The Kernel of the Day

There is a day for everything, and everything has its day. That is how the old saying goes, right? Not exactly?

These days it may as well be, as it seems like everything under the sun is afforded its own special date of observance. In January alone, aside from the standard postal holidays (New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day), there are more than three-dozen National Days, all ripe for the celebrating. These include special events like Personal Trainer Awareness Day, Drinking Straw Day, Apricot Day, and even Beer Can Appreciation Day.

Though it often feels like these celebrations are borderline ridiculous, it is of course sometimes fun to go along with them. Why not celebrate National Chocolate Cake Day on January 27^th? I’m all for it.

Which brings me to today’s fete—National Popcorn Day.

Popcorn is one of Americans’ favorite snacks. According to The Daily Meal, Americans eat enough popcorn per year to fill the Empire State Building—18 times. The Grocer UK reported in January 2015 that a whopping 90 percent of Americans regularly buy popcorn.

That said, does it mean National Popcorn Day will find consumers flocking to the snack aisle of their local grocer, with Orville Redenbacher products flying off the shelves? My prediction is probably not. However, there is no reason for grocers not to have some fun with these festivities, and maybe promote food items accordingly. Sometimes simply reminding a person that an item exists may be enough to spark a purchase.

Personally, I will be using this ruse as an excuse to drag a friend to see one of the films nominated last week for the 2016 Academy Awards—maybe The Revenant, or Joy. This is one celebration that calls for extra butter.