MDBCs 26 Apr 2024

Considered to be one of the oldest surviving snacks in the world, the humble but delicious pretzel is thought to have originated in Europe, possibly created by monks in monasteries.

Soft or Hard

The knot shape of the traditional soft dough pretzels is thought to signify folded hands during prayers.

The commonly found hard pretzels are a much more recent invention considered to have been first made by German immigrants in Pennsylvania, United States.

How to Celebrate?

Celebrate pretzel day by making your own pretzels at home. Try new flavors of pretzels.
If you don’t have time to make your own, visit your local pretzel store. Chances are, they will be celebrating the day by giving away free pretzels.

Did You Know...

...that Pennsylvanians eat more pretzels per capita than people in any other state in the United States? Because of this, Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell declared April 26 as National Pretzel Day in 2003.

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Richter Scale Day

April 26 is Richter Scale Day. The unofficial holiday honors the life and work of American seismologist Charles Francis Richter.

Born on this day in 1900, Richter was the inventor of the Richter magnitude scale that measures the intensity of earthquakes.

From 1935

Known more commonly as the Richter scale, the scale was invented by Richter in 1935. It measures the magnitude of an earthquake on a logarithmic scale of 0 to 10. Each number on the scale refers to an event that is 10 times more powerful than an event with a number before it. This means an earthquake with a magnitude of 4 is 10 times stronger, and releases approximately 32 times more energy, than an earthquake with a magnitude of 3.

Modern Replacements

The Richter scale has now been replaced by more modern scales that calculate the magnitude and strength of earthquakes around the world. Despite this, the media commonly, but mistakenly, uses the term Richter scale when identifying the device that measures earthquakes.

How to Celebrate?

Learn more about the Richter scale and how it is used to measure the intensity of earthquakes.
Visit your local space or science museum to learn more about earthquakes and what causes them.
If you live in an earthquake-prone area, why not use to the day to run some emergency earthquake drills and ensure that your emergency supplies are up to date and easily accessible?

Did You Know…

…that earthquakes lower than 2.5 on the Richter scale are almost never felt by humans?

***

A teenager brings her new boyfriend home to meet her parents. They're appalled by his haircut, his tattoos, his piercings.

Later, the girl's mom says, "Dear, he doesn't seem to be a very nice boy."

"Oh, please, Mom!" says the daughter. "If he wasn't nice, would he be doing 500 hours of community service?"

***

Staring at an empty cage, a zoo visitor asks, "Where are all the monkeys?"

"It's mating season," the keeper replies. "They're inside."

"Do you think they'd come out for peanuts?"

"Would you?"

***

The pastor asks his flock, "What would you like people to say when you're in your casket?"

One congregant says, "I'd like them to say I was a fine family man."

Another says, "I'd like them to say I helped people."

The third responds, "I'd like them to say, 'Look! I think he's moving!' "

***

We disbar lawyers and we defrock clergy, so why don't we:
Delight electricians?
Derange cowboys?
Depose models?
Debark tree surgeons?
Depress dry cleaners?