The Alternative Advent Calender
Days and days of celebration ahead!
December is a very weird month. It arrives before we know it. We always seem unprepared to acknowledge another year has passed in our lives and the future is so unclear. Despite this—and despite the upheaval this particularly year has wrought—we still will dive into and try our best to embrace the possibilities of the season. Stories has done her reseach and compiled a guide to all the sacred and downright profane ways we find reason to become enveloped in the many idiosyncrasy of the next 30 days. Hope you enjoy the tour!
First off, remember that this is not just simply a Christian month. Other beliefs have their special holidays, too!
December 8: Bodhi Day, commemorating the enlightenment of Siddhartha Gautama December 12: Our Lady of Guadalupe, revered by Mexicans and Mexican Americans as the day the Virgin Mary appeared to a peasant in Mexico City and helped to overthrow foreign interests. December 14-22: Hanukkah, the festival of lights signifying the victory of Judah the Maccabee over Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the king of the invading Syrian Greeks December 21: Yalda, the Zoroastrian Persian religion’s celebration of the winter solstice December 21: Yule or Yule Log, the day pagans mark as the end of the dark times and a return to the light December 26: Kwanzaa, honoring the heritage, culture, and contributions of African Americans to our history December 31: Ōmisoka or Jo-Ya night, Japans observance of the year’s last day with feasts and lighting the sky with paper lanters
Six events of national importance take place in the coming weeks, the first of which is the most momentous and the second is of special current interest. The third would never happen today, although it should:
December 15, 1791: The Bill of Rights added ten amendents to our Constitution, affirming the fundamental rights of all American citizens.
December 10, 1931: Jane Addams becames the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize for her work in promoting world peace. Take THAT, Mr. President!
December 5: Ulysses S. Grant used his final message to Congress in part to apologize for any mistakes his administration visited upon the American people.
December 17, 1903: The Wright Brother flew their first airplane for 12 full seconds!
December 21, 1891: The first basketball game was played in a YMCA gym in Springfield, MA. It was played with a scoccor ball and using two peach bushell baskets as hoops.
December 22: National Forefathers’ Day in observence of the day the Pilgrams landed on Plymouth Rock. Plymouth, Massachutte is about the only place that commomeroates it.
The whole month of December is given over to admitting our affection for:
Root Vegetables and Exotic Fruits Egg Nog Fruit Cake Worldwide Food Service Safety
Some dates have obvious connection to Christmas:
December 4: National Cookie Day, which seems ridiculous because any cookie baked on this day will be eaten by December 25
December 12: Gingerbread Decorating Day. This makes sense since it usually takes the rest of the month to construct a decent gingerbread house
December 13: National Cocoa Day (perfect recipe below)
Three animals are given their own consecutive special days. This year they occur over a weekend so go hog wild!
December 13: National Day of the Horse
December 14: National Monkey Day (this is particularly fun as it encourages monkeying around and baking monkey shaped cookies and cakes)
December 15: National Cat Herders Day
If I was still a parent of young children I would give undying thanks for:
December 16: National Barbie and Barney Backlash Day. It was created to give parents permission to kick Barbie, her dream house, and extensive shopping habits out of the living room and into a closet. Parents can also forbid their children from playing and singing any one of Barney’s stupendiously annoying songs.
I personally have four favorite days, coming as they do toward the end of the month when I’m exhausted and want nothing more than for it to be over.
December 19: Underdog Day December 21: Humbug Day December 23: Festivus! December 26: National Whiners Day
So now December 25 has come and gone and there are two more days before New Year’s. I don’t know why anyone would pay attention to them. They’re worse than a hangover.
December 29: Tick Tock Day December 31: Make Up Your Mind Day
1747 recipe for Spiced Hot Chocolate Courtesy of Tasting History
The great thing about this recipe is that it begins by forming a hard cake of spiced chocolate. You will have enough left over for the rest of the cold winter days ahead. It keeps very nicely in an airtight container.
2/3 cup (135 g) sugar 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom 1/2 vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, more or less to your taste 2 cups (200 g) cocoa nibs 2 cups milk
Whisk together the sugar, spices, and vanilla bean to combine. If you’re using vanilla extract, add it in the next step. Whisk in the cocoa nibs.
Put the cocoa nib mixture and the vanilla extract if you’re using it in a blender or food processor and blend it up. This will crush the cocoa nibs and melt the cocoa butter in them, eventually turning it into a liquid or paste. Give your blender breaks if it starts to overheat. It may take 15 to 20 minutes of blending. You could do this in a mortar and pestle, but it would take forever. I ground just a small amount of cocoa nibs for about 20 minutes and it wasn’t anywhere near where it needed to be.
If you’re not using it right away, form it into a cake, wrap it well, and set it in the fridge to harden. If your cocoa nibs have formed a liquid, pour it into a plastic wrap or parchment-lined bowl to harden.
Take the hardened chocolate out of the container. Chop the desired amount into small pieces. How much you use will depend on how chocolatey you want your hot chocolate.
Heat the milk in a pot until it simmers. When the milk simmers, add the chopped chocolate and whisk vigorously. You want to mix in the chocolate, but also create some froth. You could also use a molinillo to create froth if you have one.
Pour the hot chocolate into fancy cups (small ones are best because it’s so rich), and serve it forth.
Help the world out today by chipping in to GivingTuesday! In the meantime, consider looking for a way to help your friends, neighbors, and community through these trying times!
Before you go….I’d truly appreciate it if you would show Stories some love by pressing the little heart button above and below, and sharing today’s story with someone who might need a good read. Thanks!
Don’t leave out Boxing Day, December 26. Here, in the US, it gives reason for soccer fans to wake up early, visit a pub and drink a beer(s), and watch soccer from England.
A very clever look at the month! I love the painting with all its buttery, yellow shades.