While you're frying up some eggs and bacon, we're cooking up something else: a way to celebrate today's food holiday.

Today's food holiday is hand-picked just for you - January 9 is National Apricot Day!

Pay homage to one of the oldest fruits on the planet today. Consider this fruit a sweet way to start the week off right, or at least observe one serving of fruit to honor your healthy resolutions.

Apricots were cultivated extensively in prehistoric times, and were so popular and widely grown in ancient Armenia, that it was easy to assume the fruit originated there. Other sources claim China and India as other possible origin spots, but Armenia holds on to their claim to fame.

The fruit gained popularity both for its sweetness and portability - apricots are often dried and make for a great snack this way. They also grow best in cold winters, when apricots like to mature, even though it is an extremely short growing season.

Some cultures esteem apricots, while others give them a wide berth. Tank-operating Marines in the U.S. Marine Corps won't eat apricots, allow them in the tank or even utter the word because of the amount of tanks that have broken down while an apricot can was on board.

However, there is also a Turkish saying that translates to, "the only thing better than this is an apricot in Damascus." So leave the tank joy ride behind and enjoy a delicious apricot, even if it isn't from Damascus.