January 21, 2023 - Squirrel Appreciation Day | National Fruitcake Toss Day

Welcome to January 21st, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate crafty critters and blowing off holiday steam. Each Fall, squirrels gather nuts and then bury them for safekeeping. Because of scavengers, squirrels can’t hide their stash all in one place and use a technique called “scatter hoarding.” A few nuts get buried here, a few there, and before you know it, the treasure is spread out over hundreds of places. Sometimes they even dig fake holes to throw off other animals from finding the real stuff. And, contrary to popular belief, squirrels are really quite good at recovering their hidden nuts. Through a combination of smell and memory, these furry little creatures can locate nearly 3/4 of everything they buried. And, yes, if they find another squirrel’s hoard, they’re not above stealing. On Squirrel Appreciation Day, celebrate these crafty backyard critters. Every year people buy fruitcakes. And every year there are unopened cakes still loafing around in January. The people of Manitou Springs, Colorado have a solution. For the last 20 plus years they have hosted an event that gives folks a chance to work out their seasonal frustrations by hurling this leftover into the sky. That’s right, people come from near and far to beat up on fruitcakes by flinging them either by hand, cannon, or giant slingshot. There are even competitions to see who can propel them the farthest. The price of admission to this event is a non-perishable food item which is donated to charity. On National Fruitcake Toss Day, celebrate your own way of disposing of this leftover, but please launch responsibly. 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