheesecakes are made with “quark” cheese, which is a type of curd cheese.

Try these recipes:

The Best Blueberry Cheesecake

May 26 World Lindy Hop Day

People celebrate World Lindy Hop Day on every May 26. Also known as the jitterbug, Lindy Hop originated in Harlem, New York City in the 1920s and 1930s. After a decline in popularity in the 1950s, this form of swing music is back and infecting more and more followers with its undeniable vitality.

It’s an energetic dance that originated in black communities in Harlem, in New York City. If you want a true experience, try to seek out a venue with live big-band jazz. It’s fun, frenetic, occasionally frenzied, and is likely to leave you exhausted, but don’t worry: you only need to do it once every year.

A combination of different kinds of dances, including jazz, swing and tap, Lindy Hop is a two-person dance where the partners dance hand in hand or in an embrace to jazz music. Just as in jazz, there is some form of improvisation that takes place during the dance. 

May 25 Tap Dance Day

May 25 is National Tap Dance Day in the USA. Celebrations are held today nationwide and even in other counties, as in India, Australia, Japan and Iceland. Different activities are organized at schools and tap dancing studios. Everyone can attend master classes, street dancing flash mobs and concerts.

The brainchild of Carol Vaughn, Nicola Daval and Linda Christensen, National Tap Dance Day was first presented to U.S. Congress on February 7, 1989 and was signed into American Law by President George. H.W. Bush on November 8, 1989. The one-time official observance was on May 25, 1989. May 25 is the birthday of Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, a significant contributor to tap dance born in 1878. National Tap Dance Day has continued to be celebrated each year on May 25.

“Shim Sham Shimmy” is one of the popular tap dance routine and it is regarded as tap dance's national anthem. Everyone can learn this dance on National Tap Dance Day, as far many studios send people to the streets to teach passers-by. 

May 25 Wine Day

May 25 is National Wine Day. Wine has been an important part of human history and culture for thousands of years. Regardless of whether you prefer red, white, pinot, or cabernet, everyone can appreciate today’s celebration.

“Wine is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented grapes or other fruits. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, water, or other nutrients. Yeast consumes the sugars in the grapes and converts them into alcohol. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts produce different types of wine.

In 1867, Archaeologists in Speyer, Germany discovered the oldest bottle of wine in existence while they were excavating two Roman stone sarcophaguses. It dates back to at least 325 AD. The bottle of wine is now on display at the History Museum of the Pfalz in Germany.

on this day, people enjoy a glass of their favorite wine with dinner, for dessert, with friends, at a restaurant, at home or at a wine-tasting event. 

May 24 Escargot Day

Escargot Day is observed on May 24. Escargot is a tasty appetizer made with land snails cooked in butter or wine. While the dish most likely originated in Ancient Roman times, escargot is usually associated with French cuisine. In fact, the French consume around 40,000 metric tons of snails each year.

The dish of Escargot is usually prepared by removing the land snails from their shells, cooking them with garlic, butter and wine. They are then placed back into their shells with the sauce for serving. The dish is served with a special fork and tong for easier dining. Farms producing Helix aspersa for sale exist in Europe and in the United States.

Escargot {es.kar.go} is the French word for snail. If you've never tasted escargot, National Escargot Day is a great reason to give them a try.

May 24 Scavenger Hunt Day

May 24 is Scavenger Hunt Day. Today is set aside as a day to enjoy the “good ol’ fashioned” fun of a scavenger hunt. Scavenger hunts have become popular at weekend get to gether’s, parties, family gatherings and holidays, however, today would be a great day to have a scavenger hunt at the office or put one together for the neighborhood kids and let the fun begin.

A scavenger hunt is a game where individuals or teams compete to find items or perform tasks provided to them as a list by the organizers of the game. The aim of the game is for participants to fulfil the requirements on the list. Usually, at the end the hunt a grand prize awaits the first person/ team to reach the end of the list.

American gossip columnist, author, songwriter and professional hostess Elsa Maxwell (May 24, 1883 – November 1, 1963) is credited with the introduction of the scavenger hunt for use as a party game in the modern era. 

May 23 Lucky Penny Day

Lucky Penny Day is observed each year on May 23rd. The penny was officially introduced into England in 757 A.D. For centuries, finding a penny has been considered a good omen, an event that suggested something good would happen in the life of the finder.

1793 – The first pennies in the United States were made of copper. Pennies are often just a nuisance. They don’t seem to be worth much, especially considering their weight, which is decidedly disproportionate to their actual value.

Lucky Penny Day is the perfect time to show them the value of money, and just how far a dollar or two can go for someone truly in need. All day long you'll have good luck." If you are superstitious be careful to only pick up pennies lying face up. Well whether you believe it or not. 

May 23 Taffy Day

Today, May 23rd, we can all take a moment to appreciate Taffy. Salt Water Taffy, Laffy Taffy, Original Taffy. All kinds. Salt water taffy in was invented 1883 in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Taffies are available in many flavors and colors. The most popular are fruit flavors, like banana and lemon, but actually anything can go. Even salt water! But the very first taffies were flavorless. Later molasses and vanilla were added to make candies better. That was the beginning of experiments with different flavors. Color experiments began much later and they were designated to match the flavor of the candies.

There are many rumors on that how they were created. The most popular legend says, that a candy store was flooded during the storm, and the candies soaked in saltwater. When a little girl came to buy a taffy, the owner said, that she could offer her only salt water taffy. Little girl was delighted with it and bought one. She brought the candy to show her friends. Mother of shop owner heard the conversation and loved the name of the candy. That is how salt water taffy was born.

Choose your favorite taffies to celebrate the holiday and share them with your family and friends. 

May 22 Buy a Musical Instrument Day

Each year on May 22 we observe National Buy a Musical Instrument Day. It is unknown when the first musical instrument was invented, but historians believe that flutes made of animal bones date back 37,000 years. Today there are 6 main instrument categories – percussion, woodwinds, brass, strings, keyboard, and electronic.

Playing a musical instrument is a fun and engaging activity for people of all ages. Celebrate today as you learn to play a new instrument.

The most played instrument is the piano, followed by the guitar and the drums. 21 million Americans play the piano – that's more than all other instruments combined. Other popular instruments include the flute, ukulele, saxophone, clarinet, trombone, and violin. Not only is playing a musical instrument fun, it can also increase abilities in other areas. Children who play a musical instrument are shown to read at advanced levels, have larger vocabularies, and work better in teams. 

May 22 Maritime Day

National Maritime Day is observed annually in the United States on May 22. Created to recognize the maritime industry National Maritime Day also honors America’s Merchant Marines for their contributions and sacrifices for our country.

The United Nations (UN), via the International Maritime Organization (IMO), created World Maritime Day to celebrate the international maritime industry’s contribution towards the world’s economy, especially in shipping. The event’s date varies by year and country but it is always on the last week of September.

World Maritime Day was first held on March 17, 1978 to mark the date of the IMO Convention’s entry into force in 1958. At that time, the organization had 21 member states. It now has about 167 member states and three associate members. This membership includes virtually all the nations of the world with an interest in maritime affairs, including those involved in the shipping industry and coastal states with an interest in protecting their maritime environment. 

May 21 Armed Forces Day – Third Saturday in May

August 31, 1949 then Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson announced the creation of Armed Forces Day. President Harry Truman also announced the holiday in a presidential proclamation on February 20, 1950. All branches of the military were asked to celebrate on this day and they complied on the first Armed Forces Day which was held the following year on May 20, 1950.

Parades, open houses, receptions and air shows were held to celebrate the first Armed Forces Day held on May 20, 1950. Armed Forces Day annually on the third Saturday of May. It is a day to pay tribute to men and women who serve the United States’ armed forces.

Certain types of music are also played at Armed Forces Day events, including at memorials and at cemeteries, as a way to respect those in the armed forces who died for their country. For example, buglers have played a bugle call, known simply as Taps, on Armed Forces Day in recent years. Taps is usually sounded by the United States military at events such as flag ceremonies, memorial services and funerals. 

May 21 Strawberries and Cream Day

Strawberries and Cream Day is observed annually on May 21. strawberries is the only fruit with the seeds on the outside. Strawberries are believed to originate in Northern Europe, but wild strawberries can be found in many countries, including the USA. Food historians could trace strawberries to the Roman Empire, but they think, that Greeks knew about this berries even before Romans.

One strawberry contains about 200 seeds and each of them has a genetic potential to become a new variety of strawberry. There are no two seeds alike, that is why breeders could develop so many varieties of strawberries.

There are hundreds of different strawberries varieties. Each variety requires special growing conditions and soil to grow. Some varieties grow early in the season, some later, but all berries should be harvested at the peak of ripeness.

To celebrate National Strawberries and Cream Day, head to a local farm and pick your own fresh strawberries as a fun spring activity for the whole family. Then enjoy the fruits of your labor with a delicious snack of strawberries and cream at home.