National Raisin Day

April 30th is National Raisin Day, a day that has been celebrated since 1909. Then, the day was recognized with special advertisements and events. Restaurants, even those in hotels and on steamships, served foods that included the dried fruit. Schools and other government agencies presented educational programs showing the health benefits of raisins.

There's a legend about how the raisin came to be: There was once a California man who started a vineyard just after the Civil War. One year a severe drought hit, and it didn’t rain for a long time. His grapes dried up on the vine. Worrying about what he could do to survive, he decided to take the dried-up grapes to the marketplace and see if they would sell as a Peruvian delicacy. We’ve enjoyed raisins ever since. 

Although several good lessons can come from this story, it can't be true, for the raisin is much older than this would indicate. Even the Bible mentions them. In fact, they were probably around as early as 2,000 B.C. Dried grapes have been enjoyed around the world for many years. Today, nutritionists tell us that raisins are heart-healthy and can lower blood pressure. So eat up to celebrate National Raisin Day.

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