National Umbrella Month!

March is National Umbrella Month. It is always good to be prepared for the rain or sun, so let’s look at some fun facts about umbrellas.
• The word umbrella comes from the Latin word umbra, which means shaded or shadow.
• The earliest known examples of umbrellas can be found in ancient Egyptian art from around 2450 BC. These were typically a fan of palm-leaves or colored feathers mounted on a long handle.
• Umbrellas were originally invented to protect people from the burning rays of the sun.
• In 1828, the Beehler Umbrella Factory became the first company to make umbrellas in the U.S. They had wooden poles, whale-bone ribs, and oiled canvas. In 1852, he switched to steel ribs.
• Around 1750, Jonas Hanway, of England, is credited as being one of the first men brave enough to carry an umbrella in public. Before that, they were viewed as a female fashion accessory.
• Umbrellas can be used as a weapon, or its shaft can hide a secret blade. Another example is when a Bulgarian dissident writer was assassinated, in 1978, by a KGB agent who carried a deadly poison in his modified umbrella.
• In the U.S., about 33 million umbrellas are sold each year.
• Over 80 percent of umbrellas sold in the world are made in China.
• Some umbrellas are made to be used as canes, or walking sticks.
• In 1923, the pocket (foldable) umbrella was invented by the Balogh brothers, of Hungary.
• Umbrellas are often used as a decoration for many exotic cocktails and drinks. So, if you order a drink tonight and see an umbrella on it, don’t forget to say, “Cheers!”