Did you know?

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Smoke & Mirrors Day is celebrated on March 29th of each year. The source of the name is based on magicians’ illusions, where magicians make objects appear or disappear by extending or retracting mirrors amid a confusing burst of smoke. Generally, “smoke and mirrors” may refer to any sort of presentation by which the audience is intended to be deceived.

Mirror Magic

Magic as a performance art has been used to entertain people around the world since ancient times. In smoke and mirror magic tricks, magicians create optical illusions by diverting a spectator's attention away from the actions that create the "magic". Mirrors are also often used to create illusions by manipulating light and using the properties of reflection and refraction. Some of the popular magic tricks using mirrors include the Sphinx and the Vampire. In both tricks, mirrors are used to hide the object, usually the head of a person.

How to Celebrate?

Learn some magic tricks and entertain your friends and colleagues. Preferably try to use smoke and mirrors in your tricks.

Spend some time learning about how to achieve illusions using mirrors.

You can read more here.

 If you want to learn how some of these tricks are done, please check out the videos below.

MOST FAMOUS Magic Tricks Finally Revealed | AGT | BGT

Magic Tricks Revealed : Learn Popular Illusions Free : Four Aces Illusion Magic Tricks Revealed

10 Secrets Behind the Most Famous Magic Tricks Revealed

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Each year, March 30th National Pencil Day honors the writing utensil that has done more than just teach millions the alphabet and draw straight lines. It’s also helped win wars and enabled amazing art.

Hymen Lipman received the first patent for attaching an eraser to the end of a pencil on this day in 1858. Before that time, pencils and erasers existed separately. Lipman combined the two making two tools much more convenient to use. The intuitive businessman also manufactured envelopes for his stationery shop and was the first to add adhesive to the flap of envelopes. 

 Pencil Facts

In the United States, most pencils are painted yellow. It is believed this tradition began in 1890 when the L & C Hardtmuth Company of Austria-Hungary introduced their Koh-I-Noor brand, named after the famous diamond. They intended the pencil to be the world’s best and most expensive pencil. However, other companies began to copy the yellow color so that their pencils would be associated with the high-quality brand.

 Notable pencil users (Wikipedia)

• Thomas Edison had pencils specially made by Eagle Pencil. His pencils were three inches long, thicker than standard pencils, and had softer graphite than typically available.

• Vladimir Nabokov rewrote everything he ever published, usually several times, by pencil.

• John Steinbeck was an obsessive pencil user and is said to have used as many as 60 a day. His novel East of Eden took more than 300 pencils to write.

• Vincent van Gogh used only Faber pencils as they were “superior to Carpenters pencils, a capital black and most agreeable.”

• Johnny Carson regularly played with pencils at his Tonight Show desk. These pencils were specially made with erasers at both ends to avoid on-set accidents.

• Roald Dahl used only pencils with yellow casings to write his books. He began each day with six sharpened pencils and only when all six became unusable did he resharpen them.

 You can read more here.

History of the Pencil

On March 30, 1858, Hymen Lipman received a patent for his invention of a pencil with a built-in eraser. U.S. patent 19,783 was awarded to the Philadelphia stationery entrepreneur extraordinaire for what he described as a “combination of the lead and India rubber or other erasing substance [embedded] in the holder of a drawing-pencil.” (Info from here)

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NATIONAL CRAYON DAY

Each year, on March 31st children and adults alike, pick up their favorite colors for National Crayon Day. Opening up a box of crayons opens up a world of imagination and hours of fun.  Wax and chalk-based crayons have been used by artists around the world for centuries. Edwin Binney created the brightly colored crayons we are familiar with today. He was part owner of Binney & Smith, a company that produced products such as paint, pigments and slate pencils for schools. (Info from here)

 The Inventors of Crayola Crayons: Binney & Smith

Binney & Smith, now Crayola LLC, was an outgrowth of a chemical company that made pigments. The company started in 1864 in Peekskill, New York, and Joseph W. Binney was the owner. His son and a nephew took over when he retired, and they re-named the business Binney & Smith.

 Peekskill Chemical Works sold their pigment product, “lampblack,” to foundries and to the cast-iron stove manufacturers that were located nearby. As the business grew and pigment was shipped elsewhere, the company used wax marking crayons to label the boxes. Later on, these wax crayons would be a main part of their business in the form of Crayola crayons.

When his son, Edwin Binney (1866-1934), finished his schooling in 1883, he joined his father’s company. One of Joseph’s nephews, C. Harold Smith (1860-1931) also joined the company around that time.

New Pigment Developed

In the meantime, Edwin Binney was investigating new ways to expand their line at home. Some businesses were marketing a new pigment known as “carbon black,” which was a byproduct of the drilling for natural gas that was being done in western Pennsylvania. Edwin Binney was very taken with the possibilities, and in 1892 he received a patent for an apparatus that permitted the mass manufacture of carbon black. Soon Binney & Smith became one of the major producers of the pigment. (In 2011, Edwin Binney was honored posthumously by the National Inventors Hall of Fame in recognition for his invention.)

 Slate Pencil Let Company Enter School Market

At the turn of the 20th century, school children each had their own slates (like small two-sided blackboards) since paper was expensive and not easy to come by. The students used slate pencils to write on these tablets, and the softer the pencil the better. (The marks from a slate pencil are very much like markings of chalk and can be easily wiped away using a cotton cloth–or even a sleeve.) As Binney & Smith became familiar with the school market, Smith began listening for what else teachers needed. Two requests came up again and again: chalk that didn’t produce a dusty mess, and inexpensive wax crayons children could use for artwork.

 Crayola Crayons Division Grows

The first wax crayons in the U.S. were imported from Europe, but by the 1880s, a few American companies were making them, too. Franklin Manufacturing in Rochester, New York, began with lumber and marking wax crayons, and by the 1880s, they expanded into the colored crayon market. Other companies, including Louis Prang (maker of early Christmas cards) and the Milton Bradley game company made wax crayons as well.

 By 1903 they were satisfied with their new product. Binney & Smith produced their first box of eight colorful crayons that year. Alice Binney, who was a former teacher, is credited with coming up with the Crayola name under which the crayons were released. (“Craie” means chalk in French and “ola” was a shortened form of the French word, “oléagineux,” which means oily.)

 At first, the boxes were sold door-to-door for a nickel. Each box contained crayons in these colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, brown, and black. Each crayon was wrapped in paper and labeled as to color.

 During the Depression, Binney & Smith hired farm families to hand-letter the papers and wrap the crayons. This provided work in an economic downturn, and over time, certain farms became known for their color specialty.

 More and More Crayola Crayons

The big seller, however, has always been crayons. And from the beginning (1903), they recognized the growing interest in art education. For that more refined market, they created the Rubens-Crayola crayon. In 1949, the box was expanded to hold 48 colors placed in a box with “stadium seating,” and in 1958 the classic 64-color box was introduced with a built-in sharpener. In 1993, ninety-six colors were packaged into what they called the Big Box.

 Involving the Public

Crayola has long recognized the importance of public opinion, and that is part of their success. In 1993, they ran a “Name the New Colors Contest.” Almost two million people entered. The oldest winner was an 89-year-old woman who submitted “purple mountain’s majesty” for a new shade of purple, and the youngest was 5, who submitted “razzmatazz” for the raspberry red crayon. To read all the new color names and their winners, click here.

Eight years later, the company wanted to know the most popular color. In 2001, they conducted the Crayola Color Census and the undisputed winner was the color blue; runners-up were various shades of blue.

Read more here.

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Celebrated on April 1, April Fool’s Day, also known as All Fool’s Day, is a day for tricks, pranks and jokes. Other names include April Noddy Day, Gowkie Day, Huntigowk Day and St All-Fool’s Morn.

There are several theories about the origin on the April Fool's Day custom. One explanation focuses on the introduction of the Julian and the Gregorian calendar. From ancient times, people in some parts of Europe celebrated the New Year on or around the March Equinox. However, the new calendar systems defined January 1 as the first day of the year.

Biblical theories

Another belief on the April Fool's Day origin points to the biblical character Noah as the first “April Fool”. It is said that on April 1, he mistakenly sent the dove out to find dry land before the waters subsided.

A second story tells that the day commemorates when Jesus was sent from Pontius Pilate to Herod and back again. "Sending a man from Pilate to Herod", is an old term for sending someone on a fool's errand.

The Origin of “Fool's Errands”

According to Roman myth, the god Pluto abducted Proserpina to the underworld. Her mother Ceres only heard her daughter’s voice echo and searched for her in vain. The fruitless search is believed by some to have inspired the tradition of “fool's errands”, practical jokes where people are asked to complete an impossible or imaginary task.

All Fool's Day in British Folklore

British folklore links April Fool's Day to the town of Gotham in Nottinghamshire. According to the legend, it was traditional in the 13th century for any road that the king placed his foot upon to become public property. So, when Gotham’s citizens heard that King John planned to travel through their town, they refused him entry, not wishing to lose their main road. When the king heard this, he sent soldiers to the town. But when the soldiers arrived in Gotham, they found the town full of fools engaged in foolish activities such as drowning fish. As a result, the king declared the town too foolish to warrant punishment.

This info came from here. 

Fun facts

• The Scottish love April Fools' Day. In fact, they love it so much, they celebrate it for two days. In Scotland they call it "hunting the gowk" (the cuckoo), and if you are tricked, you are an "April gowk." To really get "behind" the holiday, the second day, called "Taily Day," is devoted to pranks involving the back side of the body. The "butt" of these jokes may often have a "kick me" sign placed on their back.

• There's something fishy going on in France. Kids fool their friends by taping a paper fish to their backs. When the victim discovers the fish, the prankster yells "Poisson d'Avril!" (April Fish!)

• Don't get floured, friends. In Portugal, April Fools' Day is actually celebrated on the Sunday and Monday before Lent. The big trick there? Throwing flour at your friend's face.

• Forget anything serious. In Poland everyone takes part in April Fools' Day activities, including the media and sometimes public institutions. All serious activities are completely avoided for the day. A favorite joke? Pouring water on people.

• In certain areas of Belgium, children lock out their parents or teachers and only let them in if they promise to give them sweets.

• Depending on where you live in England, instead of a "fool" you could be called a "noodle," "noddy," "gobby" or "gob."

Check out this list of the Top 100 April Fools' Day Hoaxes.

You can read more here.

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Today, April 3 is NATIONAL FIND A RAINBOW DAY!

Rainbows are a beautiful phenomenon that bear significance across different religions and cultures. Rainbows usually occur after a storm or rain shower, and they are the result of refracted sunlight hitting raindrops. This produces the optical appearance that is a rainbow. While the sun often shines after a rain shower, conditions are not always perfect to produce the appearance of a rainbow. For this reason, rainbows are considered special across many religions and cultures.

Religious and Cultural Significance

Because of their rarity, rainbows hold significance in many religions and cultures. In Christianity, a rainbow was seen after the Great Flood was set upon the Earth by God to cleanse sin and evil from the world. It is believed that the appearance of a rainbow after a storm is a sign that God will not destroy the world again by flood. There is also mention of a rainbow in the book of Revelations which uses the rainbow as a sign of the second coming of Jesus Christ.

Throughout Native American culture, the meaning and significance of rainbows varies depending upon the tribe. Some tribes believed that rainbows were the bridge between the spiritual and human world. This is sometimes referred as the “Rainbow Bridge”. Other tribes believed that rainbows were a symbol of healing goddesses. The Cherokee Indians believed that rainbows were a representation of the hem of the Sun god’s coat. Mayan Indians held a similar belief to Christians in regards to rainbows as they believed that after their world was destroyed by fire rain the appearance of a rainbow meant that the gods were no longer angry.

There are some cultures/religions that believe the rainbow represents the elements or the directions of the Earth. In Islam, rainbows only consist of four colors-blue, green, red and yellow-which correspond with the four elements water, earth, fire and air. The Buddhists believed that the seven colors of the rainbow represent the seven continents of the Earth. The ancient Arabians attributed the appearance of a rainbow as a gift from the south wind.

In many cultures, rainbows were a sign of luck or a gift from the gods. As many know, in Irish culture, a rainbow is synonymous with elusive pots of gold and leprechauns. Poland also shares the same belief with Ireland about the pots of gold at the end of the rainbow. However, in Polish culture the pots of gold are a gift from angels.

In many cultures, rainbows are a sign of pathways, messages or messengers. In Roman culture, rainbows were believed to be the pathway taken by Mercury the messenger god. In Norse tradition, rainbows became the pathway or bridge that only celebrated fallen warriors, royalty or gods could cross. 

While many religions and cultures view rainbows positively, there are some instances were rainbows are seen as negative symbols. In many of these cultures, rainbows were associated with dark spirits or demons. In both Honduras and Nicaragua, people believed that rainbows were a sign of the devil, and it if they looked at a rainbow a curse would be placed on them. In Amazonian culture, rainbows are associated with less desirable spirits that cause miscarriages and skin disorders. 

You can read more here. 

Please share some rainbow trivia for today's holiday!

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Do you know that I like to create character stories? Just posted two new stories today. Check them out!

Tiffi thinks of Easter

The story of Jean-Luc

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Did you know that April 14 has many national trivia days? Tomorrow I will be posting information on just a few of the 16 national days for April 14.    

NATIONAL DOLPHIN DAY

International Moment of Laughter Day

NATIONAL PECAN DAY

LOOK UP AT THE SKY DAY 

If you love trivia please feel free to gather some information and post them here tomorrow.

 

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Each year on April 14th, National Dolphin Day recognizes the social and intelligent mammals of the water. Dolphins are cetacean mammals that are related to whales and porpoises. They range in size from 4 feet to up to 30 feet; dolphins are among almost forty species in 17 genera. Found worldwide, they prefer the shallower seas of the continental shelves. As carnivores, their diet consists of mostly fish and squid.

Male dolphin – bull

Female dolphin – cow

Young dolphin – calf

Group of dolphins – school or pod

Social, Swift, and Intelligent

Dolphins are known to have acute eyesight both in and out of the water. They also have a well-developed sense of touch, with free nerve endings densely packed in the skin. Since they additionally have such acute hearing, they can hear frequencies ten times or more above the upper limit of what adult humans can. Dolphins are also capable of making a broad range of sounds using nasal air sacs located just below the blowhole. 

Living in pods of up to a dozen dolphins, they are highly social animals. Pods do merge in areas where there is an abundance of food, forming superpods. These pods may exceed 1,000 dolphins. Dolphins can, and do, establish strong bonds within their pods. Even when one is injured or ill, they will stay, helping them to breathe by bringing them to the surface if needed. 

You will see the dolphins frequently leaping above the water’s surface. They do this for various reasons; when traveling, jumping saves them energy as there is less friction while in the air. Their leaps even have a name called porpoising. Some other explanations for leaping include orientation, social display, fighting, non-verbal communication, entertainment and attempting to dislodge parasites.

The United States National Marine Mammal Foundation conducted a study revealing that dolphins, like humans, develop a natural form of type 2 diabetes. This discovery may lead to a better understanding of the disease and new treatments for both humans and dolphins. 

HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalDolphinDay

Learn more about dolphins, their habitats and how they live. Watch a documentary about dolphins. Share your knowledge about dolphins with others, too! Download and print the Dolphin Day coloring page. Use #NationalDolphinDay to post on social media. (Info here)

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Today is International Moment of Laughter Day

The unofficial holiday, created by humorologist Izzy Gesell, encourages people to forget the stresses of daily life and give into the healing and relaxing power of laughter. Medical studies have shown that laughing reduces stress, increases blood flow, and lowers blood sugar levels. Some studies have found that people who laugh just before going to bed are much more likely to sleep better than those who did not. In addition to its health benefits, laughter also has social advantages. People who are jovial tend to be quickly accepted in social groups and have an easier time making friends. Laughter is a way to spread joy and happiness and bring cheer in the lives of other people. 

How to Celebrate?

Take a moment in the day to read or watch something that would make you laugh. Go with family and friends to watch a comedy show or comedy movie. Collect jokes and share them with colleagues, friends, and family. 

Did You Know…

…that human laughter has a specific acoustic structure? Laughter can have a ha-ha-ha or ho-ho-ho structure, but it is humanly impossible to have a ha-ho-ha-ho structure to laughter. (Info here)

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Each year, National Pecan Day on April 14th celebrates one nut native to the United States. It’s also a favorite snack and ingredient across the country.  A member of the hickory family, the pecan is native to central and southern United States. “Pecan” is an Algonquian word, meaning a nut requiring a stone to crack. They are an excellent source of copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, zinc and vitamin E. Pecans can help reduce LDL cholesterol and increase HDL cholesterol levels in the blood. They are also rich in dietary fiber. 

Pecans make great snacks all on their own, but they also make terrific garnishes to other foods such as desserts, salads or the main meal. Sweet or savory, pecans can add a little glamor to a dish or be the star of the show. 

HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalPecanDay

Enjoy your favorite pecan recipes. There are so many to choose from, too! You can snack on roasted pecans or you can make baked goods such as pies or cookies. Top them on your salad. How will you use pecans to celebrate? We even have a couple of delicious recipes for you to try, too! Pecan Snack and Sugar Coated Pecans  (Info here)