Tooth Fairy Day
August 22
In England, during the Middle Ages, children were instructed to burn their baby teeth in order to save the child from hardship in the afterlife. Children who did not consign their baby teeth to the fire would spend eternity searching for them. In the Norse culture, children’s teeth and other articles belonging to children were said to bring good luck in battle, and Scandinavian warriors hung children’s teeth on a string around their necks. Fear of witches was another reason to bury or burn teeth. In medieval Europe, it was thought that if a witch were to get hold of one’s teeth, it could lead to them having total power over them.
Eat A Peach Day
August 22
Every year, the United States grows 1.9 billion pounds of peaches. Even though Georgia is known as the “Peach State,” South Carolina and Californian grow even more each year. Peach trees produce fruit for about 12 years. Each year, a tree can produce up to 66 pounds of the fruit. From the time the flowers are pollinated, the fruit requires 3 to 5 months to reach harvest. To ensure the peach doesn’t overripe before it reaches the consumer, the fruit is rinsed through a hydro-cooler (ice-water bath) to stop it from ripening. After going through a hydro-cooler, the fruit is cleaned, de-fuzzed, and culled to remove the least desirable ones. Within three days of picking, the fruit is packed and shipped to retail stores.
Today’s Birthdays of Note….
Valerie Harper – Actress – born in Suffern, New York
Carl Yastrzemski – Hall of Fame Baseball Player – born in Southampton, New York
