You have made your list and checked it twice. You are confident about your personal balance between naughty and nice. Decorations go up. Stress levels come down. Warm and fuzzy feelings wrap everyone in holiday cheer. Eggnog Day puts a beautiful bow on top of it all every December 24.
Yes, it is official, but we’re not sure who made it so. Christmas Eve shares the 24th with a celebration of everyone’s favorite sweet, boozy, creamy libation. As a nation, we down 135 million pounds of the stuff every season.
It is doubtful medieval Europeans measured their nog consumption. They simply curdled hot milk with a strong ale known as grog. By the 13th century, British monks upped the game with eggs and figs. American colonists raised the bar with rum. Our earliest taverns served the milk, egg and booze mixture in cups called noggins. We have called it eggnog ever since.
Even without spirits, the cup-warming brew serves as a beloved holiday tradition. Most of us prefer to spike the celebration, but Eggnog Day is just as joyfully observed with a well-mixed nog mocktail. If you leave out the brandy, rum or bourbon, you can blend eggnog into all kinds of delicious treats.
Imagine eggnog milk shakes, pound cakes and cookies. Top off your morning coffee with a rich splash of virgin nog. Turn a bowl of cereal into a decadent breakfast with dreamy, creamy nog. The love of a good eggnog recipe transcends international boundaries.
Try putting a French spin on your next batch with a favorite Chardonnay. Think outside the cup with a splash of German beer. Blend up a White Russian nog and serve it with a nod to global appreciation of the ultimate holiday cocktail.
Enjoy the perfect potable every day from the 1st through the 31st. After all, December is also Eggnog Month. Do be sure to pour a cup for friends and family on the 24th. Just like presents under the tree, Eggnog Day is best when you share the joy of truly enjoying.