15th February : Significance

After a Christmas spent with elderly family members asking when they're finally going to get married, or at least find a boyfriend or girlfriend to bring home, life does not get any easier for singles after Christmas, either. No sooner have the Santa Claus and snowman decorations vanished from the shops than the shelves begin to burst with cuddly teddy bears, heart-shaped balloons and boxes of cheap chocolates, all in shades of nauseating neon pinks and reds. Yes, Valentine's Day has become one of the world's most profitable occasions, yet another marketing scheme that has hit pay dirt more than the original creators of the idea could have ever dreamed.

If you're in a relationship Valentine's day is bad enough, what with all the additional pressure to be romantic', if such rampant and blatant consumerism and commercialism can be considered romantic at all. The restaurants are all overpacked with couples trying too hard to impress each other, and it seems every flower in the whole city has been bought out, just so someone can say it's pretty once and then throw it away. Hallmark holidays are called that for a reason.

History of Valentine's Day

For singles, on the other hand, Valentine's day can be a simple and cruel reminder that they are alone. No pink stuffed animals for them, and no tacky heart-shaped boxes of poor quality chocolate, either, though one does tend to wonder whether that really makes them worse off in the first place.

Singles Awareness Day used to be an alternate name used for Valentine's Day among those who found themselves unattached during the day, but it all became too depressing. So by single's hive-mind consensus, it fell to the day after as a perfect antitode to all of the neon nonsense.

How to Celebrate Singles Awareness/Appreciation Day

It's a humorous holiday to celebrate being single, to share with single friends, to send each other presents or even order yourself some flowers. On this day many people wear green, as it is the complementary opposite of red. Another popular option is an absence of color (black), to symbolize an absence of celebration. One increasingly popular activity is to travel to Brazil and witness the Brazilian Carnival. The trip, coupled with the fact that Brazil doesn't celebrate Valentine's Day on February 14, but in June, provides a temporary getaway from the neon pink of the Valentine's holiday in the Western culture, by simply substituting it with another celebration. Some who celebrate Singles Awareness Day just want to remind romantic couples that they don't need to be in a relationship to celebrate life, and that the key to being happy is being able to be happy with yourself.

Contrary to popular misconceptions, Singles Awareness Day is not about self-pity but rather a chance to announce to the world that you are single and happy to be so. Originally, most singles referred to February 14 as Single's Awareness Day (acronym: SAD) until it they realized that that was just depressing. Choosing the next day allowed single people a chance to turn this into a celebration rather than a festival of self-pity. There is no reason to be miserable that you are independent and unattached; on the contrary, there are many more people in relationships than you might think who rather wish they were in your shoes, with nobody to answer to but themselves. This is the day that all of the single people can proudly stand up and show that it is okay to be single. Take that, cupid!

Observed on February 15th, National Gumdrop Day recognizes a favorite candy of many; the gumdrop! On National Gumdrop Day, there is no question as to what to do. Eat gumdrops and eat as many as you want!

Gumdrops are a tasty, colorful, chewy candy that is made with gelatin and then coated with sugar. They come in a variety of flavors and can either be fruity or spicy. These little candy treats have been popular for decorations for decoration gingerbread houses for many years.

The classic board game, Candy Land, features both a Gumdrop Pass and a Gumdrop Mountain.

Besides enjoying them by the handful, there are many other ways to use gumdrops:

• In cookies
• Decorate cakes or cupcakes
• In popcorn cake
• For crafts
• For gifts

You can also make gumdrops yourself. According to many recipes, you would need vegetable oil, sugar, corn syrup, fruit juice, powdered fruit pectin, baking soda and food coloring.

Credit for the modern gumdrop goes to chemist and candy manufacturer Percy S. Truesdell. According to articles after his death in 1948, he was the man responsible for taking what was once a hard, poorly flavored glob of sugar and turning it into the smooth, chewy delight we enjoy today. While at the University of Ohio, Truesdell altered the consistency of the of the candy by experimenting with the amount of starch used. He later worked for the Snyder-Chafee Company until 1915. In 1916, Truesdell founded and incorporated the P.S. Truesdell Candy Manufacturing Company. At his death, he became known as the Gumdrop King.