Did you know that an average of 14,500 tons of chips and an accompanying 8 million pounds of guacamole are consumed on Superbowl Sunday at superbowl parties across the country? And all this celebrating doesn’t come cheap. The average consumer spends $49.27 on Superbowl-related items, anything ranging from food and drink to reclining chairs and televisions bought with this particular event in mind.

As most people enjoy a day off work, it is important to remember the real reason for this holiday - a national day of service. With the inaguration of President Obama, this year the holiday seems more fitting than ever. Martin Luther King Jr., like many others before him and more since, dedicated his life to making the world a better place. Although it seems like a lofty goal, all of us can do the same in our own back yards. Join the BigBrother/BigSister program, volunteer for Meals on Wheels, make a donation to your local food bank. The volunteer possibilities are endless and so are the rewards.

Be the change you want to see in the world.

Mohandas Gandhi

Love is what’s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.  ~Author unknown, attributed to a 7-year-old boy named Bobby

Tonight only, the United Methodist Church of Sturgis is doing something very special… A live nativity scence! There will be three performances - one at 6pm, 7pm, and 8pm. Each performance will last twenty minutes. Bring a can of food and check it out at 1755 Ball Park Road right here in Sturgis!

But that can’t stop us from sharing the holiday cheer — our ‘hayride’ is still on! Rather than brave the elements outside  tonight, we’ll be enjoying hot drinks, holiday treats, and a visit from Santa Claus inside the office. Stop in anytime between 4:30pm — 6:30pm. We look forward to seeing you!

Each year about this time, we see our world famous Main Street get yet another make-over. Instead of the black leather and rumbling exhaust invasion we see in the warmer months, December air brings the holiday spirit to Main Street. Join us tonight at 6pm at the corner of 1st & Main to light the city Christmas tree and enjoy caroling, hot chocolate, and roasted marshmallows! It is always a sight to be seen and a fun family event.

Downtown Sturgis will be aglow this evening with the Annual Parade of Lights beginning at 6pm. More than 30 entries will be competeing to be named the Most Colorful, Most Original, and Most Christmas Spirit. The procession will begin at Lynn’s DakotaMart at 6 p.m. moving north along 4th Street to Main Street, turning east to Junction Ave until ending at the site of the former livestock sale barn.

Lights aren’t the only reason to attend this year! Sturgis Coffee Company will be serving hot chocolate and coffee during the parade at the Sturgis Center for the Arts. Following the parade, Realtors for Kids will be hosting a chili feed at the Sturgis Armory. Come down and see Santa while you let a hot cup of chili warm you up to the holiday spirit!

Click here to read more information about this event from the Rapid City Journal.

Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow. 

~Edward Sandford Martin

• Trick-or-treating dates back to the Middle Ages and All Souls’ Day, when poor people in Britain would beg for soul cakes, a sweet-bread treat, and pray for dead relatives in return.

• When trick-or-treating first became popular in the United States in the 1800’s, more children played mischievous pranks than asked for candy. By the 1950’s, the focus had switched to good old family fun, with sugar-hyped children dressed in costumes.

• The candy-collecting tradition has spread from the United States to Canada, Australia, and Western Europe, where more and more little goblins now trick-or-treat. In parts of England, children carry lanterns called punkies (which look like jack-o’-lanterns) and parade through the town on the last Thursday of October (today!). In Ireland, rural neighborhoods light bonfires, and children play snap apple, in which they try to take a bite from apples that are hung by strings from a tree or a door frame.

• Chocolate makes up about three-quarters of a trick-or-treater’s loot, according to the National Confectioners Association.

• In the event that the spoils aren’t scarfed down whole hog, separate chocolate out and keep it in a cool, dark, dry place. Milk chocolate is good for no more than 8 to 10 months, while dark lasts up to two years. Hard candy will also keep in a cool, dry place for about a year. Store soft candies in a covered dish away from direct heat and light. Enjoy them within six months.

Thanks for Real Simple magazine for the fun facts!