Tidbits from The Old Farmer's Almanac

It's hard to believe, but The Old Farmer's Almanac, that annual compilation of astronomical calculations, planting times, weather forecasts, and other quirky information published in Dublin, New Hampshire, has been around since 1792!! It's definitely earned the right to call itself "North America's oldest continuously published periodical," and it does just that on the cover of the 2001 edition.

I must admit, I'd never owned a copy of The Old Farmer's Almanac, but with all of the millennium hype, I couldn't resist picking up my own copy of the 2000 almanac last year. I was hooked immediately! And my 2000 "tidbits" from the Almanac were so popular, I'm back again to share some of my favorite tidbits of New England wisdom from The Old Farmer's Almanac 2001.

Check back here often as I share some of the Almanac's neatest facts and predictions.

This Week's Tidbit

A Cracker is Born
I've known some New Englanders who I'd call real "crackers," but I never knew that crackers themselves are a New England invention. That is, until I leafed through the 2001 edition of The Old Farmer's Almanac. Celebrate the cracker's 200th birthday with this look at history, recipes, and more.

Previous Tidbits :

Feline Cuisine
When I first saw that The Old Farmer's Almanac 2001has an article titled, "Cooking for Your Cat," I must admit that I shook my head violently in disbelief. I don't know about you, but my cat, Spike, thinks just about anything I'm cooking is for him! Here's a quick look at some of the interesting facts about cats' eating habits that I discovered in the Almanac, plus a sample of one of the Almanac's cat recipes in case you're inspired to cater to your critter.

All the Snooze That's Fit to Print
The Old Farmer's Almanac 2001 tackles the topic of snoozing with a vengeance in its six-page article titled, "Putting Sleep Myths to Bed." Not only does the Almanac debunk Ben Franklin--as it turns out "early to bed and early to rise" isn't necessarily as important as regularity of sleeping hours--it delves into modern sleep myths and even provides some suggested cures for insomnia.

More Weekly Wisdom from Almanac.com
Visit the official Web site of The Old Farmer's Almanac for more weekly wisdom, plus five-day and long-range weather forecasts for your area, recipes, historic facts, and more.

From the Almanac Archive

The Weather Year Ahead for New England

So you want to make a time capsule?

The best sky sights of the next century.

How old is your dog really?

The Complete Archive

More New England Lore

New England Oddities A-Z

Why is Boston Called Beantown?

The Story of Plymouth Rock

The World's Most Sensual Cocktail

New England History Links

More from New England for Visitors

Looking for more New England travel information? Start with the New England for Visitors Home Page, where you'll find current features and links to the best of the Net for all of your travel planning needs.

Don't miss our free email newsletter, About New England, which keeps you up to date on what's happening in the region. Subscribe today!