February 16 - National Almond Day

Happy National Almond Day! On February 16th each year, National Almond Day recognizes the versatile and healthful almond.  

Whether you are eating them by themselves, using almond milk, pasta, flour, butter, oil or meal, almonds offer a delicious flavor along with many health benefits.  

Almonds are one of the most heart-healthy foods on the market, packed with vitamin E, magnesium and fiber. 

• • According to a survey of five hundred health professionals, almonds may be beneficial to a healthy lifestyle. 

• • According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, “Scientific evidence suggests, but does not prove that eating 1.5 ounces per day of most nuts, such as almonds, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease.” 

• • Recent research from Purdue University suggests that eating almonds can help people feel satisfied for several hours, which can support weight management and counter weight gain. 

• • Eighty percent of the world’s almonds are grown in California.

For more information, you can visit the websites below: 

https://www.almonds.com and https://www.nationalalmondday.com  

HOW TO OBSERVE 

You may want to try one of the following almond recipes below: 

Green Beans with Toasted Almonds 

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/green-beans-with-toasted-almonds-recipe-1940021 

Green Beans with Caramelized Onions and Almonds 

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/green-beans-with-caramelized-onions-and-almonds-recipe-1945766 

Asparagus with Sliced Almonds and Parmesan Cheese 

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/85495/asparagus-with-sliced-almonds-and-parmesan-cheese/ 

Use #NationalAlmondDay to post on social media. 

HISTORY 

Within their research, National Day Calendar® was unable to identify the creator of National Almond Day.

What are your favorite flavor(s) of almonds? 

#NationalAlmondDay 

@FoodNetwork 

@allrecipes 

@BlueDiamondAlmonds
@californiaalmonds
@AlmondDay
@Foodimentary 

@nichecinema

February 16 - World Whale Day

Happy World Whale Day! This day reminds us of the challenges faced in our oceans across the globe. Observed annually on the third Sunday in February, World Whale Day celebrates these noble and majestic sea mammals. 

Some of the most fascinating creatures live in our big blue oceans. Whether it be the majestic, mammoth blue whale or the enchanting, spiral-toothed narwhal, whales create mystery wherever they go.  

For centuries they’ve been hunted for their meat and oil, but today they face pollution and loss of habitat. World Whale Day raises awareness of the growing need to protect these diverse and majestic mammals. 

While whales belong to the cetaceans order, there are two suborders – baleen and toothed. Bristles replace the teeth on baleen whales. Made of keratin, the bristles act as a filter collecting krill and other small invertebrates from the sea. 

Eating the smallest food in the ocean doesn’t make the smallest whales. The blue whale (a baleen whale) grows to ninety-eight feet in length and is the largest whale on Earth! However, the smallest whale, the toothed dwarf sperm whale, grows to between six feet seven inches and eight feet ten inches. 

HOW TO OBSERVE 

Learn more about whales on World Whale Day. Dispose of your waste properly and recycle when possible. Doing so would certainly make a whale of a difference. Use #WorldWhaleDay to share on social media. 

HISTORY 

World Whale Day began in 1980 in Maui, Hawaii. 

#WorldWhaleDay 

@nichecinema 

February 16 - Robert J. Flaherty

Happy Birthday, Robert J. Flaherty! Born today in 1884 as Robert Joseph Flaherty, this American filmmaker co-edited, shot, wrote, produced and directed the first commercially successful feature-length documentary film: the pioneering 1922 American silent black and white history/documentary film 'Nanook of the North'. 

  

Flaherty is also best known for co-writing, producing and directing the 1948 American black and white drama film 'Louisiana Story'. 

Although the events and characters depicted are fictional and the film was commissioned by the Standard Oil Company to promote its drilling ventures in the Louisiana bayous, it is often misidentified as a documentary film when in fact it is a docufiction. 

  

Prior to this, Flaherty co-wrote and co-produced German film director F. W. Murnau's 1931 French Polynesian silent black and white drama/romance docufiction film 'Tabu: A Story of the South Seas' (sometimes simply called 'Tabu'). 

  

Flaherty had been active from 1922–1950. 

  

#borntodirect 

@BFI 

@tcm 

@Britannica