PROBABLY BECAUSE HE'S SCHNAPPS-DRUNK
Tomorrow is the Feast of Saint Nicholas, but tonight is all about everyone's favorite German child-punishing spirit. Merry Krampusnacht!
Fittingly, today is also National Communicate With Your Kids Day. Here's an idea: communicate to them that if they misbehave this holiday season, Krampus is coming to whisk them all to Hell (or his belly, depending on how peckish he feels). It's enough to scare the dungarees* off even the bravest young whippersnapper! (Today is also National Blue Jeans Day.)
* My grandmother always referred to my jeans as dungarees. Everything else was some form of trousers, slacks, or pants, regardless of the base material involved. Just call 'em jeans, Nana. It's more efficient!
It is also National Repeal Day, celebrating the end of the prohibition of alcohol here in the US on this day in 1933. Make sure to leave out some schnapps for Krampus, since his tastes are a bit more sophisticated than your standard milk & cookie fare.
Speaking of the ending of prohibition, I find it amusing this occurred three weeks before Christmas. I like to imagine that FDR was like "another dry holiday party with Eleanor's family? Hard pass. Fetch me my signing pen!"
Finally, it's National AFL-CIO Day. Thanks for the weekends and the minimum wage, union workers!
Krampus also accepts lasagna as tribute, apparently.
Hopefully it was union-made!
Hopefully it was union-made!
GIF via Conan/TBS
*****
Want a few famous December 5th birthdays and historical facts? Of course you do!
• Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest academic honor society in the US, held its first meeting at the College of William & Mary on this day in 1776. Nana was a member, so I guess she was pretty smart after all. Please excuse me while I go toss my dungarees into the wash.
• Today marks the start of the California Gold Rush, as then-President James K. Polk sent a message to Congress confirming the presence of large amounts of gold had been discovered in California on this day in 1848.
• On this day in 1955, activists E.D. Nixon and Rosa Parks led the Montgomery bus boycott. Nah, indeed, Ms Parks!
• Austrian-American director, producer, and screenwriter Fritz Lang was born this day in 1890. Lang's 1927 sci-fi expressionist film Metropolis is a still considered a landmark of visual storytelling. I've watched it myself and can confirm!
• It was on this day in 1901 that Walt Disney shuffled onto this mortal coil.
• OG rock 'n roller Richard Wayne "Little Richard" Penniman was born this day in 1932! I don't think it's at all hyperbolic to state that without Little Richard, rock 'n roll as we know it doesn't exist. This is a hill I am very willing to die on.
• Happy birthday to novelist and screenwriter Joan Didion, born this day in 1934! Fun fact: her nephew is actor Griffin Dunne, who is probably most famous for portraying the wise-cracking, slowly decomposing werewolf mauling victim Jack Goodman in An American Werewolf in London.
• Today marks the day when, in 1968, comedian Margaret Cho graced us all with her hilarious presence. Happy birthday, Margaret!
• Finally, happy birthday to actress Amy Acker, born this day in 1976! Ms Acker is probably best known for her roles as the nerdy Winifred "Fred" Burkle and the ancient demon goddess Illyria on the show Angel.
*****
Alright! We do have some new Q&A content in the works, but please bear with us while we wait for some (no doubt stunning) selfies from volunteers. Hopefully we'll be able to resume this feature in next Monday's email! If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Monday email (and are a customer with some Boredwalk tees, tanks, hoodies, towels, bags, or books to show off), just reply to this and let us know, and we'll send you some fun questions to answer (along with our undying gratitude)!
We'll be back here in your inbox on Wednesday with some more random holidays to observe, historical tidbits to acknowledge, and fun links to entertaining content! Until next time...
Peace, love, and Krampusnacht,
Matt
Leave a comment