Jan 19

Popcorn Day!

 

Join us on January 19 as we celebrate National Popcorn Day! Buttered, salted, kettled, drizzled with caramel, popcorn is one of those snacks perfect anytime, anywhere. It’s great on the go, in the theater, or in your living room! Just be prepared to dig some of it out of your teeth.  

I’m actually a huge fan of Weekly Popcorn Day.  My Aunt and Uncle were very busy at their local church on Sundays and there just wasn’t time for anyone (read my aunt!) to cook dinner. Somewhere in their marriage, they decided that popcorn on Sundays would be the meal of choice. As I recall, they may have eaten it like cereal with milk and sugar.

As a child, I thought this was the best thing ever. My parents didn’t agree, though 🙁

They didn’t have fancy microwave popcorn but made it on the stove.

History of National Popcorn Day

Celebrate National Popcorn Day by diving into the fascinating world of popcorn, a special variety of maize unlike the corn on your dinner plate. The secret behind popcorn’s pop lies in its unique type, Zea mays everta. These tiny kernels, smaller than a penny but capable of big surprises, explode into fluffy treats when heated.
 
The journey of popcorn began millennia ago, with an astonishing discovery in 1948. In New Mexico’s Bat Cave, Herbert Dick and Earle Smith uncovered ancient popcorn ears, some over 4,000 years old, and even individual kernels dating back 5,600 years. 
 
Popcorn’s history isn’t just confined to North America. In ancient Peru, Mexico, and Guatemala, and across Central and South America, popcorn was more than a snack; it was a part of culture and daily life. The Aztecs, for instance, creatively used popcorn not just for eating but also in their attire and ceremonies.
 
In North America, popcorn was a staple in the lives of Native Americans. In a Utah cave, remnants of popcorn date back over a millennium, showcasing its long-standing presence in the Americas. French explorers were amazed to find the Iroquois Natives preparing popcorn in the Great Lakes region. As European settlers spread across the continent, forming what would become the USA, popcorn grew in popularity, evolving into the beloved snack we relish today.
 
Celebrate this delicious piece of history on National Popcorn Day! 

(adapted from https://nationaltoday.com/national-popcorn-day/)10 Popcorn Day Activities

Thank you to Leslie F, a teacher from Concord, Illinois, who sent the following suggestions for Popcorn Day Activities:

1. Stringing Popcorn: These can be hung outside for birds to eat
Need: sewing needles, string, popcorn

2. Guess the Amount Fill container with kernels and have students guess)
Need: popcorn kernels, container

3. Popcorn Air Hockey: Can you “volley” the kernel back and forth 20 times without letting it fall?
Need: flat surface (table), straw (to blow), coffee stirrers (as paddles) or hands (as paddles)

4. Popcorn Relay Race
Need: popcorn, spoons

5. Popcorn Basketball: Can you flick a piece of popcorn into the basket?
Need: popcorn, baskets (i.e. muffin tins, small cups), backboards (wall, cardboard)

6. Popcorn word search (puzzle maker)
Use these words: popcorn, pop, kernel, explode, heat, moisture, grain, snack, crunchy, butter, oil, salt, fiber, bag, hull

7. Write a Popcorn Haiku (5, 7, 5 syllable pattern poem): Like this!
Oil, kernels, heat, time
Many loud explosions heard
Pop, crunch, snack time. Yum!

8. How many words can you make from this phrase?
“Fresh hot popcorn”, “Popcorn tastes good”, “I like popcorn”, “Hot buttered popcorn”

9. Popcorn coloring pages

10. Read facts about popcorn and write about the history of popcorn

 

 

MaryO