Welcome to December 20, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate festive drinks and songs that stick. 

If you’re a fan of sangria then you already know how festive this drink can be. Pour some red or white wine into a pitcher with fruits and some seasonal spices and you’ll see why the Spanish welcome this libation all year round. It is said that sangria originated in early Greek and Roman times when safe drinking water was not always available. Today true sangria is bottled in Spain and Portugal but every culture seems to make it their own with simple variations. At the 1964 World’s Fair, Americans added an extra shot of brandy. On National Sangria Day, celebrate by adding some warmth and cheer to your wintertime festivities!

In 1939, the department store Montgomery Wards wanted to create their own Christmas character. They had been giving away coloring books as a promotion each year, but decided that designing their own would save money. One of their admen—Robert L. May—was asked to create a character and write a children’s book about it. He was inspired by his daughter’s love for reindeer and had an epiphany while staring out the window at the fog. The Christmas icon he came up with was…Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, which was eventually made into a song and the rest is Yuletide history. This tune is one of the most popular Christmas carols to this day. On Go Caroling Day, celebrate your own favorite repertoire of songs and don’t forget the most famous reindeer of all.

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices