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Did You Know? FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | DECEMBER 2018 11 By Micki Rosen DID YOU KNOW THAT DEC. 3 IS WALT DISNEY DAY? Walter Elias Disney was born in 1901, right at the turn of the century. He would go on to turn the entire world around, changing the face of cinema and entertainment through the introduction of his incredible cast of animated characters. Born in Chicago, Walt would move multiple times in his early life, first in 1906 to a family farm in Missouri, and again in 1911 to Kansas City where he would attend grammar school. His career as an artist and illustrator would get its start in 1919 when he returned from World War I during which he served as part of the Red Cross. It would be 1928 before Mickey Mouse came into the world, the result of a sketch Walt did while on a bus. It quickly became the centerpiece of the Disney empire, which would become one of the most important names in family entertainment in the world. DID YOU KNOW THAT DEC. 6 IS PAWNBROKERS DAY? The profession of pawnbroker stretches back thousands of years to the Greek and Roman empires and ancient China. The word pawn itself is derived from the Latin word "pignus" meaning pledge. It even has its own patron saint, St. Nicholas of Myra. St. Nicholas was famous for his kindness and generosity toward the poor; he became associated with pawn shops in the early 14th century, when "montes pietatius" (precursors to today's pawn shops) were established by Franciscan friars. At that time, the goal was to be able to give low-interest loans to poor families so they could buy food; the Franciscans alone started 150 montes pietatius. Because St. Nicholas managed to help so many impoverished families during his lifetime, Pope Julius II recognized him by making him the patron saint of pawn shops. Some of the most common items that have been pawned over the centuries have been musical instruments, and many pawnbrokers later donate the unclaimed instruments to schools and other charity organizations. DID YOU KNOW THAT DEC. 9 IS CHRISTMAS CARD DAY? The first commercial Christmas card was created in 1843 in England by Sir Henry Cole. It showed a family raising a toast. The designs that followed showed flowers and depicted the promise of spring. Lithographers Prang and Mayer started selling their whimsical Christmas cards, often featuring children or cartoon animals, to America in 1874. By 1880, Prang and Mayer were producing a massive five million cards a year. One of the very first Christmas cards sold at auction in 2001 for 22,250 British Pounds! If you want to see a big collection of these early Christmas cards, stop by the British Museum and take a look at Queen Mary's early 1900s collection. DID YOU KNOW THAT DEC. 11 IS HAVE A BAGEL DAY? The bagel originated among the Jewish population of the 1600s. Some origin stories have the first bagel coming out of Krakow, Poland where it was said to be given to women who were going through childbirth. Other tales point to a baker from Vienna developing it to celebrate the defeat of the Turks by King Jan III Sobieski of Poland in 1683, its shape supposedly meant to be reminiscent of a stirrup. What is known is that the "bajgiel" (an earlier spelling) would become a central part of the Polish and Slavic diets by the 17th century, and by the 19th century it was being sold in London. That's also the time it found its way to New York by way of Polish Jewish immigrants, and was quickly brought under the control of the Bagel Bakers Local 338. DID YOU KNOW THAT DEC. 13 IS HOT COCOA DAY? The history of chocolate goes farther back than most people are aware. It was first found by European explorers in South America, where it had been enjoyed for hundreds of years prior to their arrival. The first origins of cocoa can be traced back to 500 BC, but many archaeologists believe it goes back much further. The cocoa of those days was much different than what we consume now, because sugar had not yet found its way to the Americas. Instead, the beverage was flavored with vanilla and often with chili. It would not be until it was introduced to Europe and had spent some time there as a luxury drink of the wealthy that it would be sweetened and milk chocolate invented. It took until 1828 for a powdered chocolate to be made, and in that glorious moment of culinary history, both the chocolate bar and instant hot cocoa came into existence.

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