National Orange Blossom Day: June 27

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Origin of this holiday

Our research did not find the creator, or the origin of this day. We did however find that this holiday has been celebrated for years. There is plenty of documentation to support that this holiday does indeed exist. This is referred to as a "National" day. However, we did not find any congressional records or presidential proclamations for this day. Even though, this is still a holiday to celebrate.

We found recognition about this holiday from:

Calendar sites and personal Internet sites that blog and share information about this holiday.

The ultimate holiday site tell us "The orange is the citrus fruit we squeeze into juice or peel for a healthy snack, but the orange blossom that grows from the same tree has its own list of uses. Because of its intoxicating fragrance, the blossom is used as an additive to honey, tea, incense and perfumes."

Giftpedia says: "a popular drink invented back in the times of Prohibition when the bathtub gin was harsh to drink straight up."

theyearoflivingunofficially.com says: "one may quickly assume that today’s holiday is a celebration of this multi-faceted flower. However, National Orange Blossom Day actually honors the Orange Blossom cocktail, a bittersweet drink consisting of gin, sugar, and orange juice...etc"

Now let's learn

The Orange blossom is the fragrant flower of the Citrus sinensis (orange tree). It is used in perfume making, has been written about as an aphrodisiac, is the state flower of Florida. It is traditionally associated with good fortune and has been popular in bridal bouquets and head wreaths for weddings. Orange blossom essence is an important component in the making of perfume. The petals of orange blossom can also be made into a delicately citrus-scented version of rosewater; orange blossom water (aka orange flower water), a common part of both French cuisine and Middle Eastern cuisine (most often as an ingredient in desserts and baked goods).

In the United States, orange flower water is used to make orange blossom scones and marshmallows.

Orange blossom honey (citrus honey) is produced by putting beehives in the citrus groves during blooming period. This also pollinates seeded citrus varieties. Orange blossom honey is highly prized and tastes much like the fruit.

The orange blossom gives its touristic nickname to the Costa del Azahar ("Orange-blossom coast"), the Castellon seaboard.

In Spain, fallen blossoms are dried and then used to make tea. A French electronic and world music band has taken the name Orange Blossom.

Resources, References & External Links

• This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses some material from Wikipedia/article © / and other related pages.

• Top photo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Flower_fleur_%D8%B2%D9%87%D8%B1%D8%A9.JPG

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