V5 (5 Things 1 Topic)

I’m pretty sure everyone I’ve ever met knows something about Christmas.  Whether it’s an imaginary chubby guy in a red suit, a religious meaning, or a capitalistic celebration, most people have some association with this particular holiday.  That widespread comprehension is precisely why I decided to stay away from writing about Christmas for the time being.  In terms of December holidays, Christmas gets a majority of the attention.  In fact, Christmas goes way beyond December, some people have been getting ready for the big day since Halloween.  Thanksgiving has kind of stopped being its own holiday and has morphed into Christmas kickoff.

I love this time of year, climbers get amazing send temps, professors get a break from teaching, and most of our climbing buddies (at theDIHEDRAL) get to be in the same place at the same time.  December is fantastic for so many reasons, and Christmas is great, but it sure gets a preponderance of attention.  While Christmas dominates the story of December, there are lots of other things that deserve a little extra notice as well, in fact there are too many interesting happenings in December to list them all, so let’s focus on 5.

1. December 1^st – Rosa Parks Day.  I’m not sure how Rosa Parks is perceived throughout the US, but in Detroit she is an absolute legend.  A civil rights hero who is adored and celebrated.  She encompassed the Detroit mentality of never giving up, and she is beloved for it.  If you aren’t familiar with Rosa Parks, she is known for being the timber that sparked the Montgomery bus boycott in Alabama.  On December 1^st 1955 after a long day of work, Rosa Parks boarded a city bus and took her seat in the “colored” section.  As the bus began to fill, the bus driver required the black commuters to give up their seats to white passengers.  When asked to give up her seat, Parks refused. She was arrested, charged, and found guilty of violating a city ordinance.  The Montgomery bus boycott lasted several months and devastated the Montgomery transportation system.  She is an icon, and the bus where it all started in preserved and on display at The Henry Ford museum in downtown Detroit.  If you are ever in the area, I would recommend that visit as an absolute must!
2. December 23^rd – National Pfeffernüsse Day.  A Germanic spice cookie, popular to some around the holidays.  Pfeffernüsse are fluffy cookies made with nuts and spices and covered in powdered sugar.  Now, I am not looking to start a war, but these are not my cup of tea. However, ironically, they are very enjoyable with a cup of tea.  The reason they made this list is because of how crazy it is that there is a National pfeffernüsse Day.  Someone had to call in a favor in order to get this day to be recognized. The person or council in charge of approving national days had to be bribed by Big Pfeffernüsse.  Right?  We’re they caught on film snorting coke off the Declaration of Independence?  At the very least, the council is just f-ing with us at this point.  It makes no sense that pfeffernüsse has their own day, and that is the sole reason pfeffernüsse made this list!
3. December 2^nd – National Mutt Day.  This should be celebrated by everyone in the world.  It should be an observed holiday, and all historically questionable statues should be replaced by giant dog statues.  Dogs are spectacular and really don’t need a reason to be celebrated, but National Mutt Day is a fantastic attempt to codify something that we already know!  One of my favorite things about the climbing community is the climber to mutt ratio that exists.  If a climber doesn’t have a dog, they either had a dog, will have a dog, or do their best to make sure dogs always feel welcome at the crag.  National Mutt Day is organic and shows the righteous side of the coke snorting council that approved Pfeffernüsse Day!
4. December 4^th – National Cookie Day.  This is how I know Pfeffernüsse Day is a scam.  December already has a cookie day.  Of all the cookies that exist (chocolate chip, peanut butter, sugar, oatmeal, shortbread, crème filled, chocolate, jelly filled, etc…) how on earth is the pfeffernüsse the one that gets special attention?  Why on earth is the pfeffernüsse the one that gets special attention.  I am bewildered!  That being said, I hardly ever eat sweets, but anytime I get a chance to climb outside, you better believe I have a sack of cookies nearby.  Cookies are delicious and…. Let’s go back to the pfeffernüsse for a second, if anyone is thinking that the pfeffernüsse is more like a cake than a cookie, I’m not buying it, “cookie” literally translates from the Dutch word koekie, meaning “little cake.”  If anything, the pfeffernüsse is the archetypal cookie (aside from the disappointing taste). All cookies should be celebrated on December 4^th, we should all celebrate by eating a delicious cookie, and if your favorite cookie is the pfeffernüsse, then that is great, but it makes no sense that the pfeffernüsse gets its own day above and beyond all the other cookies.  Sidenote: In 1976, Sesame Street included National Cookie Day on its calendar for the first time.  That little known face has me wondering what Cookie Monster would think about the pfeffernüsse?  
5. December 21^st – National Flashlight Day.  It’s no coincidence that National Flashlight Day falls on the longest day of the year.  That is a good day to bust out the flashlight.  Being that December 21^st is National Flashlight Day it makes it the perfect time to go out for a night climb.  If you’ve never been Knighted as a climber, you are in for a treat.  Sending under the light of the stars and a few headlamps really adds to the experience.  If you are in an area that allows fires, it’s even better.  Even if you aren’t a climber, breaking out the flashlight to go for an evening stroll always seems to offer a sense of nostalgia.  And even if you can’t make it outside to enjoy the solstice behind some battery-operated lumens, it can be fun to make puppet shadows in the safe and warm confines of your home (perhaps you are crafty or want to re-enact The Allegory of the Cave).

There are probably 100 additional days to celebrate in December, including National Ring Pasta Day (shoutout to Spaghetti-O’s the ultimate dirtbag dinner), Dewey Decimal System Day (John Dewey getting some love (shoutout to my pragmatists out there), Brownies, Pastries, and Lagers all have their own day, so does ambrosia salad and maple syrup, the list goes on and on.  One day that deserves an honorable mention is Festivus!  The holiday that was created in 1997 by Frank Costanza as a response to the commercialism brought on by Christmas.  For those who wanted something different there is a “Festivus for the rest of us”.  It’s a shame that Festivus has to share a day with pfeffernüsse, but that is the power of Big Pfeffernüsse!

There are a lot of things to celebrate in the month of December, these are just five.

V5 (5 Things 1 Topic)