It's Pistachio Day, Bring on the Dumante!

Being an urban gardener as well as a designer of greeting cards that go beyond communication, I often receive notices about how things grow and updates on unique holidays. Today, February 26th, encompasses both because it is National Pistachio Day, and if you are one who needs rationale to indulge in a treat, this is the day you can eat pistachio nuts with good cause knowing you are honoring a national holiday.

As for the observance of pistachio day, according to Christine Cadena (Contributor Network), "it is believed that individuals who stand in and among pistachio trees, and hear the ripening sound of popping fruits and leaves, will have prosperity, good luck and fortune. Unfortunately, with the peak time for harvest of the pistachio occurring in September, those who stand in and among pistachio orchards, in February, may find great difficulty in hearing the sound of cool temperatures of the evening. As a result, the National Pistachio Day celebrations may soon move to September, during peak harvest, to allow for the most benefit to those who wish to follow this tradition of good fortune." However for today, February 26th 2011, National Pistachio Day will be honored.

I am not sure why this occasion is limited to a national celebration since pistachios are enjoyed worldwide.The origin of this nut is in the Mediterranean, and it now grows in California (although a tree can take up to twenty years to reach full production, a fact not lost on gardeners who like to see more immediate fruits of their labor).  According to "Pistachio Queen", "Nearly half of California's crop of pistachios are now exported around the world where they are enjoyed by many cultures . . . In China, the pistachio is known as the 'happy nut' because it looks like it is smiling and is often given as a gift for the Chinese New Year . . . In India, they are used in a saffron pistachio drink, 'Shree Guruji Kesar Pista Sharbat. . . " 

Pistachios are also enjoyed in Israel, Russia, France, and by yours truly, where I don't need the excuse of a national holiday to enjoy pistachio ice-cream at Emack and Bolio's, or to serve Dumante (the pistachio liqueur from Sicily) when I entertain guests and clients to celebrate various seasons in my garden!

FALL 2018 ADDENDUM: 

I no longer actively produce event program covers, invitations and the types of greeting cards described here or on my website but arrangements might be able to be made under certain circumstances. My focus is on the Words In Our Beak book series, pictured below...

WORDS IN OUR BEAK BOOK SERIES

...whose stories are told from the point of view of Cam, a female cardinal, whose photo is on the cover of each book. Words In Our Beak’s goal is to open readers to a simple understanding of the winged world and their environment. Set in my rooftop garden in NYC,  Words In Our Beak is directed to children and adults who are curious about birds, and want to learn about them from a unique perspective. The books include hundreds of images of flora and fauna, links to movies, as well as to informative narratives that have been created by the author.

Please click here to go to my blog post that provides details as to where you can get these books.

Additionally, I have rendered some images from these books into other formats and they are available via Fine Art America (FAA). Some of my other photographs (Black & White Collection, Kaleidoscopic Images and the famous Mandarin duck who visited NYC) can also be found on my FAA pages.

SUMMER 2020 ADDENDUM: 

                             

"Never say never," the saying goes, and I suppose that applies to saying, "I no longer....," which I did in my 2018 addendum and now I'm here to announce at the advice of Chris Deatherage, my book series formatter, who is also my web-master (for patriciayoungquist.com) I now have some versions of the greeting cards that are referenced in this blog post available via FAA, please click here to view them.