John Frum Day, Lupercalia, Nirvana Day, more

February 15th, 2012, is John Frum Day, Lupercalia, Nirvana Day, Thanks for a Great Valentine's Day, Palindrome Day, Susan B. Anthony Day, Remember the Maine Day, National Flag of Canada Day, and Gumdrop Day. 

John Frum Day is the most intriguing holiday ever encountered by The Holiday Whiz. John Frum isn't actually a person. John Frum seems to be a corruption of "John from America," and he is worshipped as a deity on the island of Tanna, Vanuatu, in the South Pacific. During World War II, American troops landed on the island with food and supplies, to the delight of the natives. Since the war ended, so-called cargo cults have prayed for the return of John Frum. On February 15th they dress as GIs, display the American flag, and build symbolic landing strips! I hope their prayers are answered.

  

Lupercalia is an ancient Roman festival, no longer celebrated. Men sacrificed goats, then ran about town with the goat skins. Young wives wanted to be touched by the skins, to promote fertility.

Buddhists celebrate Nirvana Day, remembering the death of Buddha and his transition into parinirvana, the ultimate nirvana.

If you're suffering from withdrawal after yesterday's overload of red and pink hearts, send ecards to celebrate Thanks for a Great Valentine's Day.

Palindrome Day continues today, 2-15-12. Four more consecutive days to go!

Susan B. Anthony Day honors an important activist. She fought for women's rights in the United States, especially the right to vote.

Remember the Maine Day is observed on February 15h, the anniversary of the 1898 event that started the Spanish-American War. The U.S.S. Maine, an American warship, was blown up in Havana, Cuba. After the explosion, 260 men were dead or missing.

  

Those in the Great White North celebrate National Flag of Canada Day today.

After yesterday's overload of chocolate, flowers, and hearts, it's nice to enjoy the childlike simplicity of Gumdrop Day.

Click to view all blog posts!

Valentine's Day, Quirkyalone Day, more

February 14th, 2012, is Valentine's Day, Heart to Heart Day, International Quirkyalone Day, National Call in Single Day, Gold Heart Day, National Have-a-Heart Day, Ferris Wheel Day, Think About Sex Day, National Condom Day, Library Lovers Day, Race Relations Day, Extraterrestrial Culture Day, Palindrome Day, Pet Theft Awareness Day, World Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Day, National Donor Day, and Cream-Filled Chocolates Day.

Chocolate hearts. Image: FreeDigitalPhotos, nokhoog_buchachon.

Valentine's Day is here again. Do something romantic for your lover, something sweet for your friend, something nurturing for yourself. The day is about love, not sadness; joy, not loneliness. Enjoy my "Top 10 Romantic Movie Quotes" to get in the mood.

Heart to Heart Day, an offshoot of Valentine's Day, is an opportunity to share your heart with another. In our world of electronic communications, send your heart to someone else via ecard.

International Quirkyalone Day is a sweet alternative to the commercialism of Valentine's Day. According to Quirkyalone.net, "IQD is a celebration of romance, freedom and individuality. It celebrates true romance (as opposed to the fake versions presented to us in reality dating shows), independence, creativity, friendship, and all kinds of love - including love for yourself."

National Call in Single Day is certainly a holiday in reaction to Valentine's Day. I don't endorse this one, because there's no shame in being single. Definitely it's better to be single than to be with the wrong person. Have yourself a wonderful day, no matter what your relationship status may be.

Gold Heart Day takes Valentine's Day to the realm of philanthropy. In the UK, people buy and wear Gold Hearts in support of the Variety Club Children's Charity.

On National Have-a-Heart Day, consider adopting a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. Proponents say it promotes heart health.

How about a romantic rendezvous for two under the stars at fifty feet, on a ferris wheel with twinkling lights? Ferris Wheel Day honors George Ferris, inventor of the classic romantic carnival ride.

Our friends in the UK observe Think About Sex Day on Valentine's Day. If you forgot to bring flowers or a card for your partner, however, thinking about sex might be all you do.

National Condom Day fits in with the general holiday theme, in a way. Never allow yourself to be so swept away by emotion that you forget to protect yourself against disease or unwanted pregnancy.

Books (and the arts) need love too. Take time during the day to relax and celebrate Library Lovers Day.

February 14th is Race Relations Day. Make room in your heart for those who may be different from you on the outside, but who have a human heart just like yours on the inside.

Totally unrelated to matters of the heart, today is Extraterrestrial Culture Day. The holiday is observed on the second Tuesday in February.

2-14-12 is Palindrome Day once again.

LCA (Last Chance for Animals) promotes Pet Theft Awareness Day today. Think about ways to ensure the safety of your pets - chips, secure fences, better supervision - whatever is necessary. Pets are important members of the family.

Heart disease is a type of broken heart, which is why today is World Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Day. How can you help? What steps can you take to become more heart-healthy?

Share your heart with others, figuratively speaking, by signing up to be an organ donor. Today is National Donor Day.

What's Valentine's Day without chocolate? Be your own Valentine and buy some chocolates for yourself! Have a glorious Cream-Filled Chocolates Day!

Click to view all blog posts!

Madly in Love with Me Day, Get a Different Name Day, more

February 13th, 2012, is Madly in Love with Me Day, Get a Different Name Day, Value our Friendship Day, Clean Out Your Computer Day, Palindrome Day, Westminster Dog Show, Employee Legal Awareness Day, and Tortellini Day.

Madly in Love with Me Day isn't about conceit or self-absorption. Christine Arylo of Expanding Possibility, LLC, writes, "While it is true that women and girls have more equality and self esteem than ever before, something isn't changing. We believe that something is self-love.... knowing that you can do anything doesn't stop women and girls from beating themselves up, putting themselves into abusive relationships or hating and destroying their bodies." Loving yourself means protecting yourself and taking care of yourself.

Are you less than thrilled with the name your parents gave you? If so, take advantage of Get a Different Name Day. For inspiration, check out my list of celebrity baby names!

Value our Friendship Day is a nice time to meet an old friend for lunch, make a phone call to catch up, or at least send an e-greeting.

The second Monday in February is Clean Out Your Computer Day. Take time to empty your recycle bin, clear out some files and folders you no longer use, and scan your devices for viruses.

Once again today, 2-13-12, we celebrate Palindrome Day.

The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show begins today in New York, featuring 2,000 well-bred canines.

Employee Legal Awareness Day stresses the importance of educating employees about relevant legal issues.

Enjoy a stuffed ring-shaped pasta, reminisent of promise rings or wedding bands, while romance is in the air this week. Celebrate Tortellini Day!

Click to view all blog posts!

World Marriage Day, Love a Mensch Day, more

February 12th, 2012, is World Marriage Day, Love a Mensch Day, Darwin Day, Palindrome Day, Sexual and Reproductive Health Day, Arschleder Sledding World Championship, Oglethorpe Day, and National Plum Pudding Day.

Marriage. Image: FreeDigitalPhotos, nuttakit.

World Marriage Day is always celebrated on the second Sunday in February, right around Valentine's Day. Keep the romance in your marriage alive by doing something sweet and unexpected.

Two days before Valentine's Day is Love a Mensch Day. If you're not sure what a mensch (or mentch) is, check this description!

Darwin Day, celebrated on the birth date of Charles Darwin, celebrates his theories and scientific exploration in general. Isn't the "mensch" the ultimate evolved man?

Today is Palindrome Day because the date is 2-12-12 - the same forward or backward. (Just don't write out the year as four digits.) Come to think of it, every day from 2-10-12 to 2-19-12 is Palindrome Day!

The Canadian Federation for Sexual Health sponsors Sexual and Reproductive Health Day. Their goal this year is to distribute information via social media. Glad I can help, I suppose!

In Neudorf, Germany, competitors slide on leather britches, hoping to win the Arschleder Sledding World Championship. Originally, back in the Middle Ages, participants wore their Arschleder over their work trousers while riding tree stumps down the mountain. Sounds wintery and splintery!

The U.S. state of Georgia celebrates Oglethorpe Day, honoring James Edward Oglethorpe, founder of Savannah and the colony's first governor. Oglethorpe and his British comrades landed in the area on this date in 1733. Georgia is named for King George II.

I learned a surprising fact from Punchbowl just now. Seems plum pudding contains no plums, as we know them in the U.S., but instead features raisins, apples, cinnamon, and dates. Who knew? Anyway, have a happy National Plum Pudding Day.

Click to view all blog posts!

Be Electrific Day, Woo at the Zoo, Peppermint Patty Day, more

February 11th, 2012, is Be Electrific Day, Inventors' Day, Satisfied Staying Single Day, Don't Cry over Spilt Milk Day, Make a Friend Day, White T-Shirt Day, Woo at the Zoo, Pro Sports Wives Day, World Day of the Sick, Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, National Shut-In Visitation Day, National Foundation Day (Japan), and National Peppermint Patty Day.

Be Electrific Day, also known as Inventors' Day, commemorates the birth date of Thomas Edison. His light bulb invention is really starting to catch on.

Satisfied Staying Single Day is a day of pride for every happy single person, as well as every pretending-to-be-happy single. The day is most likely a reaction to the social pressures of Valentine's Day.

On Don't Cry over Spilt Milk Day, don't dwell on events you cannot change. Instead, use your energy to make positive change for the future.

Put out a little extra effort today. Say "hello," make light conversation, smile or nod at someone as you pass, perform a random act of kindness. Embrace the spirit of Make a Friend Day.

White T-Shirt Day commemorates a show of solidarity by the United Auto Workers in 1937. Participants wore white t-shirts in the spirit of unity. Celebrate by wearing a white t-shirt, buying an American-made car, or listening to some Plain White T's tunes.

The Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington, DC, hosts Woo at the Zoo. This adults-only event offers participants a glimpse into the mating and reproductive habits of animals, along with hors d'oeuvres, a cash bar, and the chance to decorate a brownie from, appropriately enough, Naughty Bits Brownies.

Pro Sports Wives Day honors those who seem to lead cushy lives - the wives of professional athletes. They have money, of course. They're invited to fancy events. They have the opportunity to travel with their husbands or enjoy breathing space when their hubbies are out of town, whichever suits their style. The main downside might be the sports groupies.

On February 11th, the Catholic Church observes World Day of the Sick and Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. In 2012 events are being held in Germany. Pope Benedict XVI writes, "On the occasion of the World Day of the Sick, which we will celebrate on 11 February 2012, the Memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes, I wish to renew my spiritual closeness to all sick people who are in places of care or are looked after in their families, expressing to each one of them the solicitude and the affection of the whole Church."

National Shut-In Visitation Day is a great day to visit someone who lives alone or doesn't get out much. Spread a little cheer in a local nursing home or hospital. Everyone needs companionship!

The people of Japan celebrate the founding of their nation on National Foundation Day.

Celebrate either the chocolate and mint confection or the girl who likes Charlie Brown on National Peppermint Patty Day.

Click to view all blog posts!

Palindrome Day, Umbrella Day, Plimsoll Day, more

February 10th, 2012, is Palindrome Day, Umbrella Day, National Day of Action, Plimsoll Day, and National Cream Cheese Brownie Day.

Palindrome Day is here again! A palindrome is a word, phrase, or sentence that's spelled the same way forward or backward - "Do geese see God?" for example. Today's date is a numerical palindrome - 2-10-2012. This is your special day, wordsmiths and math geeks!

Umbrella Day could be the day to play Rihanna's song about her um-ber-ella-ella-ella or The Hollies' tune about sharing an umbrella. Just don't open an umbrella in the house, okay? That's unlucky.

National Day of Action is observed in the UK on Friday of Go Green Week. Here's the latest from People and Planet: "This year, we're asking the government to live up to its promise to become the greenest government ever and take urgent action to secure the education sector's transition to a low-carbon, sustainable future that can create green jobs."

Plimsoll Day honors Samuel Plimsoll, who introduced the Unseaworthy Ships Act in Britain in 1876. The Act was meant to solve the problem of overloaded ships, by requiring a line - the Plimsoll Line - to be painted on every ship's hull to show its waterline at maximum capacity. Unfortunately, the original Act was poorly written, requiring a line but not requiring the line to be accurately placed!

National Cream Cheese Brownie Day highlights a different sort of brownie. I'm not sure if it's meant to have extra zing or just be healthier than regular brownies made with butter. If you try some, please report back!

Click to view all blog posts!

Read in the Bathtub Day, Pizza Pie Day, more

February 9th, 2012, is Read in the Bathtub Day, Switch Off Thursday, Toothache Day, Pizza Pie Day, and National Bagels and Lox Day.

Today is Read in the Bathtub Day. I'll pass on this one, thanks. Don't want my Kindleto get all sudsy.

Thursday of Go Green Week is Switch Off Thursday. Participate by switching off lights when you leave a room, unplugging chargers when not in use, and turning off water when possible while brushing your teeth or washing dishes.

Speaking of brushing your teeth, today is Toothache Day. If you haven't seen a dentist in a while, screw up your courage and make an appointment.

Pizza Pie Day is a time to skip the typical pepperoni or sausage and try some creative toppings. How about Thai chicken, bacon and eggs, or fennel and chorizo?

Today is National Bagels and Lox Day. Enjoy this classic combination. Hey - I know - try it on a pizza!

Click to view all blog posts!

Extraterrestrial Culture Day, Laugh and Get Rich Day, more

February 8th, 2012, is Extraterrestrial Culture Day, Laugh and Get Rich Day, Empire State Building Run-Up, Kite Flying Day, Waste-Not Wednesday, Tu B'Shevat, Preseren Day, and National Molasses Bar Day.

Aliens. Image: FreeDigitalPhotos, Simon Howden.

Roswell, New Mexico, the home of Area 51, celebrates Extraterrestrial Culture Day today. Gather your Reese's Pieces, your mashed potatoes, your foil helmet, whatever you think is necessary.

Laughter is essential to good health and a positive outlook, but apparently laughter is also a means of attaining wealth. Who knew? Celebrate Laugh and Get Rich Day, then feel free to send me a commission.

If you're in really great shape, maybe you received an invitation to participate in this year's Empire State Building Run-Up. Perhaps my invitation got lost in the mail! Incidentally, the Empire State Building in New York City has 1,860 steps from street level to the 102nd floor.

February is a funny time to celebrate Kite Flying Day, but I'm just a humble reporter of holidays. I don't set the schedule.

Wednesday of Go Green Week is Waste-Not Wednesday. Try your best to consume less, waste less, and recycle more.

Tu B'Shevat is a Jewish holiday, known as New Year for Trees. The holiday occurs on the fifteenth day of Shevat. Many Jews eat fruit to celebrate; some try to eat a new fruit.

Preseren Day, the Slovenian cultural holiday, celebrates the talents of Slovenians in general and poet France Preseren in particular.

Satisfy your sweet tooth with a sweet and sticky treat on National Molasses Bar Day.

Click to view all blog posts!

Safer Internet Day, Fettuccine Alfredo Day, more

February 7th, 2012, is Wave All Your Fingers at your Neighbors Day, Safer Internet Day, Send a Card to a Friend Day, Ballet Day, Travel Light Tuesday, African-American Coaches Day, Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, Independence Day (Grenada), and National Fettuccine Alfredo Day.

Wave All Your Fingers at your Neighbors Day is a catchy way of promoting harmony among neighbors. Nice idea.

The theme of Safer Internet Day in 2012 is, "Connecting generations and educating each other." We work hard at this concept every day in our household. Open communication is key to helping younger, older, and/or gullible family members understand the potential pitfalls and dangers that exist online, in the midst of the fun and serious content.

On Send a Card to a Friend Day, send a traditional paper-and-envelope card or an e-greeting. The sentiment is what's important!

Ballet Day celebrates all things ballet, from dancing to watching a performance to collecting figurines. If you're really brave, wear a tutu too.

Travel Light Tuesday takes place on Tuesday of Go Green Week. Consider ways to reduce your fuel consumption - carpooling, combining errands, catching a bus, riding a bike, or walking.

African-American Coaches Day is observed on the first Tuesday in February. Coaches are valuable sources of inspiration in sports, business, and personal development.

Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is meant to reduce the incidence of HIV/AIDS in the Black Community, via "education, testing, involvement, and treatment."

Grenada observes Independence Day on February 7th.

Celebrate National Fettuccine Alfredo Day with a big bowl of ribbony pasta coated with creamy, cheesy goodness. Deliziosissima!

Click to view all blog posts!

Full moon names for February 7th, 2012

Full moon. Image: morgueFile.

The full moon for February 2012 takes place on February 7th. Following is a list of full moon names for February, ranging from common to surprising. Which names speak to you?

Makes Branches Fall in Pieces Moon - Abenaki
Full Hunger Moon - Algonquin
Full Snow Moon - Algonquin
Ice in River Is Gone - Algonquin
Trapper's Moon - Algonquin
Sucker Moon - Anishnaabe
Frost Sparkling in the Sun - Arapaho
Long Dry Moon - Assiniboine
Navam Poya - Buddhist
Moon of Ice - Celtic
Bony Moon - Cherokee
Budding Moon - Chinese
Little Famine Moon - Choctaw
Trapper's Moon - Colonial American
Sleet Moon - Comanche
Eagle Moon - Cree
Old Moon - Cree
Wind Moon - Creek
Moon of the Raccoon - Dakotah Sioux
Moon When Trees Pop - Dakotah Sioux
Snow Moon - Deborean
Storm Moon - English Medieval
Goose Moon - Haida
Magh Poornima - Hindu
Purnima Vrat - Hindu
Purification and Renewal - Hopi
Avunnivik - Inuit
Dark Moon - Janic
Hunger Moon - Janic
Storm Moon - Janic
Out of Food - Kalapuya
y'amuuni daawaatra - Keresan
Little Bud Moon - Kiowa
Index-Finger (counting on fingers, beginning with thumb in August) - Klamath
Rain and Dancing Moon - Klamath
Halanitca - Kumeyaay
Pattering Showers Moon - Maidu
Squint Rock Moon - Maidu
Trail Breaks Open Moon - Maidu
Lateness Moon - Mohawk
Nuts Moon - Natchez
Full Hunger Moon - Native American
Full Snow Moon - Native American
Squeeky Voice Moon - Navajo
Snow Moon - Neo Pagan
Moon When Geese Come Home - Omaha
When the Spruce Tips Fall - Passamaquoddy
Gray Moon (When Trees Are Bare and Vegetation Is Scarce) - Pima
Cold Winds Moon - Pomo
Month of Rabbit Conception - Potawatomi
Coyote Frighten Moon - San Juan
Crow Moon - Shawnee
Coyote Moon - Shoshoni
Dark Red Calves Moon - Sioux
Raccoon Moon - Sioux
Trees Pop Moon - Sioux
Winter Moon - Taos
Moon of the Cedar Dust Wind - Tewa Pueblo
Black Bear Moon - Tlingit
Big Winter Moon - Unknown
Candles Moon - Unknown
Chaste Moon - Unknown
Cleansing Moon - Unknown
Horning Moon - Unknown
Ice Moon - Unknown
Red and Cleansing Moon - Unknown
Wild Moon - Unknown
Quickening Moon - Wiccan
Fish-Running Moon - Winnebago
Shoulder to Shoulder around the Fire Moon - Wishram
Heka Meecha - Yaqui
Wind Moon - Yuchi
No Snow in Trails Moon - Zuni

Sources for full moon names:

• Farmers' Almanac - Full Moon Names and Their Meanings
• Moon Names
• Indian Moons, Days & Other Calendar Stuff 
• Hindu Blog - Purnima 2012 dates and time
• Spring Wolf's Pagan's Path - Full Moon Names
• About.com: Paganism/Wicca - Moon Phase Names in the Southern Hemisphere
• Willow Grove - Esbats & Full Moon Names
• Moon Names for a Full Year
• Wikipedia - Full Moon

More about the moon:

• Keith's Moon Page
• USNO Data Services
• Google Moon
• National Geographic - Moon Facts
• Calendars through the Ages - A month of moons

Click to view all blog posts!

Time for a Cuppa Day, Chinese Lantern Festival, more

February 6th, 2012, is Time for a Cuppa Day, Meat-Free Monday, Hurling the Silver Ball, Lame Duck Day, Chinese Lantern Festival, Waitangi Day, International Day Against Female Genital Mutilation, and Frozen Yogurt Day.

Time for a Cuppa Day is about relaxing over a cuppa tea, but only partly so. In the UK groups organize charity events, featuring tea and baked goods, to raise funds for Dementia UK.

The first day of Go Greeen Week in the UK is Meat-Free Monday. Some of us Super Bowl fans in the US could stand to go meatless for a day, following too many chicken wings, burgers, and nachos.

Hurling the Silver Ball is an annual event in Cornwall, England, always held on the Monday following February 3rd. Participants hurl a silver ball around town, and whoever hands the silver ball to the mayor at the stroke of midday wins a silver coin.

Lame Duck Day commemorates the Twentieth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. A lame duck president is one spending his final days in office, after someone else has been elected. Before the Twentieth Amendment was adopted, four months lapsed between the presidential election and the inauguration. Today a lame duck serves for only two months.

The Chinese Lantern Festival takes place on the fifteenth day of the Chinese New Year. Celebrations take place under the full moon, including dragons, fireworks, and games.

Waitangi Day is observed on February 6th in New Zealand, commemorating the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840. Representatives of the British Crown and Maori chiefs signed the treaty, founding the country of New Zealand. Today the holiday prompts both celebration and controversy.

The United Nations supports International Day Against Female Genital Mutilation. This traditional practice in parts of Africa and the Middle East is meant to ensure chastity, but this practice also "severely violates the human rights of women and girls."

Frozen Yogurt Day celebrates an alternative to ice cream - not as sweet, perhaps, but healthier.

Click to view all blog posts!

February 2012 weeks to celebrate

February brings thoughts of Valentine's Day. Predictably, many February celebrations revolve around matters of the heart - medical and romantic. Events for February 2012 are listed in chronological order.

Meat Week - January 29th to February 5th
Catholic Schools Week - January 29th to February 5th
National Cowboy Poetry Gathering (Elko, Nevada, USA) - January 30th to February 4th
Solo Diners Eat Out Week - February 1st to February 7th
Children's Authors and Illustrators Week - February 1st to February 7th
Women's Heart Week - February 1st to February 7th
National Patient Recognition Week - February 1st to February 7th
Cincinnati Beer Week (Cincinnati, Ohio, USA) - February 2nd to February 9th

Winterlude (Canada's Capital Region) - February 3rd to February 20th
Freelance Writers Appreciation Week - February 5th to February 11th
Dump Your Significant Jerk Week - February 5th to February 11th
International Coaching Week - February 5th to February 11th
Boy Scout Anniversary Week - February 5th to February 11th
National Bramley Apple Week (UK) - February 5th to February 12th
Shape Up with Pickles Week - first week in February
Just Say No to PowerPoint Week - February 6th to February 10th
International Friendship Week - February 6th to February 10th
International Networking Week - February 6th to February 10th
National School Counseling Week - February 6th to February 10th
Go Green Week - February 6th to February 12th
Publicity for Profit Week - February 6th to February 12th
World Orphan Week - February 6th to February 12th
Risk Awareness Week - February 6th to February 12th
Marriage Week - February 7th to February 14th
Have a Heart for Chained Dogs Week - February 7th to February 14th
Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week - February 7th to February 14th

Love May Make the World Go 'Round, but Laughter Keeps Us from Getting Dizzy Week - February 8th to February 14th
Trang Underwater Wedding Ceremony (Trang, Thailand) - February 10th to February 12th
SF Beer Week (San Francisco, California, USA) - February 10th to February 19th
International Flirting Week - February 12th to February 18th
National Condom Week - February 12th to February 18th
PTA Take Your Family to School Week - February 12th to February 18th
National Heart Failure Awareness Week - February 12th to February 18th
Duchenne Awareness Week - February 12th to February 18th
Children of Alcoholics Week - February 12th to February 18th
Celebration of Love Week - second week in February
Kraut and Frankfurter Week - second week in February
Jell-O Week (Utah) - second full week in February
National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans Week - second week in February
Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show (New York, New York, USA) - February 13th to February 14th
Random Acts of Kindness Week - February 13th to February 19th
World AG Expo - February 14th to February 16th
Love a Mensch Week - February 14th to February 20th
National Nest Box Week - February 14th to February 21st
Arizona Beer Week - February 18th to February 25th
National Future Farmers of America Week - February 18th to February 25th
National Entrepreneurship Week - February 18th to February 25th

International Friendship Week - February 19th to February 25th
National Pancake Week - February 19th to February 25th
National Engineers Week - February 19th to February 25th
National Justice for Animals Week - February 19th to February 25th
National Pay Your Bills Week - third week in February
International Friendship Week - last full week in February
Build a Better Trade Show Image Week - third full week in February
Shrovetide - February 20th to February 21st
Eating Disorders Awareness Week - February 20th to February 26th
National Chip Week (UK) - February 20th to February 26th
Breakfast2Live Week (UK) - February 20th to February 26th
Sacramento Beer Week (Sacramento, California, USA) - February 24th to March 4th
Ayyam-i-ha/Intercalary Days - February 26th to March 1st
Secondhand Wardrobe Week - February 26th to March 3rd
National Eating Disorders Awareness Week - February 26th to March 3rd

Telecommuter Appreciation Week - February 26th to March 3rd
Read Me Week - February 27th to March 2nd
Peace Corps Week - February 27th to March 2nd
Fairtrade Fortnight - February 27th to March 11th

If you know of more week-long February celebrations, please post information in the Comments section below. Thanks in advance!

Click to view all blog posts!

Super Bowl, Puppy Bowl, Popcorn Day, Nutella Day, more

February 5th, 2012, is Super Bowl XLVI, Puppy Bowl, National Popcorn Day, Move Hollywood and Broadway to Lebanon, PA Day, National Weatherman's Day, California Western Monarch Day, Kashmir Solidarity Day, Constitution Day (Mexico), British Yorkshire Pudding Day, World Nutella Day, and National Chocolate Fondue Day.

Super Bowl prep. Image: morgueFile.

The big question surrounding today's Super Bowl XLVI isn't "Which team will win?" The big question is "Do you watch the game or the commercials?" I'm a commercial-watching kind of gal.

The Super Bowl brings a compaanion event on Animal Planet - Puppy Bowl VIII. Puppies playing football! Alert your friends who love cute stuff.

National Popcorn Day is celebrated on Super Bowl Sunday or January 19th. Why not live on the edge and celebrate both?

One holiday that has yet to build much momentum is Move Hollywood and Broadway to Lebanon, PA Day. Lebanon is more famous for Amish farms, bologna, and candy than for celebrities, spotlights, or paparazzi. Be careful what you wish for!

National Weatherman's Day honors all weathermen and weatherwomen, including meteorologists. But most partcularly, the day honors John Jeffries, one of the first serious weather observers in the United States.

California Western Monarch Day is not a day to honor the King of California. Sorry, Your Majesty! It is a day to appreciate butterflies, especially monarchs, who are expert navigators.

Pakistan observes Kashmir Solidarity Day, showing support for Kasmir, occupied by India.

Mexico observes Constitution Day, commemorating the ratification of their constitution on this date in 1917.

The first Sunday in February is British Yorkshire Pudding Day. Yorkshire pudding isn't a pudding in the American sense of the word. It's a baked item, traditionally served as a first course to dull the appetite, so less meat could be served.

World Nutella Day honors a hazelnut spread beloved by many around the world.

When the beer, popcorn, nachos, and wings run low at your Super Bowl gathering, break out the chocolate fondue! Today is National Chocolate Fondue Day.

Click to view all blog posts!

Create a Vacuum Day, Ice Cream for Breakfast Day, more

February 4th, 2012, is Create a Vacuum Day, Thank a Mailman Day, Liberace Day, Quacker Day, Day for Change, World Cancer Day, Mawlid al-Nabi, Kounomiya Hadaka Matsuri, Independence Day (Sri Lanka), National Homemade Soup Day, National Stuffed Mushroom Day, and Ice Cream for Breakfast Day.

Create a Vacuum Day isn't the time to cobble together a device to suck dirt out of your carpet. Create a Vacuum Day is a celebration of science, and perhaps the as-of-yet unattainable perfect vacuum, a space devoid of particles.

Thank a Mailman Day is here. It's your second chance, if you failed to show appreciation during the holiday season, to thank the person who delivers your bills and junk mail. Sadly, the mailman may soon go the way of the buggy maker, as hand-delivered mail gives way to electronic communication.

Liberace Day celebrates the life and times of Liberace, a brilliant and flamboyant pianist who passed away on this date in 1987. He was the quintessential Vegas showman.

Quacker Day celebrates the Quacker Factory, a manufacturer of whimsical charms.

Day for Change is sponsored by UNICEF. Each year a different theme and country are highlighted. In 2012, the theme is "Education through Sport" and the country is Uganda.

On World Cancer Day, each of us is encouraged to "Stand Up and Do Something." Start by doing something to brighten the day of someone facing cancer in your community.

On February 4th, Muslims celebrate Mawlid al-Nabi, the birth of the Prophet Mohammed.

In Inazawa City, Japan, during Kounomiya Hadaka Matsuri, one man is given the honor of being Shin-otokoa. The chosen man must shave off all of his body hair, then wander the streets naked. Other men dressed in loincloths touch him to gain good luck; the naked man absorbs the ills of the community and prays to a Shinto deity. The naked man is then run out of town, taking bad luck away with him.

Sri Lanka, formerly known as Ceylon, observes Independence Day on February 4th.

National Homemade Soup Day inspires thoughts of steaming pots loaded with veggies, noodles, and other good things. Homemade soup sparks childhood memories.

National Stuffed Mushroom Day begs the question - stuffed with what? Cheese and breadcrumbs make a nice stuffing, but a little bit of spicy sausage adds zing.

If you're keen on feeding your kids a healthy breakfast every morning, don't tell them today is Ice Cream for Breakfast Day. Ignore the carton of pistachio ice cream in the freezer!

Click to view all blog posts!

Wear Red Day, Bean Throwing Festival, more

February 3rd, 2012, is National Wear Red Day, Bean Throwing Festival, Bubble Gum Day, The Day the Music Died, Halfway Point of Winter, Give Kids a Smile Day, National Patient Recognition Day, Heroes' Day (Mozambique), Saint Blaise Day, Four Chaplains Memorial Day, and National Carrot Cake Day.

On National Wear Red Day, Americans are asked to wear red in a show of support for women's heart health.

Japan celebrates the Bean Throwing Festival on February 3rd. People who were born in the corresponding year - the Year of the Dragon in 2012 - throw beans to the crowd to ward off evil spirits. Afterward, everyone eats the same number of beans as their age, to promote good health in the coming year. I sure hope the older folks like beans!

Bubble Gum Day is a fun and creative way to raise funds for charity. Simply offer the privilege of chewing gum in class or at the office, in exchange for fifty cents. All money is donated to a worthy cause. Everybody wins - gum lovers, people in need, and gum producers.

On The Day the Music Died, in 1959, the world lost Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper, and Ritchie Valens, three respected musicians of their time. Don McLean wrote and performed what would become his biggest hit in tribute:

Never mind the groundhog, the hedgehog, or whatever other critters people watched yesterday for prognostications about spring. Today is the true Halfway Point of Winter.

The American Dental Association sponsors Give Kids a Smile Day. Their goal is the elimination of cavities in children's teeth by the year 2020.

As part of National Patient Recognition Week, February 3rd is National Patient Recognition Day. A great reward for many of us patients would be less time spent in waiting rooms. Am I right, fellow patients?

Mozambique observes Heroes' Day, remembering those who lost their lives fighting for their country's freedom in 1975.

Saint Blaise Day honors the patron saint of throat ailments.

Four Chaplains Memorial Day is a time to remember four brave chaplains - George Fox, Alexander Goode, Clark Poling, and John Washington - who gave their lives to save others after the S.S. Dorchester was torpedoed during World War II.

Is it a vegetable or a cake? Well, it's a sneaky way to smuggle some veggies into the reluctant eater's dessert. Happy smuggling on National Carrot Cake Day.

Click to view all blog posts!

Groundhog Day, Hedgehog Day, Marmot Day, more

February 2nd, 2012, is Groundhog Day, Hedgehog Day, Marmot Day, Groundhog Job Shadow Day, Bonza Bottler Day, Candlemas, la Chandeleur, Candelaria, Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, World Wetlands Day, California Kiwifruit Day, and Heavenly Hash Day.

Groundhog Day is the event of the year in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, as Punxsutawney Phil pops out of his hole to see his shadow or not. If Phil sees his shadow, prepare for six more weeks of winter. If no shadow, get ready to wear shorts and flip flops sometime soon. Canadians have their own counterpart to Punxsutawney Phil - Wiarton Willie. Groundhog Day inspired one of my favorite lightweight movies, Groundhog Day, with Bill Murray.

Hedgehog Day is the precursor of Groundhog Day, celebrated in Rome thousands of years ago. Interestingly, the Romans looked for a shadow or absence of a shadow in the moonlight, not sunlight.

Our friends in Alaska celebrate Marmot Day, courtesy of Sarah Palin and friends, since groundhogs don't live there.

Last but not least in the list of groundhog-related celebrations is Groundhog Job Shadow Day. The AH&LA, American Hotel & Lodging Association, sponsors this job shadowing and mentoring program every February 2nd.

Bonza Bottler Day occurs once every month, when the numbers for the month and date coincide. Today, for example, is 2/2.

Candlemas, also known as Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, la Chandeleur, or Candelaria, celebrates three important Christian events: the presentation of baby Jesus; Jesus' first entry into the temple; and the purification of the Virgin Mary. Many burn candles, especially beeswax candles.

The theme for this year's World Wetlands Day is "Wetlands and Tourism." The Convention on Wetlands was first adopted on this date in 1971, in Ramsar, Iran, on the Caspian Sea.

To celebrate California Kiwifruit Day, try a Kiwi Klimax, a drink specially created in honor of this holiday.

Everyone has their own opinion as to what makes heavenly hash so heavenly. Whip up a batch of your favorite concoction today, Heavenly Hash Day.

Click to view all blog posts!

Working Naked Day, Hoola in the Coola Day, more

February 1st, 2012, is Working Naked Day, Hoola in the Coola Day, Serpent Day, National Girls and Women in Sports Day, Robinson Crusoe Day, Spunky Old Broads Day, National Freedom Day, Abolition of Slavery in Mauritius, Imbolc, St. Brigid's Day, and National Baked Alaska Day.

People who work from home, setting their own rules (and dress code), celebrate the 3rd annual Working Naked Day today. People who work outside the home should probably skip this holiday.

Hoola in the Coola Day is a time to ignore winter and embrace summer, to shed the sweater and don a grass skirt, to replace winter comfort foods with a Hawaiian luau feast.

Are you afraid of snakes? If so, keep your guard up today, Serpent Day.

The theme for the 26th annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day is "Title IX at 40: In it for the Long Run." Title IX requires equal treatment for boys and girls in federally funded educational programs and activities, including athletics.

Robinson Crusoe Day is the anniversary of the rescue of Alexander Selkirk, a sailor whose adventures inspired Daniel Defoe's book, Robinson Crusoe. Embark upon an adventure of your own!

Have a blast on Spunky Old Broads Day, if you happen to be a spunky old broad. In fact, go wild the whole month of February, because it's Spunky Old Broads Month!

National Freedom Day commemorates the signing of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution on February 1st, 1865. With his signature, President Abraham Lincoln ended slavery in the United States. Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation one month prior.

The island of Mauritius celebrates Abolition of Slavery in Mauritius, the anniversary of the 1835 event.

Imbolc, also known as  St. Brigid's Day, is the Celtic celebration of the beginning of spring.

Have you ever baked ice cream in your oven? If that sounds just plain crazy to you, then you've never had the glorious dessert known as Baked Alaska. Top a cake with a mound of ice cream, then insulate the ice cream in a layer of meringue. Bake until the meringue is golden, then enjoy. The ice cream will still be cold, a small miracle for National Baked Alaska Day!

Click to view all blog posts!

February 2012 month-long celebrations

February is a funny month, sometimes with twenty-eight days, sometimes with twenty-nine. In 2012, a leap year, February has twenty-nine. Use those days to their best advantage by focusing on one or more month-long celebrations. Events are listed alphabetically, with descriptive words such as "National" and "World" omitted.

Adopt a Rescued Rabbit Month
African American History Month
AMD/Low Vision Awareness Month
American Heart Month
Archive Your Files Month
Bake for Family Fun Month

Bird Feeding Month
Black Awareness Month
Black History Month
Blah Buster Month
Boost Your Self-Esteem Month
Canned Food Month
Care about your Indoor Air Month
Cat Health Month
CDC Fruit of the Month - Star Fruit
CDC Vegetable of the Month - Exotic Vegetables (Calabaza Squash, Chayote Squash, Bitter Melon)
Cherry Month
Chocolate Lover's Month
Condom Month
Creative Romance Month
Dog Training Education Month
Embroidery Month
Expect Success Month
Fabulous Florida Strawberry Month
Friendship Month
From Africa to Virginia Month
Get to Know an Independent Broker Month
Grapefruit Month
Great American Pie Month
Great Lent (Orthodox) - February 27th to April 15th
Hot Breakfast Month
Human Relations Month
Indoor Gardening Month
Jobs in Golf Month
Laugh-Friendly Month
Lent - February 22nd to April 5th
Library Lovers Month
Macadamia Nut Month
Marfan Awareness Month
Marijuana Awareness Month
Mend a Broken Heart Month
Parent Leadership Month
Pet Dental Health Month

Plant the Seeds of Greatness Month
Potato Lovers Month
Prenatal Infection Prevention Month
Prevent a Litter Month
Pull Your Sofa off the Wall Month
Relationship Wellness Month
Renaissance of the Heart Month
Responsible Pet Owner Month
Return Your Shoppng Carts to the Supermarket Month
Scouting Anniversary Month
Snack Food Month
Spay/Neuter Awareness Month
Spunky Old Broad Month
Sweet Potato Month
Take a New Year's Resolution to Stop Smoking (TANYRSS) - December 17th to Superbowl Sunday, February 5th
Time Management Month
Twit Award Month
Wise Health Care Consumer Month
Women's Heart Health Month
World Understanding Month
Youth Leadership Month 

If you know of other month-long celebrations that should be included in this list, please  provide info in the Comments section below. Happy February!

Click to view all blog posts!