MDBCs 06 Nov 2025

November 6 is Saxophone Day, an unofficial holiday that celebrates the woodwind instrument popularly used in jazz, classical music, and military ensembles.

The day honors saxophonists and commemorates the birth anniversary of its inventor Adolphe Sax. Born in Belgium in 1814, Sax was an instrument maker and musician who designed and introduced the Saxophone in 1840.

Used Extensively

It was first adopted for use in military bands and soon became a popular instrument played in a concert band and in chamber music. Chamber music is a type of music played by a group of small instruments - ones that usually can fit into a small room or chamber.

Today, the Saxophone is used extensively in jazz and other kinds of dance music and in symphony orchestras around the world.

Many Different Types

The Saxophone comes in many different varieties, though most saxophonists usually use one of the four most popular types. These are tenor, baritone, alto, and soprano saxophones. The tenor saxophone is usually used in jazz and rock music bands, while the baritone saxophone tends to be reserved for jazz solos. The Alto Saxophone is easy to play and therefore used to train beginners. The Soprano plays the highest pitch among all saxophones and is also often played in jazz bands.

Other saxophones include Mezzo Soprano, Sopranino, Tubax, Bass and Contrabass.

World Saxophone Day

In 2015, the Sax Open Project, a group of music composers and saxophonists declared June 12 as the first annual World Saxophone Day. The day is part of the week long World Saxophone Congress and Festival.

How to Celebrate?

Are you a saxophonist? Bring out your instrument and play some music with a band or solo for your family and friends.
Attend a chamber music, jazz or symphony orchestra concert. Keep an ear out for the Saxophone notes.
If you have always wanted to learn how to play the Saxophone, today is the day to get started.

Did You Know…

…that Adolphe Sax was also responsible for inventing the Saxhorn, Saxotromba, and the Saxtuba?

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Men Make Dinner Day

The first Thursday of November is Men Make Dinner Day, a made-up holiday that encourages men to actively participate in household matters such as cooking.

For long, the kitchen was considered to be the domain of women and were off limits to men. Today, as more and more women go out in the workforce and there is a demand for equality in the society, workplace and at home, this is a trend that is slowly fading out. Men and women become more equal partners in a family – they are sharing more and more house-related tasks like cooking, cleaning and parenting.

Men Make Dinner Day is an attempt to spread the message that men can cook and can take on the responsibilities that were previously thought to be women's tasks.

How to Celebrate?

Men, wear an apron and get into the kitchen and make a dinner for your family.
On this day, make a cooking schedule with your partner so that you can share the responsibilities of cooking and feeding your family.
If you have never learned how to cook, maybe today is the day to begin - there are a lot of recipes for of easy to cook meals that can be found online and in cookbooks.

Did You Know…

…that the oldest cookbook on record is the De re conquinaria? Written in Latin, historians believe that it was written sometime in the 1st century.

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International Stout Day

Usually celebrated on the first Thursday of November, International Stout Day pays tribute to the stout, a popular type of beer.

International Stout Day, whose creator is unknown, was first celebrated in 2011. It has gained in popularity over the years, with bars and breweries holding tasting events, brewing classes, and special happy hours with discounted stouts.

Dark and Strong

Historically, stout beer was considered to be a type of porter—a dark beer made from brown malt first introduced in London, England in the 17th century and popular throughout England and Ireland. The stronger and darker porters with more alcohol were called stout porters. Eventually, stout porters gained a faithful following, the word porter was dropped, and the beers came to be known only as stouts.

Stouts are usually made with roasted malt or barley, hops, water, and yeast. They tend to have a higher alcohol content, though not always. Guinness, one of the world's best-known stouts, has about 4.1 to 4.3% alcohol by volume (ABV). Most stouts tend to fall between 5 to 8% ABV.

Variety of Stouts

As this type of beer became popular around the world in the 17th and 18th centuries, brewers started experimenting with fermenting conditions and ingredients to create several different kinds of stouts. For example, Milk or Sweet Stout is made by adding lactose, while Oatmeal Stout is made by adding oatmeal to the ingredient list. Other varieties include Russian Imperial Stout, American Stout, and Dry Stout.

How to Celebrate?

Gather your loved ones and visit your local brewery or bar to participate in a stout beer tasting.
If you are a home brewer, why not take the opportunity to make your own signature stout at home? Don't forget to share with friends and family.
Learn more about the history of beers in general and stouts in particular.

Did You Know…

…that beer enthusiasts use the word zythology to refer to the study of beer and beer making? The word cannot be found in a dictionary but is popular among those who brew and drink the beverage. It comes from the Greek words zythos, meaning beer, and logos, meaning study.

***

Scene: My cousin Matt and his daughter at Chick-fil-A.

Matt: Can I please get a four-piece kids’ meal with white milk. [Pause] Oh, and gimme an extra white milk.

Clerk: Um … We only have one kind of milk, and it’s pretty white.

***

I was looking at the pies offered by a nearby café. They had cherry, apple, berry, peach, and Herman’s.

"What type of pie is Herman’s?" I asked the waiter.

"Apple," he said.

"Then why is it called Herman’s pie?"

"Because Herman called in to reserve it."

***

Days after we invaded Marja, Afghanistan, one of my Marines found out his wife hadn't paid the cell phone bill. He called the company and asked how he could settle up.

"You can go to Western Union and place a money order," the billing agent told him.

"Ma'am, I'm in Marja, Afghanistan," he explained. "We don't have Western Unions."

"No problem. You can also go to Walmart."

***

After finishing his meal, my grandfather, a retired Marine captain, asked the waitress for the 15 percent discount the restaurant offered veterans.

"Do you need to see my military ID?" he asked.

"That's all right," she said. "I know you were in the military. I can tell by your T-shirt."

Grandpa's shirt read "Welcome to Gettysburg National Military Park."