For the most part, I find all of the national days dedicated to things like doughnuts and grilled cheese sandwiches kind of silly. But Feb. 18 is National Drink Wine Day and that is something I can seriously celebrate. (I know — I figured this was a daily commandment, too, but apparently I was wrong.) Not only is drinking wine basically a global pastime, there are also some incredible ways wine is good for you that make this holiday even more necessary.
Yep, you thought the day was invented just to get everyone drunk, but that's not quite the case. According to the website for National Drink Wine Day, the purpose of the celebration is to share the health benefits of wine, as well as spread the love of wine. And it makes sense. I mean, wine has been around since the beginning of time. There's got to be a reason why it's lasted, right? Archaeologists have even found traces of some kind of fermented fruit beverage on pottery sherds in China that date back to 7000-6600 BC. Can you imagine making your own wine? Actually, can you imagine inviting your girlfriends over back then to drink that wine? You just know that someone's probably going to put your clay pot on their head after a few too many glasses and there will be inappropriate heiroglyphics drawn on your walls.
They probably didn't know too many of these 11 benefits back then, but knowing them today means it's totally worth the effort of cleaning wine stains out of your favorite clay pitcher. (Or your IKEA couch cushions.) Just remember that it's all about moderation, no matter how great the benefits sound. Happy National Drink Wine Day!