Happy New Year

During 2010 I plan to celebrate each of the 50 states on the anniversary of the date that it entered the union. I am also including Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. The fun will start on January 2, which Georgia's anniversary. It entered the union in 1788.


For each state I plan to read one book that takes place in that state; watch one movie that is set there; and try at least one food that is typical to that place. Since the anniversaries are not spaced evenly throughout the year I will do my best with keeping up with the reading. I may, in some cases, just discuss books that I read previously, if I remember them well enough. Cooking will also wax and wane depending on how far apart celebrations are, and to what extent I have an emotional attachement to a particular state. States I have lived in, or those where I have especially fond memories will get some special attention. In some cases more than one state celebrates its anniversary on the same day. In these cases I will either celebrate one the day before, or the day after, or try a "two-for" depending on the circumstances.


This table of dates tells when I will be celebrating each.

Table of dates

January
2 Georgia
3 Alaska
4 Utah
6 New Mexico
9 Connecticut
26 Michigan
29 Kansas
February
6 Massachusetts
14 Arizona & Oregon
March
1 Ohio & Nebraska
2 Puerto Rico
3 Florida
4 Vermont
15 Maine
April
28 Maryland
30 Louisiana
May
11 Minnesota
23 South Carolina
29 Wisconsin & Rhode Island
June
1 Kentucky & Tennessee
15 Arkansas
20 West Virginia
21 New Hampshire
25 Virginia
July
3 Idaho
6 Washington, D.C.
10 Wyoming
26 New York
August
1 Colorado
10 Missouri
21 Hawaii
September
9 California
October
21 Nevada
November
2 North & South Dakota
8 Montana
11 Washington
16 Oklahoma
21 North Carolina
December
3 Illinois
7 Delaware
10 Mississippi
11 Indiana
12 Pennsylvania
14 Alabama
18 New Jersey
28 Iowa
29 Texas