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Did You Know? FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | FEBRUARY 2018 9 By Micki Rosen DID YOU KNOW THAT FEB. 23 IS CURLING IS COOL DAY? A Scottish game developed in the 1500s, and at which the Canadians seem to be exceedingly good, curling involves launching a stone on ice and sweeping the ice in its path as it attempts to land on a target and dislodge your competitors' rocks. The sweepers wear special shoes – one that slides and one that doesn't – and the stone is more like a 40-pound granite bomb. The brooms are slightly more evolved now than the ordinary sweepers they used back in the 1900s. The floors are sheets of ice with vinyl markings underneath for the target, rather than the frozen lake surfaces that were used back in the day. Launch, sweep, score. Check it out during the Winter Olympics this month! DID YOU KNOW THAT FEB. 6 IS FROZEN YOGURT DAY? Yogurt has been with us well over 4,000 years. It found its start in the Middle East and India, and was used extensively in just about every kind of meal you could imagine. But it wasn't until the 1900s that yogurt found its way to the Americas and increased in popularity so quickly and thoroughly that it's no longer thought of as exotic. In the 1970s when ice cream sales were hitting an all-time peak, someone decided they could do better, and they did. Frozen yogurt sales exploded after TCBY launched its first store in 1981, and by 1986 frozen yogurt sales reached $25 million. By 1990 it was 10 percent of the frozen dessert market, and was solidly here to stay. DID YOU KNOW THAT FEB. 17 IS RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS DAY? Random Acts of Kindness Day was first created in Denver, Colorado in 1995, and nine years later it spread to New Zealand. It can include just about anything, such as taking a box of donuts to work. The idea behind this holiday is to make the world a better place by spreading a little light around. Lift someone up with your words, compliment them on their appearance – all these things can help to really turn around someone who's having a bad day. Additionally, research has shown that the very act of doing something kind for someone else gives us a chemical high! DID YOU KNOW THAT FEB. 21 IS STICKY BUN DAY? The exact origins of the sticky bun are debatable, as is the history of Sticky Bun Day. While some attribute the sticky bun to the Ancient Egyptians, others argue that it originated in Germany. Everyone agrees that the German settlers brought the sticky bun to the United States by way of Pennsylvania. These pastries were originally called "Schnecken" and are a specialty of Philadelphia. So, if you're ever in Philly, make sure you try one! DID YOU KNOW THAT FEB. 26 IS PISTACHIO DAY? Pistachio nuts are native to the Middle East. The largest producer of pistachios is Iran, but they are also grown in other areas including California and Mediterranean Europe. The Chinese are the greatest consumers of the nut. It is thought that pistachio nuts have been eaten by humans for at least 9,000 years. Legend even has it that the Queen of Sheba restricted the eating of pistachios to the royal court and forbade commoners to grow them. They are not just eaten as a snack but are also used in cooking, including desserts such as baklava.

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