February 23, 2022 - National Tile Day | National Banana Bread Day

Welcome to February 23, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate strange things under foot and our favorite waste not want not bread. In the 1980s in Philadelphia, pedestrians who looked down at the sidewalk found some very strange art. At random points around town, someone had put tiles on the ground reading TOYNBEE IDEA IN MOVIE 2001 RESURRECT DEAD ON PLANET JUPITER. Identical tiles appeared in New York, Chicago, Boston, and other major cities. They’re called Toynbee Tiles and no one has ever figured out who’s doing it. Or even why. The message is likely a reference to the British philosopher Arnold Toynbee. He theorized that dead particles could be brought back to life. But who knows? The next time you find yourself walking in a big city, take a moment to notice what might be under your feet. On National Tile Day, you could just be part of this strange mystery. If you have ever turned overripe bananas into delicious banana bread then you already know the virtue of the saying, waste not want not. But before the 1930s most desserts made with bananas only used slices of the fruit in perfect condition. The Great Depression changed all of that. During a time when food was scarce, no one would dream of tossing out fruit, even if it was past its prime. The real hero was a newly discovered ingredient which did most of the heavy lifting: baking soda. By the 1930s, cookbooks made use of baking soda in all kinds of quick bread recipes and ripe bananas played a starring role! On National Banana Bread Day, bake up a tradition that’s still good to the last crumb. I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices