January 20, 2021 – NATIONAL CHEESE LOVER’S DAY – NATIONAL BUTTERCRUNCH DAY – NATIONAL DISC JOCKEY DAY – National Day Calendar

NATIONAL CHEESE LOVER’S DAY On National Cheese Lover’s Day, don’t feel bleu, throw a feta or act capricious. January 20th is a gouda day to kummin over and have some cheddar or asiago or fontina!  There is no firm evidence of how cheese making was discovered. but legend tells us it was likely by chance that someone created the first cheese. Thousands of years ago, people transported milk and stored it in sheep’s stomachs. Left to sit a few days, the proteins would separate into curds and whey. From there, preserving the solids with salt may have seemed a logical next step. Salt was a highly valued preservative in ancient times. The earliest record of cheese making dates back to 5,500 BCE in what is now Poland. Today there are over 1,400 varieties of cheese. Basic Cheese Making The basic principles behind making cheese are quite simple. Let the milk sour (or scientifically, coagulating the casein protein). Then separate the curds (solids) from the whey (liquid). The curds are then salted and left to age. Bacteria, enzymes or fungi may be added at various stages. These along with the type of milk, temperature, time, and moisture are all controlled to produced the desired taste, color, and texture. Herbs and spices may also be added. The nutritional value of cheese varies depending on the variety. Cottage and mozzarella cheese are at the lower end of fat and calories per serving while mascarpone and cream cheese pack it on. Marscapone makes desserts like tiramisu rich and creamy.  For the Love of Cheese For cheese lovers who think one day is just not enough to celebrate cheese, National Day Calendar presents a calendar full of cheesy celebrations. There are 18 other cheese specific holidays on the calendar. Check out this shortlist of tasty cheese-based celebrations: HOW TO OBSERVE #CheeseLoversDay Enjoy some cheese with your lunch or as a snack. Share your favorite cheesy recipes or puns. Try a new cheese pairing. Visit your favorite cheesemonger and be sure to give a shout out, too. Use #CheeseLoversDay to post on social media. NATIONAL CHEESE LOVER’S DAY HISTORY National Day Calendar continues to research the origins of this cheese-loving day.  NATIONAL BUTTERCRUNCH DAY National Buttercrunch Day on January 20th recognizes the flavorful toffee candy that comes in several varieties. Buttercrunch is a combination of toffee, covered with chocolate. It has a crunchy texture and a caramel flavor. Variations on the recipe include toasted almond sprinkles. When is National English Toffee Day? Making buttercrunch calls for a good candy thermometer and some cooking experience. Creating the toffee involves caramelizing sugar at high temperatures, which requires precision, timing, and the right tools and safety techniques for a successful outcome. Follow recipes closely. The stage the sugar is supposed to reach (usually the hard-crack stage) will determine when you remove the sugar from the heat. You also have to move quickly and safely. Sugar burns at 300° + degrees leave blisters and scars.  When you’ve mastered candy-making skills, the results are delicious and definitely worth sharing. Buttercrunch and other candy treats make terrific gifts during the holidays and throughout the year. It also stores well for a time. Keep it to serve over ice cream or add as a garnish to cakes and cookies.  HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalButtercrunchDay On January 20th, make up some buttercrunch to share with your friends and family. Sprinkle some over your favorite desserts, or look for a buttercrunch flavored creamer for your morning coffee. Mmm! We bet you can taste it now! We even have a buttercrunch recipe for you to try. Who makes your favorite buttercrunch? NATIONAL BUTTERCRUNCH DAY HISTORY National Day Calendar continues researching the origins of this sweet and tasty food holiday.  NATIONAL DISC JOCKEY DAY Each year National Disc Jockey Day recognizes the DJs playing the music and spinning the records. The observance takes place annually on January 20th.  A disc jockey, or DJ for short, is a person who plays recorded music either on the radio or at a club or event. The first disc jockey was an experiment on the airwaves. In 1909, sixteen-year-old Ray Newby was a student under the supervision of Charles “Doc” Herrold at Herrold College of Engineering and Wireless. He played the first records over the airwaves before the word disc jockey even existed. What started as an experiment from the Garden City Bank Building where the college was located in San Fernando, California, was soon being replicated by radio broadcasters across the country. Initially, Newby primarily broadcast his news, music, and entertainment live. It wasn’t until 25 years later that radio commentator Walter Winchell coined the term disc jockey. Today, contemporary DJs play music from vinyl to digital. Regardless of the medium they use, the term disc jockey still applies. Hip-hop DJs became popular in the late 70s and 80s using multiple turntables and using the turntables themselves as an instrument to alter the music. Mobile DJs often act as the master of ceremonies at events or parties directing the evening’s activities. HOW TO OBSERVED #NationalDiscJockeyDay National Disc Jockey Day gives us an excellent opportunity to celebrate our favorite DJs. Give them a shout out on social media. Learn more about the history of DJs, too. We suggest:Rock the Dancefloor by Phil Morse or Groove Music: The Art and Culture of the Hip Hop DJ by Mark Katz. You can also stream a documentary about DJs and their music. Take a look at What We Started directed by Cyrus Saidi and Bert Marcus, Scratch directed by Doug Pray or go a little further back in time and watch I Am What I Play directed by Roger King. Share and give your favorite DJ a shoutout using #NationalDiscJockeyDay on social media. Discover more even more DJ history by reading 5 Influential Disc Jockeys. NATIONAL DISC JOCKEY DAY HISTORY National Disc Jockey Day honors the death of Albert “Alan” James Freed. Freed, also known as Moondog, was an influential disc jockey in the 1950s.  He is credited with popularizing the term “rock ‘n’ roll” that was used to describe the new genre of music. While the day honors Freed, we’ve been unable to identify the founder of the observance.