Holidays and Celebrations in February - Some Fun, Some Unusual and Some Strange

© Copyright 2011 Cindy Murdoch (homesteadbound)

Most months contain known (regularly scheduled) holidays that we celebrate year in and year out. February is no different in that respect. February has Ground Hog's day and Valentine's Day. Mardi Gras also usually falls in February.

But there are celebrations to be had every day of the month. I searched through calendars to find a reason to celebrate every day in February. Some of the celebrations fell on different days on different calendars, sometimes with a disparity of 4 days difference! Fortunately all of them agreed on Valentine's Day!

So, look over this February calendar and pick out some days to celebrate and enjoy life! I especially hope that you have someone to cozy up with on Valentine's Day.

National Embroidery Month - to celebrate National Embroidery Month, here is a link for a video library of hand stitches. If you have found yourself wanting to learn how to embroider, these links will get you started.

National African American History Month - This monthly observance commemorates the struggles that African Americans have endured and the impact that those struggles have had on American history.

American Heart Month - With cardiovascular disease being the number one killer, this month gives us time to pause and analyze our lifestyle choices.

International Boost Self-Esteem Month – Set aside time for you this month. Click on the link for a great advice on how to boost your self-esteem and raise your morale.

International Expect Success Month – According to Jack Canfield, author of “The Success Principles” and “Chicken Soup for the Soul”, when you “begin to believe that what you want is possible, your brain will actually take over the job of accomplishing that possibility for you.”

National Wild Bird Feeding Month - This observance was created to encourage involvement in feeding and watching wild birds. A bird feeder and a pair of binoculars is a must!

National Cherry Month – Check out this link for recipes utilizing cherries and a super-fruit cherry handbook!

Plant the Seeds of Greatness Month – dedicate yourself to 28 days of making the world a better place, starting with you.

Potato Lover's Month – This is the month to enjoy potatoes. Check out Cloverleaf’s Perfect Crispy Oven Baked Roast Potatoes. They are really good! Check out DeborahNeyen's hub, Celebrate Potato Lovers Month with Fun Facts, Tips and Recipes for a most excellent article about the often maligned potato!

http://deborahneyens.hubpages.com/hub/Potato-Lovers-Celebrate-In-February

Return Shopping Carts to the Supermarket Month – This is a very unusual holiday. If a runaway cart has lost its way to the store, it is time to help it find its way home.

Mardi Gras does not fall on the same date every year. Mardi Gras is tied to the Lenton season which in turn is tied to Easter.

The Mardi Gras season, sometimes called the Carnival season, does not have a set length of time in which it is to occur but generally falls between Epiphany and Ash Wednesday, with the last day of the celebration being Fat Tuesday. In fact, Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday, also known as Shrove Tuesday.

In some cities, the Mardi Gras celebration is one day only – Fat Tuesday. Other cities have a three day celebration ending on Fat Tuesday. And still others consider the entire period between Epiphany and Ash Wednesday to be the Mardi Gras season.

In Mobile, Alabama some social events related to Mardi Gras begin in November and are followed by Thanksgiving balls. Beginning New Year’s Eve and all the way through Fat Tuesday celebratory balls and parades are also held.

1 – Working Naked Day – Believe it or not, there really is a Working Naked Day. It was founded in 2010 by Dallasite, Lisa Kanarek. If you work at home (sounds like a hubber), and have had the wish to do so naked (but not this hubber) – this would be your day to shine (as in, moon) …. Working from home – where doing your job is a clothing optional event!

2 – Ground Hog Day – Enjoy some fun activities with the kids.

3 - Bubble Gum Day – Be a kid again! Enjoy some bubble gum and have a bubble blowing contest with other kids – young and old! Check out this Bubble Gum Day Activity Guide.

4 – Create a Vacuum Day – Check out these 4 different ways to create a vacuum, and none of them have to do with cleaning floors! The video about shaving cream in a vacuum was interesting.

5 – World Nutella Day – What is Nutella? Celebrate by preparing a recipe using Nutella – 100’s to choose from!

On February 3, 1959, Buddy Holly, J.P. "Big Bopper" Richardson, Ritchie Valens and Roger Peterson (the pilot) died in a plane crash. These videos document that time period with emphasis on the last day, February 3, 1959.

6 – Pay a Compliment Day – Although there is never a bad day to deliver a compliment, today is the day to do it “on purpose” by just going out of our way to be nice and compliment those around us. It could make all the difference in the world to someone! The history behind the creation of this “holidate” is very noteworthy.

7 – Dump Your Significant Jerk Day – Oh, my! This the day to do it – to dump that significant jerk just in time to get a better model for Valentine’s Day! Be sure to read the link – it’s a hoot!

8 – Laugh and Get Rich Day – If that is all it took to get rich, the world would be a much happier place. If you need a good laugh, I have a few hubs that should do it for you: Sexy Bikini Nun! Time to Take Your Medicine! Things that Make Us Laugh! and Who is The Cat in the Mirror; Cat Idioms; Funny Cat Videos. So make Laugh and Get Rich more than a day to celebrate, adopt it as a way of life!

9 – Read in the Bathtub Day – Today is a great day to grab a good book (non-electronic) and your rubber ducky and hop in the tub for a nice long soak. Sound like fun? (On one of the calendars, this date was National Develop Alternative Vices Day. Now that sounds like an interesting day to try on for size; however, I was not able to locate any information about it other than it was celebrated on this date. So if you want, make up your own rules – is that another vice – not following the rules?)

10 – National Cream Cheese Brownie Day – Today is the day to make a pan of Cream Cheese Brownies and share with someone else. These are absolutely delicious!

11 – National Peppermint Patty Day – Make a batch of home-made peppermint patties. Decorate for Valentine’s day and you will have great gifts to share on that special day.

12 – National Lost Penny Day - One way that the day is typically honored by throwing all of your pennies into a jar, and then on February 12^th cash them in and donate the money to a worthy cause - great way to spread a little love in the month of love. Pennies have the picture of Abraham Lincoln on them, and February 12^th is Lincoln’s birthday.

13 – Get a Different Name Day – Today is the day that you are allowed to ditch the name your parents gave you and adopt another. Read her profile and see why one hubber, Vicki L. Hodges, changed her name just for HubPages. Do you know who she is?

14 – Valentine’s Day – The day that cupid can be seen flying around looking for those to infect with the love bug! Celebrate this special day with someone you love!

15 – National Gum Drop Day – Today is the day that you can enjoy gum drops guilt-free, especially if you make your own!

16 – Do a Grouch a Favor Day – Do you know a grouch? If so, do something nice for them today so they will expend their energy trying to figure out what you are up to.

17 – Random Acts of Kindness Day – Surprise those around you with anonymous acts of kindness. Watch how it can change their whole day and yours too.

18 – Drink Wine Day – If you are near a vineyard, visit their winery for some taste-testing and take your favorite bottle home to enjoy later.

19 – Chocolate Mint Day – Chocolate and mint are often used together to create heavenly taste treats. Choose one of 25 recipes using chocolate and mint to create a taste treat for yourself.

20 – Hoodie-Hoo Day – This is a very unusual day. If you are shy, you will have to make sure the neighbors are not around when you observe this one. Or you could make sure that you have an alcoholic beverage in your hand. This day requires you to go outside and shout "Hoodie-hoo!" to scare old man Winter away, therefore, allowing Spring to come!

21 – Love your Pet Day -Give your pets extra loving and extra pampering today: play with them, pet them, brush them, take them for an extra walk, etc.

22 – National Margarita Day – Here are 20 margarita recipes to choose from. Recipes include interesting margaritas such as: strawberry basil margarita, Italian Amaretto margarita, Mexicali beer margarita and Texatini margarita. Make you a margarita and then sit back and enjoy Jimmy Buffet singing "Margaritaville".

23 – International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day - Consider making your dog some home-made dog biscuits or treats – many recipes to choose from.

24 – National Trading Card Day – Long before there were baseball cards and all the other sports cards that are now available there were trade cards. Trade cards, used as early as the late 1700’s, were used as business cards by tradesmen.

25 – International Sword Swallowers Awareness Day – This day was created to honor the contributions that sword swallowers have made to the medical community. Read this article to see how sword swallowers have been and are used by the medical community. Watch the video below and learn why it takes years to learn the art of sword swallowing.

26 – For Pete’s Sake Day - This day is used to honor those words or phrases we use to replace the unacceptable words we might want to use when we are feeling angry, stressed or in pain. Other examples of these kinds of words or phrases are: for the love of Mike, holy spit and sam hill.

27 – Polar Bear Day – Peruse through this list of nine things that can be done to celebrate polar bear day! Consider working on a bear-themed craft project.

28 – Floral Design Day – Go to a florist shop and admire the different floral designs they have on display at the store. Enjoy coloring floral design coloring sheets with your children.

29 - Leap Year Day - You only get to celebrate this day once every four years. So find a special way to celebrate it.

The shortest month of the year provides us with ample opportunities to celebrate February!

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© Copyright 2011 Cindy Murdoch (homesteadbound)

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