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Did You Know? Spike the egg nog! Did you know that Dec. 5, is Repeal Day? This day, each year, commemorates the repeal of the 18th Amendment. Many Americans in the early 1900s believed that alcohol was responsible for the social ills of the country. Spearheaded by the American Christian Women's Temperance Union's efforts, Congress was encouraged to pass the 18th Amendment on Jan. 16, 1919. This amendment prohibited the manufacture, transportation, sale and consumption of alcohol. Surprisingly enough, the ban on alcohol did not reduce crime or improve the social conditions. It actually encouraged racketeers to make and sell alcohol. Congress recognized this unforeseen turn of events and began the repeal process. On Dec. 5, 1933, the state of Utah voted approval of the 21st Amendment, achieving the threequarter's number of states necessary to reject the Prohibition Amendment. Feliz Navidad: Did you know that Poinsettia Day is recognized on Dec. 12? The first Ambassador from the United States to Mexico, Joel Roberts Poinsett, brought the plant from Mexico to his plantation in Greenville, South Carolina. He successfully raised the colorful red-leaved plants and gave them away as gifts during the Christmas season. Congress pronounced Poinsettia Day in honor of the day of Poinsett's death, Dec. 12, 1851. Constitutional Celebration: Did you know that Dec. 15 is Bill of Rights Day? The Constitution of the United States of America was ratified by the 13 colonies on 12 March 4, 1789. Many individuals and colonies, however, believed that the Constitution did not sufficiently cover and protect a number of rights of individuals. The understanding was that a Bill of Rights would be created to amend the Constitution. On Sept. 25, 1789, the First Congress of the United States proposed 12 amendments. Ten of these were added to the Constitution on Dec. 15, 1791. The amendments which did not pass (originally #1 and #2) dealt with the number of representatives to Congress and the compensation for those representatives. New Years Resolutions: Did you know that 45 percent of Americans usually make New Year's Resolutions? According to Statistic Brain, an internet website, 49 percent of the Americans have infrequent success in achieving their resolutions. The top ten resolutions usually concern losing weight (#1 priority), getting organized, spending less and saving more, enjoying life to the fullest, staying fit and healthy, learning something exciting, quitting smoking, helping others achieve their dreams, falling in love and spending more time with family. Seventy-five percent of Americans maintained their resolutions through the first week of January; the statistics drop rapidly as the weeks continue. As encouragement, only 24 percent never succeed and fail on their resolutions each year. It was noted that people who explicitly make resolutions are 10 times more likely to attain their goals than people whose resolutions are not explicit. ~ Bobbie Eckel FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | DECEMBER 2013 | community News