December 31, 2013: We’re on the cusp of a shiny new year; what better time to crack out a bottle of bubbly? It’s National Champagne Day! I suspect, however, that you’re welcome to also celebrate with sparkling wines from regions other than Champagne. For New Year’s Eve, I myself have a bottle of sparkling Moscato in the fridge.

On the flip side of the happy occasions, it’s also Unlucky Day today. Lots of theories around the internets about this one, but nobody knows for sure where it came from or why such a downer of a holiday would fall on the last day of the year. Maybe it’s your chance to get unlucky things out of the way, so you can start 2014 with good luck, health, prosperity, and all that other happy stuff. At any rate, maybe it’s wise to stay away from ladders, black cats, mirrors, upside-down horseshoes, or any other ominous portents.