This January, we are celebrating some of our favorite holidays. Here is the list of what we'll be celebrating this month and the history of each holiday's origination. We hope you join us in honoring the history of these days, no matter how crazy they sound! So here's to holidays big and small this January! 

 

Photo by Skylake Studio on Unsplash

 

New Year's Day 

January 1st. 

In 46 B.C. Julius Cesar instituted January 1st. as the first day of the year. He did this to align the year with the sun, which happened to fall on the month of January. January came from the Roman god Janus, who is the god of new beginnings. There are many traditions around the world to bring luck in the new year and to leave the past behind. In Spain they believe in eating 12 grapes at midnight to signify luck in the coming 12 months, and the Babylonian tradition of setting resolutions for the new year is widely practiced. Of course, we can't forget the iconic NYC ball drop and many champagne toasts in the U.S.!

 

National Hangover Day

January 1st.

National Hangover Day happens to fall on the day after New Year's Eve, which is one of the biggest drinking holidays of the year. Maybe it's not so much of coincidence... Though hangovers are a painful consequence of drinking, they are a reminder of all the fun we had the night before, especially while ringing in the new year. Some of our favorite remedies are lots and lots of greasy foods, ibuprofen and Pedialite. If those still don't help, our ultimate hangover remedy is a big Bloody Mary. 

 

Friday The 13th

January 13th.

The idea of the unlucky number 13 dates back centuries, with many religious and cultural superstitions about the number. Friday the 13th. became a popular phenomenon in the 20th Century when Thomas Lawson wrote a book in 1907 titled "Friday, the 13th", which was about a stock broker who deliberately crashed the market. In 1908 the New York Time's was the first news outlet to acknowledge the superstitious date, and the date continued to become more and more unlucky. This is a great time to make sure your house isn't haunted!

 

National Organize Your Home Day 

January 14th.

National organize your home day was created to inspire home owners or renters to purge their homes of clutter and unnecessary items. This includes clothes, furniture and all those items you've been saving for years that still sit in the closet! This holiday falls in early January, which is a great time to clean out your house and start fresh in the new year. Donate what you can, but anything that is not salvageable for donation you can check out the Boston recycling and trash guidelines for information on how to discard these items. 

 

National Dress Up Your Pet Day

January 14th.

Colleen Paige, a Celebrity Pet Lifestyle Expert and Animal Behaviorist, founded this holiday in 2009 to celebrate your pet and show off their style. Make sure to always keep your pet's comfort first, but we do love seeing pet's all dressed up in their favorite looks. Some ideas could be a funky new hairdo, a bowtie, or if your pet likes it, going all out with an outfit, maybe even down to the shoes! Send us pictures of your pet's personal style!

 

Martin Luther King Day

January 16th.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day was approved as a federal holiday in 1983 on his birthday, January 15th, 1929, however, it is held on the third Monday of January every year. MLK Day serves many purposes - to celebrate the life and civil rights efforts of King, and to highlight the use of nonviolence to promote change. The first motion to make King's birthday a holiday was introduced in 1968 and wasn't approved by all 50 states as a state government holiday until 2000. We now remember King and all of his efforts and continue to fight for equality every day. 

 

National Fig Newton Day

January 16th.

Fig Newton's came to be in the 19th Century when doctors began to promote biscuits and fruit to aide in digestive problems. In 1891 Charles Roser invented a machine which inserted fig paste into a thick pastry dough. The Cambridgeport, MA-based Kennedy Biscuit Company purchased Roser’s recipe and began mass production. They then produced the first fig newton and named it after Newton, MA. Eat a package of Fig Newton's to celebrate a great accomplishment of Massachusetts!

 

National Cheese Lover's Day

January 20th.

There isn't an exact date that cheese came to be, but the first record of pasteurizing cheese was in 5500 B.C. In the U.S. today, 1/3 of milk production goes into making cheese and there are more than 1,800 different types of cheese in the world. That means it would take you 5 years to try a different type of cheese every day, and we are up for that challenge! Grab your cheese and crackers and let's celebrate!

 

National Hugging Day

January 21st. 

National Hugging Day began in 1986 by Kevin Zaborney. He chose Januray 21st. because he felt January was a time of low spirits, since it is mid-winter and post holidays. Hugging used to be considered indecent PDA, but now it is a widespread way to show appreciation and affection. The word "hug" is believed to come from the Old Norse word "hugga" which means "to comfort". This holiday is meant to bring people together, whether it's friends, families or a stranger on the street (maybe not a stranger), show people how much you care about them with a hug!

 

National Chocolate Cake Day

January 27th.

Chocolate cake was first created in 1765, and in 1847, Eliza Leslie published the first chocolate cake recipe. The first boxed chocolate cake mix was created in the late 1920s and Betty Crocker released their first cake mixes in 1947. Chocolate cake is the best way to celebrate all events, so if you are inspired on January 27th. to bake a chocolate cake, we encourage you to bring us a slice!

 

International Lego Day

January 28th. 

International Lego Day marks the day when Godtfred Kirk Christiansen submitted the patent for the original Lego bricks in 1958. Legos were the first of their kind and help with teamwork, problem solving and creativity in children and adults! We're not afraid to admit we still love Legos! In 2000 Lego was named the "Toy Of The Century" for its creative, fun and fast growing popularity. If you build a lego home this month send us a photo, we'd love to see it!