September 1, 2023
September Tidbits
By Eloise Graham
September is the ninth month of our calendar year, even though the prefix “septa” means seven. Once upon a time the calendar had ten months. September, October, November and December were named for the seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth months. January had 90 days. It was followed by April. Hence the term “April Fool” came into play, but that is a history lesson for April. When February and March joined the line-up, the seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth months became the ninth, tenth, eleventh and twelve months.
The birthstone for September is the sapphire. Chemically, this beautiful gemstone is the mineral corundum, or aluminum oxide, and can come in a variety of colors, but the deep rich blue tone is what we most often associate with sapphire. It is said that sapphires symbolize heaven. Sapphire comes from the Greek word sappheiros, meaning blue stone. It is associated with sincerity, loyalty, steadfastness, happiness and reason.
The flower, or flowers as in this case, for September are asters, zinnias and chrysanthemums. They have bright, rich colored showy blooms. They symbolize love and patience. By September, many flowers have started to fade away, but these flowers are coming to life and showing their deep, rich colors.
September is known for Labor Day, the first Monday. This is a national holiday, a day set aside to think about those that labor in the workforce to keep our economy going; a day dedicated to the social and economic achievements of the American worker. Unofficially it is the last three-day weekend of the summer. Summer vacation is over.
September 1 is National Cherry Popover Day. Cherry popovers, or cherry pie, or cherry sauce for ice cream or just cherries out of the bag have several health benefits. They are a good source of melatonin, which can stimulate your brain and help you sleep better at night. September is Better Breakfast Month and cherry popovers could be a good start! September 2 is International Bacon Day. This must be a continuation of Better Breakfast Month. But three days later, September 5, is National Cheese Pizza Day. That is followed by National Salami Day two days later. Then on the twelfth, we have Chocolate Milk Shake Day. Two days after that is Fortune Cookie Day and National Peanut Day. On the 17th is National Apple Dumpling Day. The next day is National Cheeseburger Day. On the 18th is National Butterscotch Pudding Day, and the 19th is Pepperoni Pizza Day. September 24 gives us National Cherries Jubilee Day. So happy eating!
