HOLIDAYS & OBSERVANCES
In 1887 Oregon became the first state to pass a law recognizing this September holiday
Labor Day
The name of this heavy hooded jacket favored by skiers & hunters is from the Russian for "pelt"
Parka
Quick!
5 + 32 + 7 -10
34
Introduced in 1959, the first of these collectible dolls sported a ponytail & a zebra-striped bathing suit
Barbie
Chew on this: humans have 12 of these teeth with broad biting surfaces adapted for grinding
molars
In Islam Lailat al Miraj celebrates his journey from Mecca to Jerusalem & ascension into heaven
Mohammed
A ship in the desert? No, it's just this optical illusion from the French for "to look at"
a mirage
It's not an arm muscle, it's math talk for "to divide into 2 equal parts"
bisect
You're not a loonie just because you collect loonies, shekels & other types of these
coins
In 1995 the FDA approved a vaccine for this kids' disease of skin outbreaks caused by the varicella-zoster virus
chicken pox
Varying with the local climate, the date of this tree-planting day ranges from November to May
Arbor Day
This term for one who willfully destroys another's property comes from the name of a Germanic tribe
a vandal
Also known as the multiplicative inverse, for 5/3, it's 3/5
hint: starts with R
reciprocal
Fishing enthusiasts collect these devices that let out the line on the rod, & may take them out for a spin
reels
Per its label, the topical medicine Vicks VapoRub aims to suppress this cold symptom
Cough
Meaning arrival, it's the 4-week period before Christmas
Advent
Used to describe stately mansions of the old south, it's from the Latin for "before the war"
antebellum
The first three trigonometry functions that students learn
Sin, Cosine, Tangent
A collection of these creatures mounted on pins may include hairstreaks & swallowtails
Butterflies
This gland is about 6 inches long and is responsible for creating and secreting enzymes that help break down sugars, fats, and starches
Pancreas
Although the first celebration of this holiday occurred in October 1792, it didn't become a federal holiday until 1937
Columbus Day
The general agreement is that this word meaning a majority of opinion is from the Latin for "to feel together"
a consensus
what are the chances of landing heads on a coin toss 4 times in a row?
1/16
One of these collectibles, "Action No. 1", sold in 2011 for $2.16 million
Comic Book
Vasco da Gama once lost about 100 out of 160 men to this disease caused by a lack of vitamin C
scurvy