Farmers Almanac

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Farmers Almanac
The 2012 Farmers Almanac
Farmers' Almanac

Think times have changed? Check this out.

Think times have changed? Check this out.

How Children Should Act with their Parents in Public
(Originally published in the 1967 Farmers’ Almanac)

• Always call your parents “Mother” and “Father” or “Dad.”

• Always introduce people to your mother. No matter how important the other person is, begin: “Mother, I’d like you to know…”

• When your parents introduce you to their friends, make them proud. Stand up for an introduction, and acknowledge it with the friend’s name: “How do you do, Mrs. Carter.” Don’t sit down, while either your mother or Mrs. Carter is still standing.

• If your parents’ friends ask questions, even though they seem a little foolish, answer. Never say, “I dunno,” or just giggle. Admittedly, “You’ve grown so, haven’t you?” is silly, but it becomes sensible conversation if you answer, “Yes, I’m nearly two inches taller than I was last year.”

• If your dad tells a story involving you and gets some of the facts wrong, let it go. Setting him straight in front of an audience just sounds quarrelsome and childish.

• Let your mother precede you into a train or bus or down a theater aisle. In these places, walk ahead of your father.

• Treat your mother like a lady and your father like a gentleman, and you can’t help impressing the world with your own charm and poise.

If you notice a hole in the upper left-hand corner of your Farmers' Almanac, don't return it to the store! That hole isn't a defect; it's a part of history. Starting with the first edition of the Farmers' Almanac in 1818, readers used to nail holes into the corners to hang it up in their homes, barns, and outhouses (to provide both reading material and toilet paper). In 1910, the Almanac's publishers began pre-drilling holes in the corners to make it even easier for readers to keep all of that invaluable information (and paper) handy.

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