Blah, Blah, Blah Day
If you have items on your to do or "honey do" list that seem to migrate to a new list each day, without being completed, Blah, Blah, Blah Day is for you. It's the day everyone should focus on the one thing they've been meaning to do according to the holiday's creators, Wellcat. It could be something big like quit smoking, or something smaller like vacuum the car.
Verrazano Day
Quick: Who discovered the New York Harbor? Italian explorer Giovanni Verrazano (1485 to 1527) is credited with its find. Verrazano (sometimes spelled Verrazzano) explored the "northeast coast of North America from Cape Fear, North Carolina to Maine. He discovered a 'beautiful' harbor naming it Angouleme -- it would later be called Manhattan. He set anchor in the straight between Staten Island and Long Island, where he received a canoe party of Lenape," according to Elizabethan Era.
A suspension bridge connecting historic Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn and Fort Wadsworth in Staten Island is named after the explorer. "When it opened in 1964, the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge was the world's longest suspension span," according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
National Haiku Poetry Day
April is National Poetry Month, and cushioned near the center of the month is the haiku.
National Haiku Poetry Day "is a celebration of the genre of haiku, a kind of poetry whose origins date back a millennium in Japan; and more specifically, of English-language haiku, which has now been written for more than a century," according to The Haiku Foundation. Try writing your own haiku with five syllables in line one, seven syllables in line two, and five syllables in line three.
Cheese Ball Day
A cheese ball is a decorative way to serve blended cheeses, a topping and some crackers. Cheese balls are made by blending cream cheese with cheddar, blue cheese or Swiss cheese and spices. The mixture is formed into a ball and garnished with anything from chopped olives or crushed nuts to fresh herbs and crushed peppercorns.
* Peppered herb cheese ball
* If you want something less fancy, celebrate with puffy cheese balls instead.
Ellis Island Family History Day
The holiday rounds out with another New York-based celebration. Ellis Island Family History Day. "April 17 marks the day in 1907 when more immigrants were processed through Ellis Island than on any other day in its colorful history -- 11,747 people. Over 40% of the U.S. population today -- 100 million Americans - can trace their roots back to the 17 million brave and hopeful immigrants who took their first steps towards freedom and opportunity by going through the 'Golden Door' of Ellis Island," according to The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc.
Tips on getting started on researching your genealogy, from Ellis Island:
* Start with yourself and fill out a free pedigree chart.
* Hunt for clues with old letters, yearbooks and other printed materials.
* Interview relatives
* Verify and share your findings.
