Welcome to December 4, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate rolling out the fun in cookie dough and games of chance. 

Cookies first appeared in Persia in the 7th century and made their way to Europe through Spain in the 14th century. They later traveled to the United States with Dutch settlers. In the Netherlands they were called koekies or little cakes. Apparently, cookies made good travel companions and a sturdy kind were called jumbles in the early days. Also known as biscuits throughout Europe, the treat became popular in the street markets all the way to the high courts. Today we celebrate National Cookie Day thanks to a Sesame Street Monster, who sums up their deliciousness with a universal phrase, "num, num, num, num, num." At least I think that's universal.   

Dice have been around for thousands of years. A game of backgammon, discovered at an archeological site in Iran, is thought to be 5000 years old! But it was Sir William of Tyre who invented a dice game called “Hazard,” in the 12th Century AD. He named it after a castle he’d seen while serving in the Middle East during the Crusades. The game became extremely popular in 17th Century France. Because it required nothing other than dice, Hazard could be played just about anywhere—in taverns, on tables and even on the street. People would crouch down near the ground to play, so the French started calling it crapaud which means toad. This name was later shortened to the game we know today as craps. On National Dice Day roll out some fun of your own, with or without the gambling. 

I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day.

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