January 15, 2021 – National Bagel Day | National Hat Day

Welcome to January 15th, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate carb fever and “mad hattery. “

The recipe for making bagels was once a closely guarded secret. Jewish immigrants in New York City had brought this baked good to America in the early 1900s. They formed a union to keep their tradition to themselves and to keep jobs within their community. Only the sons of members were offered membership, and meetings were conducted only in Yiddish. As crazy as it may sound today, this bagel union was extremely powerful. But they only made bagels, you’re thinking. Well, when workers went on strike in the 1950s, all but 2 bagel bakeries in Manhattan had to close, leading to what was called a Bagel Famine. And the sales of lox dropped by over 50%. On National Bagel Day, we celebrate the love for  chewy delicious bagels and the fact that you can find them almost anywhere today.

Hats have been worn throughout the ages and while they are practical for warmth and protection, sometimes they define an event.  Think Kentucky Derby.  It is said that the hats people wear are as important as the race itself, and for this we can thank Col Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr.  When he founded the event in 1875, Clark wanted to  minimize the dangerous and immoral reputation of the racetrack. The story goes that he loaded up a wagon full of high society women, who went door to door telling their friends, “We’re going to have a picnic at the racetrack.” And it worked! The wealthy class poured into the stadium in their finest, as a place to see and be seen. On National Hat Day, sport your own chapeau and enjoy getting noticed for your personal style.  

If you’d like to know more, be sure to follow us on Facebook and check out our website TheNationalDailyShow.com. I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson.  Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day! 


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