MDBCs 19 Jan 2023

While the origins of Tin Can Day are unknown, this unofficial holiday probably wants to honor the humble tin can and to raise awareness about recycling them.

A Revolutionary Invention

Invented in early 1800 by French inventor Philippe Henri de Girard, the tin can revolutionized the military and the world of exploration – soldiers and explorers could now travel long distances without worrying about food supplies or the shelf life of their food.

A Pantry Staple

Despite a few early hitches – tin cans were sealed using lead for a number of years causing lead poisoning - tin cans have now become a staple in most pantries. Food preserved in tin cans does not spoil for long durations and can be easily transported.

Despite the name, tin cans in use today are not completely made out of tin - they are usually made of steel, steel coated with tin, or aluminum.

How to Celebrate?

Celebrate Tin Can Day by learning the history of the tin can.
Make your meals using canned food only.
What about some tin can crafts? Maybe bake a cake in a can or use a can to make a portable phone for your kids?
Collect all the tin cans you have and take them to the recycling center.

Did You Know…

…that in Europe, steel from tin cans and other kind of packaging is the most recycled material?

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Popcorn Day

January 19 is Popcorn Day, a day to organize an impromptu movie night, just so that you can enjoy a tub or two of crunchy, salty and buttery popcorn. Or, if you have a sweet tooth, treat yourself to some delicious caramel popcorn.

The unofficial holiday is also sometimes celebrated on the day of the Super Bowl in the United States, where it is called National Popcorn Day.

Popping Corn

Popcorn is a snack made by heating corn or maize kernels. When heated – either in a microwave oven or on the stovetop – the hull on the outside of the kernels break or “pop” creating the delicious snack we call popcorn.

Long and Varied History

Popcorn has a very long and varied history. Historians believe that corn whose kernels could be popped was first cultivated around 5000 B.C.E in Mexico. Archeologists have found evidence of first popcorn maker – a utensil with holes and a handle – dating back to 400 C.E. in Peru.

In many indigenous cultures, corn and popcorn were used for religious purposes and decoration.

Popular Movie Theater Snack

Popcorn became popular in the US around the early 1900s when it was sold on street corners under the name of Pearls. Now a popular movie theater snack, theater owners initially were against serving popcorn in their premises. During the depression, however, popcorn became one of the few luxuries that people could afford forcing theater owners to start selling popcorn. Today, it is a huge part of the movie experience.

Popcorn's fortunes fell as VCRs became popular and people started watching films at home. The invention of microwave oven popcorn and home popcorn machines once again brought popcorn into the lives of movie aficionados.

Popcorn is also often used for decoration and as packaging material.

How to Celebrate?

Add popcorn to all your meals today. Start the day with popcorn cereal – add milk, honey or maple syrup to popcorn. Sprinkle some popcorn on your lunch salad instead of croutons. Replace Rice Krispies in Rice Krispie treats with popcorn to make sweet treats for your evening snack. Use crushed popcorn instead of breadcrumbs to coat your breadcrumbed chicken breast for dinner. And end the day with some ice cream topped with chocolate and caramel popcorn.
Host a movie night and have a popcorn bar for your guests. May we recommend serving parmesan and bacon popcorn, jalapeño popcorn, curry popcorn, maple-pecan popcorn, cake batter popcorn and chocolate popcorn, in addition to the original butter popcorn?

Did You Know…

...that popcorn is the official snack food of the State of Illinois, United States?

***

Visiting Annapolis, I noticed several plebes on their hands and knees holding pencils and clipboards.

“What are they doing?” I asked our tour guide.

“Each year, the upperclassmen ask the freshmen how many bricks it took to finish paving this courtyard,” he said.

“So what’s the answer?” my friend asked.

The guide replied, “One.”

***

A woman at our checkout counter didn’t have enough money to cover her purchase of toilet paper, so I paid the 96 cents.

“Thank you,” she said. “I’m going to think of you every time I use this paper.”

***

"What's the difference between an optimist and a pessimist?" I asked my husband.

He thought for a minute before responding, "An optimist is the guy who created the airplane. A pessimist is the guy who created the parachute."

***

My six-year-old loved his pet fish. He watched and fed it faithfully, morning and night. But one day while he was in school, his fish died, so I flushed it down the toilet.

I told him when he got home, and he was inconsolable. Nothing I said helped.