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National Michigan Day is celebrated every year on January 18. Michigan is fondly called ‘The Great Lakes State’ because it is bordered by four of the five Great North American Lakes — Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario, and Superior. The state is also the only one that’s spread across lower and upper peninsulas with over 60,000 ponds and inland lakes, and the Upper Peninsula is an important tourist destination thanks to its stunning natural vistas. Michigan is famous for its automobile industry, home to the ‘Big Three’ which refers to the three largest automobile manufacturers — General Motors, Ford, and Fiat Chrysler.

Michigan is an upper Midwestern state in the United States, located in the Great Lakes region. The name is a French variant of the Ojibwe word ‘mishigami,’ which means ‘large water or lake.’ Michigan has a population of about 10.1 million and an area of roughly 97,000 square miles, making it the 10th largest state by population and 11th largest by area. Lansing is the state capital, and Detroit is its largest city. The Straits of Mackinac — a five-mile channel that joins Lake Huron to Lake Michigan — separates the Lower Peninsula (shaped like a mitten) from the Upper Peninsula (or ‘the U.P.’), and the Mackinac Bridge connects the two peninsulas.

Rich in iron and copper, Michigan was first explored by the French, and was soon a center of industrial activity, becoming an American territory in 1783. In the past, ferries would carry travelers back and forth the Straits of Mackinac to move from one peninsula to the other. The Mackinac Bridge was built in 1957 to connect the two sides, making the journey safer and more convenient. At 26,372 feet long, it is the third-longest suspension bridge in the world! Industry dominated the early 20th century in Michigan, from logging and shipping to rail and automotive. This resulted in a population boom with the influx of workers during war and peacetime. Through skilled trades like engineering and manufacturing, employment grew exponentially, and after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, assembly workers were in great demand across the country. Since Michigan was the epicenter of the automobile industry, it was inevitable that skilled workers found their way to the state. Of the many factory workers in Michigan, the most famous was a Willow Run worker who became the main Rosie the Riveter spokesperson, wearing the iconic bandana and flexing her muscles to sell war bonds. Rose Will Monroe’s efforts, as well as thousands of other women in Michigan and across the country, changed the status of women for generations to come.

Also known for its Motown sound and legendary music makers, Michigan launched some of the most memorable names in jazz and gospel music. Smokey Robinson, Diana Ross, the Jackson 5, and Stevie Wonder were some of the most influential musicians in their genre, and they all came from Michigan.

National Bagel Day is January 15. Bagels have a history that is richer than your favorite cream cheese spread! These rounds of dough can be found just about anywhere: breakfast joints, coffee shops, supermarkets, or even your kitchen pantry. In fact, 2018 saw more than 354 million bagels sold.

Bagels have a long and highly documented history that travels from the Jewish families of Poland in the 1600s to wrapped up in parchment paper in your hands today. And, unlike many things created nearly five-hundred years ago, bagels are remarkably unchanged. Sure, cream cheeses and butters and flavors and toppings may have evolved over time but bagel is a beigel is a beygal.

Bagels made the jump to America with a massive Polish-Jewish immigration in the 1800s that firmly entrenched itself in New York City where it thrived. In fact, an entire union was created in the early 1900s called Bagel Bakers Local 338 to support the growing, immigrant-led industry. That also begat the “bagel brunch,” that we still enjoy to this day with little to no changes: lox, cream cheese, capers, tomatoes, and red onions.

While bagels were hugely popular in New York City almost immediately, they didn’t make their way to the national scale until the mid 20th-century where automation and bread slicing (the coolest thing!) made mass manufacturing much more efficient. Since then, bagels have taken off to include a variety of flours, toppings, dips and smears but still remain – by and large – exactly as they were in the 1600s.

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On January 13 we celebrate Korean American Day to honor and highlight our friends of Korean descent who have made immeasurable contributions as small business owners, military service members, faith leaders, doctors, artists, and elected officials for over a century. Ever since the first immigration wave happened way back in 1903.

It was in 1903 that just over 100 Koreans first arrived in the United States. That number quickly grew and within two years a further 7,500 Korean immigrants had made the same journey. In the years that have passed, Korean-Americans have made a valuable contribution towards society, and it’s on Korean American day that we honor and celebrate their contribution.

There has been a lot to celebrate for Korean Americans over the past century or so. Sammy Lee was a two-time Olympic gold medalist in diving, Wendy Gramm served as U.S Commodity Futures Trading Commission chair under Presidents Reagan and Bush, David Hyun was the architect who revitalized Little Tokyo in LA, and Hines Ward Jr played for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

As well as the impact of individuals, Korean culture, in general, has left a sizable footprint in the U.S. Korean food has become incredibly popular, and going for bibimbap with a side of kimchi is now commonplace, as is listening to a few K-Pop tunes on the drive home. Among the more Korean Americans

In 2005, the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives passed the resolution to consent for what Korean American Day stands for and its aspirations. Korean American Day is now enjoyed each year on January 13, which is the perfect excuse to snack on some kimchi.