October 4, 2022 - National Taco Day | National Vodka Day

Welcome to October 4, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate an explosive food and a smooth drink. One of America’s most popular foods got its start in the silver mines of Mexico. Here in the 1700s, miners would roll gunpowder in pieces of paper and insert them into the rocks, as an alternative to dynamite. They called the small charges “tacos.” These same workers lunched on a meal of meat and cheese wrapped in tortillas that looked like the explosive charges. The taco came to the United States with the Mexican immigrants, who worked in mines or on railroads. But their popularity exploded when Robert L. Gomez established the National Taco Council in 1964. On National Taco Day, celebrate your favorite version with any combination of explosive flavor. During the golden age of Hollywood, vodka was popularized by celebrities, who drank cocktails at their swanky parties. However, America’s infatuation with Russian alcohol came under fire during the early years of the Cold War. In the 1950s, when countries like the US and England were staunchly anti-Russia, vodka sales dropped. But vodka’s image got some help from an unlikely source—super spy James Bond. When 007 made vodka martinis his signature cocktail, the public viewed the liquor in a different light. No longer was it simply Russian. It was now worldly and sophisticated. On National Vodka Day, celebrate the essence of smooth. I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices