A Year of Blogging: April 26, 2011

April 26 is another day that has a variety of celebrations. It is 'Hug an Australian Day'. A good way to promote international relations, but this would only work if you are in Australia, or if an Australian is in another country, say- close by you. It is kind of hard to hug someone half a world away. So I'll send cyber hugs to all Aussies! Hope you had a great day! Today is also Richter Scale day. April 26, 1900 was the birth date of Charles Richter, who created the Richter scale in 1935. The Richter Scale is what is used to determine the strength of an earthquake. Finally, April 26 is National Pretzel Day. Pretzels are thought to be the worlds oldest snack, dating back to 610 AD. Well, the act of making pretzels dates back that far. I doubt there are any pretzels left from that period. Monks in Europe shaped thin strips of dough to resemble a child's arms folded in prayer and baked them. It is thought the treats were given to children as a reward for learning their prayers. Pretzels can be salty or sweet. They can be crunchy, like a potato chip, or have a soft texture. The large, soft pretzels are favorites at sporting events throughout the US. Some airlines now give bags of pretzels instead of bags of peanuts, a nod to increasing peanut allergies among the passengers. I used to take the bags of peanuts and take them home to my sister. She always loved airline peanuts. I say 'no thank you' to the bags of pretzels. They just don't seem as exciting. If thinking of food has made you hungry, grab a bag of pretzels. While you're up, don't forget to hug your favorite Australian! If no Australians are available, maybe you could watch Crocodile Dundee while you munch your pretzels.