Author: Lisa Mungovan

Many people enjoy exchanging homemade cookies with others during the holidays. A group of bakers from The Wedding Cookie Table Community Facebook Page, took it to the next level, by hosting the largest cookie exchange in the world. 67 teams of bakers made and exchanged 73, 835 Christmas cookies. Sounds delicious!

Did you know octopuses have a brain in each arm, as well as their main brain? Maybe that’s why they’re so smart! Swedish musician Mattias Krantz, actually taught his octopus, named Takoyaki, to play piano! He designed an underwater keyboard with levers for Tako to pull, and enticed him to play it with treats.

Today is Monkey Day! It started as a joke when a college student wrote “Monkey Day” on his friend’s calendar, but it’s now celebrated around the world. Did you know, almost all monkeys have tails? The smallest monkeys are Pygmy marmosets, at only 4.6 inches long! Jump around like a monkey today, and eat bananas!

You’ve heard the song that begins, chestnuts roasting on an open fire, but have you ever eaten one? Today is Roast Chestnuts Day, so buy some chestnuts if you don’t happen to have a chestnut tree. Roast them on a campfire, grill, or in the oven, until the skin splits, then peel and eat!

Today is Worldwide Candle Lighting Day. At 7 PM, light candles to honor those you have lost, and keep the wave of light traveling around the world. It’s also Choral Day, so sing songs while you gather around the candles. If it’s your birthday, sing Happy Birthday last, so you can blow them out!

For a couple of weeks in December, the Geminids meteor showers are visible in the night sky. The meteors appear near the constellation Gemini, created from particles of the asteroid 3200 Phaethon. The Geminids will be at their peak tonight, but you can look for some each night. Bundle up and bring cocoa!

Happy Day Of The Horse. Horses have lived on Earth more than 50,000,000 years. Humans domesticated horses, for travel, farming, or sports, but wild horses still exist. Horses can run up to 55 miles-per-hour! The world’s tallest horse, Mammoth, was over 7 feet tall. Thumbelina, the world’s smallest horse, was only 17 inches!

Today is Gingerbread Decorating Day. Start by making gingerbread cookies, and give them faces and clothes drawn with icing. Soon, you’ll be ready to decorate a gingerbread house, with gumdrops and peppermints. Finally, you’ll be ready to be mayor, of your own gingerbread city! Don’t eat it, or you’ll be out of a job.

Today is Violin Day, the first instrument that many kids learn to play. If your school has a strings program, be sure to sign up! You can always listen to classical, bluegrass, or Irish music to hear some fantastic violin playing! Listen with a cup of hot chocolate, because it’s also National Cocoa Day!

For a couple of weeks in December, the Geminids meteor showers are visible in the night sky. The meteors appear near the constellation Gemini, created from particles of the asteroid 3200 Phaethon. The Geminids will be at their peak tomorrow, but you can look for some each night. Bundle up and bring cocoa!