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| Four Seasons Hemet Herald | December 2016 | 37 Did You Know? By Micki Rosen, resident of Four Seasons Beaumont In celebration of that major pig-out known as Thanksgiving dinner, here is a mostly-food version of "Did You Know?" for your enjoyment: Did you know that Dec. 26 is Candy Cane Day? According to German folklore, the first candy canes were made in the 17th century when a choirmaster in Cologne, Germany needed to find a way to keep the children quiet during the exceptionally long Christmas Eve Mass. So he ordered peppermint-flavored candy sticks from a local confectioner, but with a few twists of his own, steeping them in religious symbolism. He requested them to be in the shape of a cane, and to be white and red. I'll let you figure out what it all supposedly means; or you can just enjoy this seasonal treat! Did you know that Dec. 7 is Cotton Candy Day? Cotton candy was first made in Europe in the 19th century, but because it was both expensive and time-consuming to produce, it didn't quite take off. The cotton candy machine, which spins molten sugar into fine strands, was invented by dentist William Morrison and confectioner John C. Warton in 1897 and allowed enormous amounts of cotton candy to be made in a short period of time using centrifugal force. However, the two men decided to keep their invention under wraps until the 1904 World's Fair, where they sold 68,665 boxes at 25 cents per box (equivalent to around $6 per box today) to people who could just not get enough of the texture of the candy; they became instantly rich. Cotton candy has been dazzling customers ever since! Did you know that Dec. 4 is Cookie Day? Cookies are sweet and full of all sorts of delicious goodness, from nuts to fruit to chocolate. They can be either delightfully crumbly or sinfully chewy. Cookie Day is celebrated around the world in order to pay tribute to these delicious little treats. It was started in 1987 by Matt Nader of the San Francisco-based Blue Chip Cookie Company, who said "It will just be a fun thing to do." This fun and sweet holiday was also championed by the Cookie Monster from Sesame Street, of course! Did you know that Dec. 16 is Ugly Christmas Sweater Day? Launched in 2011, this annual celebration, which is growing in popularity every year among adults and children, is not simply an excuse to parade humiliatingly unfashionable seasonal knitwear; it is a light-hearted and enjoyable event to raise funds for organizations that help children around the world deal with easily treatable illnesses. It's time to stop being ashamed of the contents of your wardrobe and start busting out the ugly! If you don't already own an ugly Christmas sweater, check out Amazon.com – they have a million of them. Did you know that Dec. 20 is Games Day? Games Day was created in 1975 by the British game production and retail company, Games Workshop, which started out producing more traditional games such as backgammon, and later moved on to fantasy universe games such as Warhammer. This event became extremely popular very quickly, and brought the UK's gaming community together. Whatever kind of games you most enjoy – board games, card games, video games, etc. – celebrate by organizing a game night at your house and have some fun with family and friends.

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