December – snow, elves, twinkling lights, spirited songs and short cold days that hold the anticipation of jolly St. Nick and his sack full of goodies. But December has long been noteworthy of other important phenomena.
December 14, 1807 is celebrated as the first recorded sighting of Space Invaders. The nearly full moon was setting as dawn arrived on Dec. 14, 1807. It was Monday, and farmers, in what was then Weston, were already tending to their livestock.
Suddenly, a blazing fireball about two-thirds the size of the moon appeared in the cold, cloud-strewn sky, accompanied by a sound that resembled a cannonball being rolled on a wooden floor. Three loud explosions were heard.
The object illuminated fields and barns. There were reports of something streaking across the sky from as far away as Rutland, Vt. The meteor broke up as it slammed into the earth’s atmosphere at about 65,000 mph. Soon Weston became a target of an artillery barrage, as dozens of rocks, one weighing 200 pounds, augured into the snow-covered fields. The entire event took about 30 seconds.
Some rocks were smashed by the finders: “Strongly impressed with the idea that these stones contained gold and silver, the stones were subjected to all the tortures of ancient alchemy – the goldsmith’s crucible, the forge, and the blacksmith’s anvil” – to elicit riches which existed only in the imagination.
Fireballs had been seen in New England and other parts of the country in the 17th and 18th centuries, but it is likely that the fall of a single stone, or a few, would have gone unnoticed. It was only around 1800 that a few mineralogists and chemists in Europe had begun to realize that the stones and chunks of iron reported to fall from the heavens were distinctly different from earthly rocks. Final proof came with the huge meteorite shower that occurred at L’Aigle, France, in 1803. This forced the scientific world to admit that stones do indeed fall from the sky, because of the sheer numbers of specimens (between 2,000 and 3,000) and “respectable” witnesses.
Out of the approximately 350 pounds of the meteorite that fell on the town of Weston, less than 50 pounds can now be accounted for. Most undoubtedly gathered dust on numerous 19th century mantelpieces before being thrown away.
The largest and only unbroken stone of the Weston fall weighed 36.5 pounds. The owner was urged to present it to Yale by local people but he insisted on putting it up for sale. It was purchased by Colonel George Gibbs for his collection of minerals. Gibb’s collection became the property of Yale in 1825 and this was the beginning of Yale’s meteorite collection, the oldest in the United States.
Meteorites were a concept slowly gaining acceptance in Europe, as their study was a relatively new science. The Weston news rapidly spread and accounts were published in journals. Later, a chemical analysis of the rocks was performed and published. Notable scientific organizations in Philadelphia, London, and Paris discussed the findings. Still, there were skeptics about the idea of meteorites, including U.S. President Thomas Jefferson, who said, “It is easier to believe that two Yankee professors could lie than to admit that stones could fall from heaven.”
If you didn’t happen to observe the first alien invasion of 1807, meteor showers Andromedids, Canis-Minorids, Coma Berenicids, Delta Cancrids, Geminids, Monocerotids, Phoenicids, Sigma Hydrids and the Ursids will streak the sky with shooting stars this December.
You can look skyward on the night of December 13 after 9 P.M. for a chance to catch a glimpse of the Geminid meteors. The Geminid meteor shower is the most active shower. Unlike most meteor showers which originate from comets, Geminids meteor showers originate from an asteroid.
This year, the peak of the meteor shower meets a waxing Moon, meaning that the sky will still be affected by the light of the Moon. If the sky is clear and temperatures aren’t too chilly, it’s worth venturing outside to try to see the Geminids. The best viewing will be before the Moon rises around 1:00 A.M.
What else is December remembered for? Do not forget December 11, 1620 when 103 pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock. Then of course the infamous Boston Tea Party took place on December 16, 1773.
National Day of the Horse is celebrated on December 13th. The day was designated in 2004 to recognize the contributions horses have made to U.S. history, economy, and character. The horse is embedded in our culture and runs deep into our roots. Not only did the horse serve as vital transportation, but they cleared forests for farmland, and led the way westward and into battle. Horses diversified Native American hunting habits and defined the western cowboy.
While few people today see the horse as much more than a recreational animal, they still work on ranches. As a therapy animal, horses relieve the symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, and other disorders. They continue connecting to humans, and we continue to rely on them.
National Underdog Day recognizes that America loves its underdogs. Each year on the 3rd Friday in December, we cheer on the teams and individuals who are statistically expected to lose in competition. Underdog was originally used in dogfighting around 1887, to refer to a dog defeated in a fight. The cartoon character, Underdog, was an unlikely superhero dog.
How can we forget an icon of Christmas? December 26 is National Candy Cane Day. According to German folklore, the first candy canes were made in the 17th century when a choirmaster in Cologne, Germany, needed to find a way to keep the children quiet during exceptionally long Christmas Eve Mass.
In 1844, a recipe for a straight peppermint candy stick, which was white with colored stripes, was published. However, some stories tell of all-white candy sticks in much earlier times. There is no documented proof of the origins. Literature begins mentioning the candy cane in 1866, and was first known to be mentioned in connection with Christmas in 1874. As early as 1882, candy canes were hung on Christmas trees.
The average candy cane is 5 inches tall. While candy canes are not sugar or calorie-free, they do not have any fat or cholesterol. Striped red and white candy canes were first introduced in 1900.
Bob McCormack and Gregory Keller brought the candy cane to the masses. They were made by hand until Keller invented one machine to twist the soft candy into spirals and cut the stick candy; and another machine to put the crook in the candy cane. His invention became known as the Keller Machine.
Traditionally the flavor for candy canes is peppermint, but there are a variety of flavors such as cherry, sour apple, blueberry, watermelon or orange. How does pickle, bacon, mac and cheese, or root beer flavored candy canes sound to you?
How many calories are in a candy cane you ask, for that calorie conscience person? A standard, 6-inch candy cane contains two servings with approximately 50-60 calories per serving. Really – 2 servings for a candy cane?? So is that a lick for me and a lick for you and a lick for me………..?
Alain Roby, Geneva pastry chef, holds the Guinness World Record for the longest candy cane, measuring 51 feet long. I will leave the math to you to calculate the number of calories and servings. Guess that could be a party cane.