May 30, 2021 – National Water A Flower Day | National Mint Julep Day

If You Are A Fan Of The Mint Julep You Won’t Be Surprised That The Southern Drink Started Out As “Medicine.”

Welcome to May 30th, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate flora in all its glorious forms. 

Now that Spring is in full bloom, it’s time to stop and appreciate the actual blooms all around us. Flowers are more than just pretty. Throughout history, they’ve made some significant impacts on the world. In the 1600s, Tulip-mania nearly destroyed the Dutch economy when speculation drove the value of tulip bulbs so high that some were going for as much as $750k in today’s money. And then there’s the thistle. According to legend, when Vikings tried to conquer Scotland, the spiky flower slowed down the invaders, giving the Scots time to escape. As you can tell, flowers are kind of a big deal. On National Water a Flower Day, grab your watering can and give these blossoms the love they deserve.

If you’ve ever been to the American South you have likely been offered one of two drinks. Sweet tea is consumed in this part of the country almost as much as water. But for the non teetotaler, nothing is more Southern than the mint julep.  A julep is a sweet beverage that was once served to literally make the medicine go down.  From there it graduated to a grownup cocktail that included water, gin, sugar, and muddled mint leaves.  Today the mint julep goes hand in glove with the Kentucky Derby and is made with bourbon instead of gin. An estimated 120,000 mint juleps are served at Churchill Downs over the two day event. On National Mint Julep Day, celebrate that sweet Southern style with this refreshing Summer drink. 

I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson.  Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day.


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