MDBCs 20 Dec 2024

December 20 is Sangria Day. This unofficial holiday encourages people around the world to enjoy the day with a tall glass of the delicious alcoholic beverage.

Typically made of red wine, sangria is a beverage that originated from Spain and Portugal. Usually, the wine is steeped with a variety of that is infused with a variety of chopped fruits and sugar for a few days before being consumed.

How to Celebrate?

If you are in the Northern Hemisphere, chances are that you are dreaming of a warm sunny day and a cool drink, and if you are in the Southern Hemisphere, you are probably looking for a cold drink to cool you down. No matter where you are on Earth, here are some ways you can celebrate Sangria Day:

Make a huge batch of sangria and share with family and friends.
Experiment with different kinds of wine and fruits to change the flavor profile of the Sangria you make.
Don't drink alcohol? No problem. Make yourself a batch of non-alcoholic sangria with ginger ale or any other sparkling fruit juice of your choice.

Did You Know…

…that the term Sangria comes from the Spanish word for bleeding? This is because the beverage is typically made of red wine, which is deep red in color.

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Underdog Day

Underdog Day is celebrated every year on the third Friday of December.

This unofficial holiday owes its name to the term “underdog” popularly used in sports and competitions and refers to someone who is popularly expected to lose.

All of us know of someone who works very hard but never gets recognized for their hard work. In addition, they are usually expected to fail in their efforts. Maybe, you have been in a situation like that? Celebrate all such underdogs and unsung heroes on Underdog Day.

How to Celebrate?

Remember that it is sometimes ok to be an underdog. It may be frustrating sometimes, but when underdogs win, they tend to upset the expected order of things.
If you know of an underdog, tell them to persevere on.
If you feel you are an underdog, work harder and shatter everyone’s expectations.
Watch the American animated series, Underdog. The series, which aired on NBC in the 1960s, detailed the adventures of Underdog, a superhero who spoke in rhyming verse and wore a caped costume.

Did You Know…

…that the opposite of an underdog is a top dog and in if an underdog wins in a competition, the outcome of the event is known as an upset.

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Ugly Sweater Day

The third Friday of December is Ugly Sweater Day.

On this day, get in the holiday spirit and flaunt those ugly holiday sweaters (thanks, Grandma!) you have been too embarrassed to wear in public. In many countries, the holiday is associated with fundraising events for children’s charity.

A similar holiday, Christmas Jumper Day, is celebrated every year as part of a fun raising event by Save the Children, a not for profit organization. In 2017, it is on December 15 as well.

How to Celebrate?

Take that ugly sweater out and wear it in public, chances are, you won’t be the only one wearing the Rudolph sweater grandma made for you ten years ago.
Don’t have an ugly sweater? Make one of your own. Bedazzle an old or thrifted sweater, add embroidered holiday motifs and some sequins, and voila, you are ready for Ugly Sweater Day.
Host an ugly sweater party. Have your guests contribute to charity and hold an ugly sweater competition. The person flaunting the ugliest sweater goes home with the top prize.

Did You Know...

...that the word cardigan, which is a type of sweater that is open from the front, comes from James Thomas Brudenell, the 7th Earl of Cardigan? The English general was thought to have worn such as sweater while leading a cavalry charge at Balaclava in 1854.

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I was picking up my letters at the post office when I heard a boy ask his mother if they had gotten any mail.

She said, “No, just bills.”

Then he asked, “Why do we always get his mail?”

***

While on patrol, I arrested a burglar who’d injured himself running from a home. He told me he’d broken in and unhooked the phone before searching for valuables. But he’d panicked when he heard a woman’s voice.

I entered the house and heard the same voice:

“If you’d like to make a call, please hang up and try your call again.”

***

We were an Air Force family, but our son could not grasp that  fact. Anytime someone asked what his father did, he’d say, “He’s in the Army.”

I told him umpteen times, “Stop telling people I’m in the Army!”

It finally seemed to hit home because on the admittance form  for kindergarten, under “father’s  profession,”

the teacher wrote, “He doesn’t know what his father does, but he’s not in the Army.”

***

One day when my son David was 5 years old, he informed me that he no longer wanted to go to day care because the other kids were all babies. He said he was a big boy and could stay home alone while I worked.

So I asked him, “Who will make your lunch? You can’t reach the stove.”