International Day of Families
Families—both traditional and non-traditional—are the foundation of society. Some of the most formative years of our lives are spent growing up with our families, so they should be celebrated! And today we do just that. Founded by the United Nations in 1994, The International Day of Families is observed on May 15 every year to celebrate the importance of families, people, societies and cultures around the world. It’s been around since 1994, with a different family-focused theme each year (past themes have included “Building Families Based on Partnership” and “Families, education and well-being”). So celebrate with us this year, and learn about some of the social, economic and demographic processes affecting families around the world!
How to observe International Day of Families
Volunteer with your family – Join in on the global celebration by working together with your family on a project to benefit the community. Need a suggestion? Try Habitat for Humanity: it’s an organization that builds houses for those in need. Build a house for a family while bonding with yours.
Reflect on just what family means to you – Family isn’t always blood. It’s the people in your life who want you in theirs. The ones who accept you for who you are. The ones who love you no matter what. So take today to think critically about what family really means to you, and how you can get closer to the people you love. At the end of the day, family is family—no matter what.
Organize a community family picnic – There might be many families in your neighborhood that would love to get to know one another but just haven’t figured out the best way to. A picnic is the perfect occasion to bring people together! Plan icebreaker activities to get to know one another better and then enjoy a delicious potluck meal.
Why International Day of Families is important
It highlights the importance of family in society – If we have stronger families, we will have stronger schools and stronger communities. A strong family unit can help each member feel more fulfilled and better about themselves and the world. It also provides a real-life example of how the human family can work together to create a better world.
It reminds you that all families don’t look alike – Every family is different—family can be defined many different ways, and International Day of Families recognizes that. Some families consist of children; some do not. Some consist of one parent; others more than one. International Day of Families is about more than just celebrating those who share DNA with you—it’s about celebrating all of the people you love.
It’s an opportunity to have critical conversations – International Day of Families is a time of celebration, but it’s also a time for serious conversations about some of the challenges that families around the world face. Many families are dealing with issues like poverty, lack of health care, employment, and child rearing. And today, we promote awareness and a better understanding of some of these challenges. Which one will you talk to your family about today?
National Chocolate Chip Day
We might not know which came first — the chicken, or the egg — but when it comes to chocolate chips and their namesake cookie, the history is well-documented, and it might not be what you think. Chocolate chips actually came after the chocolate chip cookie, and despite their ubiquity, are likely younger than your grandmother (they were first marketed in 1940!). Legend has it that the chocolate chip cookie was a happy accident, born when baker ran out of baker’s chocolate and opted for semi-sweet instead.
The recipe spread like wildfire, and after a few years of selling their semi-sweet chocolate bars with a chopping tool (for easy chunking of the bar), Nestlé went one step further by introducing chocolate “morsels” to the world. With such a history, and with so much mass appeal, it’s no surprise that this kitchen delight deserves celebration, and that’s why, on May 15, we’ve got National Chocolate Chip Day.
National Chocolate Chip Day activities
Hack the Kitchen: Chocolate for dinner – Most chefs know how to use tried-and-true flavor combinations to great effect, but the best chefs create new combinations altogether. Try using chocolate chips in a dinner recipe for a real challenge. If you’re looking for a place to start, you might consider trying the mole recipe in the section below!
How big can you bake it? You probably won’t approach the world record, but National Chocolate Chip Day is the perfect occasion to try your hand at baking the biggest chocolate chip cookie possible.
Art you can eat – With a mix of chocolate chips, M&Ms, and some other similarly-sized chocolate candies, you’re well on your way to a kid-friendly edible art project! This can get messy, though, so it’s probably a project best suited for the kitchen!
Why we love National Chocolate Chip Day
Chocolate chips are everywhere – They might have been created with one purpose in mind, but chocolate chips have branched out since their early days as cookie-fillers. Nowadays, it’s hard to think up a confection that hasn’t donned a chocolate chip cap, whether they be pancakes, muffins, or ice cream sundaes.
The choices…oh, so many choices! The chocolate chips that eventually found their way into the classic chocolate chip cookie are made of semi-sweet chocolate, but in keeping with the times, they now come in a plethora of options — ranging from white chocolate, to dark chocolate, and all the way to caramel — ensuring that, no matter what you’re baking, there’s a place for a chip!
Big or small – We’ll eat them all. Everyone loves chocolate chip cookies, no matter the size. They could be small (so long as there’s enough to have more than one!), or they could be massive, as in the case of Immaculate Baking’s 40,000 pound Guinness Record breaker, but regardless of size, they’re sure to draw a crowd. The fact that chocolate chips were used to break the record of world’s largest cookie is only a testament to their universality, and it’s safe to say that they’ll always have a space on the shelf of any baker.
National Pizza Party Day
Having a blast on National Pizza Party Day is no pie-in-the-sky idea. Pizza’s the very definition of a good time and your May 15 options are plentiful. Whip up something at home or head out to a wild pizza place for food and fun on the third Friday in May.
Although mainly thought of as an Italian dish, pizza has seemingly existed forever. The ancient Greeks used to flavor their flatbread with oils, herbs, and cheese, while Persian soldiers used to bake their own pizzas on the hot surfaces of their shields. Traditional pizza is also known as Neapolitan pizza, and it originates—as the name suggests—from Naples, around the middle of the 16th century.
Italian immigrants later introduced the dish to their new American compatriots, and eventually, pizza became the savory crowd-pleaser we know it to be today.
National Pizza Party Day activities
Throw your own pizza party – What better way to bond with your friends and meet new people than by inviting them to your place and feeding them pizza? You can decorate your place with pizza-themed decorations — after all, you’re celebrating a national holiday — and put together pizza-themed party games. If you’d like to serve other food in addition to pizza, that’s entirely up to you.
Make your own pizza – Haven’t you ever wanted to make your own pizza crust? To knead the dough into a circle and toss it into the air, just like the pros do? You can either buy ready-made pizza dough or you can mix your own—there are plenty of recipe books to help you. Don’t stress if you don’t get the spin right the first time. All the best things in life “knead” practice.
Do a “pizza crawl” – If you’ve ever wondered where to find the best pizza in town, today is the perfect day to do it. Gather up a group of friends or go solo. Find out where you can get a pizza in your area, and go out on the town. You can carry a notebook or you can freewheel it, but the most important thing is to have a good time and eat some great pizza.
Why we love National Pizza Party Day
Pizza is delicious – There is something about the combination of standard flavors—sauce, cheese, spices and herbs—that is fundamentally appealing to us. At the same time, the recipe is so basic that it allows for endless experimentation and innovation. (Whatever your stance on whether pineapple should belong on pizza or not, you have to give folks points for creativity).
Pizza complements a party perfectly – Pizza is a finger-food by default, which has the effect of making any atmosphere feel more easy and comfortable. People tend to have the most fun when they feel comfortable around others, so pizza can help create the perfect atmosphere for any party. And if that party happens to be a pizza party…well, that’s just a bonus.
Its the ultimate multicultural food – John Green once said that “for almost all of human history, pizza was impossible.” Pizza as we know it today requires ingredients from very disparate corners of the world. As we mentioned before, tomato sauce wasn’t used on pizza until trade routes were established between Europe and the Americas. Modern pizza requires creativity and collaboration between people of very different backgrounds—and the result is delicious.
Original International Day of Families article can be found here
Original National Chocolate Chip Day article can be found here
Original National Pizza Party Day article can be found here
