The Old Farmer’s Almanac: 2024 Is The Shizzle

 

 

I received a review copy of The Old Farmer’s Almanac: 2024, and I must say it was a fun read. I know that many people may not think to read an almanac, but this book is not just full of important predictions and data regarding things like weather and tide schedules. It has lots of interesting nuggets, the kind one would find in Reader’s Digest. It combines astrology with astronomy as well as articles on food, gardening, nature, and home remedies.   

The annual publication is a big help for anyone involved in farming, shipping, fishing, travel, and other major industries. Published since 1792, it has had only 13 editors. However, the current one is retiring after this newest edition.   

A sampling of the random knowledge shared in the almanac this year includes these nuggets: 

 

• The average value of never-worn outfits in one’s closet; $268

• 15% of Americans own five-plus pets.

• Fact: Dogs can detect stress from their owner’s scent.

• 80% of young adults in the U.S live less than 100 miles from where they grew up. 

• Best times to go fishing? An hour before or after high or low tide. 

• Only 1 of every 1,461 births occurs on a Leap Day.

• The oldest calendar in the world is the Byzantine - Year 7533. The Jews are in second place, year 5785.

• 78% of people would buy a house that’s ugly on the outside but perfect on the inside. 

Did you know there are these holidays? 

* Pioneer Day in Utah -July 24

* National Day of the Cowboy-July 27

* Leif Eriksson Day -October 9

* Nevada Day -October 25 

According to astrology, Jan.2 and 7 are good days in 2024 to quit smoking, Jan. 3, 4, 30, and 31 are good for painting, and Jan.23 and 24 are great for baking. Who knew? 

The Farmer’s Almanac has advertising in it, both local and national, which is a bit u usual. But what’s really odd are the ads themselves. One says they are a spellcaster for hire. Another says they are a voodoo healer. There are alternative treatments and pills being sold for hair loss, hernia problems, joint pain, erectile dysfunction, aging, etc. 

But the most interesting things that I came across were these two gems:

 

·         The term a “cat has nine lives” stems from a time when people believe in witches and that they can turn into cats. Supposedly, a witch can do this eight times and still return to her human form, but the ninth time that she turns into a cat shall be her last. 

·         Every four years is a leap year, and 2024 is the next one. But the years 1700, 1800, and 1900 were not leap years. Apparently, a leap year is one that can be divisible by 4 but century years like 2,100 only can be leap years if they are divisible by 400, thus 2000 was a leap year. Who knew?

The Old Farmer’s Almanac: 2024 delights, informs, and entertains! 

 

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About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on LinkedIn. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2023. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This award-winning blog has generated over 3.4 million pageviews. With 4,600+ posts over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades, including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and two jobs at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America, and has spoken at ASJA, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. He has been featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald. For more information, please consult: www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum.