Get in Your PJs and Eat Guacamole

November 14^th has been a historic day for me for all of my life. 

 

That’s because today is my half-birthday.

 

Hardly anyone celebrates this very special day (except me) even though I do send out reminders. Even so, my love for the day and my family’s teasing-ignoring of the day have become part of our family lore.

Happy Half-Birthday to Me!

November 14^th is important for other reasons, too, but I find two of those reasons especially fun.

 

Today is both National Family PJ Day and National Spicy Guacamole Day!

 

Whatever else you may have on your schedule today, be sure to block out time for everyone in the family to slip into their pjs and enjoy a huge bowl of guacamole and dip. Even if your family are no longer in the same house, you can still celebrate together by taking photos and sharing recipes. 

 

Remember, too, that friends are often as close as family. How fun to have a pj party with your closest gal pals!

The history of National Family PJ Day only goes back a couple of years. And yes, it is a blatant marketing attempt by a pajama retailer to showcase their products. But does that really matter? After all, don’t we all love to cuddle in our comfy pjs?

Here are suggestions on how to celebrate from the National Day Calendar website:

 

“Pick out your coziest PJs. Sleep in, snuggle in and spend all day in them. Bring the entire family together. Matched, mismatched. Even your furbaby can cuddle up and catch some shut-eye with you. What better way to enjoy this celebration than in the comfort of your PJs surrounded by the love of your family? Take that selfie and share it on social media using #NationalFamilyPJDay.”

 

Board games, movies and popcorn, pillow fights—these are great ideas, too!

 

And don’t forget snacks. Especially the spicy guacamole!

The origins of this holiday seem to be lost in time, but we know this tasty avocado-based dip dates all the way back to the Aztecs. That’s 500 to 700 years ago! (No blatant marketing involved with this one!)

However, the avocado itself dates even further back. 

Excavation sites in Peru dating back 3200 to 4500 years ago show evidence of avocado use, and an avocado pit was found in the Coxcatlan Cave which dates to 9,000 to 10,000 years ago. This info is from an article called “Domestication and Significance of Persea americana, the Avocado, in Mesoamerica,” written by Amanda J. Landon (Nebraska Anthropologist, 2009, as referenced by Wikipedia).

 

According to the National Day Calendar website:

 

“Guacamole is made by using a mortar and pestle to mash ripe avocados and then mixing in sea salt. Sometimes tomatoes, onion, garlic, lemon juice, chili, yogurt or other seasonings are added. Jalapenos, chilis, cumin or red pepper can be added to the recipe to make the guacamole spicy.”

Check out the website for the health benefits of avocados, tips for using them, and a spicy guacamole recipe. Use the hashtag #SpicyGuacamoleDay when sharing your dips and chip on social media.

While you’re celebrating witha pjs and guacamole, remember to wish me a happy half-birthday! 

 

With so much fun going on, today may be a day you’ll never forget. And perhaps it’ll be the start of a new family and/or friends tradition.

Johnnie Alexander imagines characters you'll want to meet and stories you won’t forget in multiple genres. A fan of classic movies, stacks of books, and road trips, she shares a life of quiet adventure with Griff, her happy-go-lucky collie, and Rugby, her raccoon-treeing papillon. 

Purchase The Cryptographer's Dilemma at http://bit.ly/ja-TCD.

Connect with Johnnie at johnnie-alexander.com.