Everyone knows the basic holidays; Saint Patrick’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Christmas, Christmas Eve, Halloween, and the 4th of July, as some examples. However, what people tend to neglect are the holidays that fall on almost every day of every month. February has almost 110 holidays that a lot of people tend to forget about, or they don’t even know about it. Some celebrate chocolate and desserts, and some celebrate activities and work careers.
Every holiday falls under a different category. I have done some research and separated each holiday into a category. The categories include; Chocolates/ Desserts/ Candies and Baking, Activities/ Work, Pets/ Animals, Historical Days for Famous Presidents or Scientists, Pop Culture/ Cultural Events, Food, Technology, and last but not least Health. Keep in mind these are just the holidays in February.
Some of these holidays will have already taken place by the time this article gets published. If you plan to celebrate any of these holidays please take time to read the dates I have written beside them. If you read these dates you will be able to figure out if the holiday has passed or not.
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Paczki Day
Paczki is a special pastry that gets reserved for once a year in honor of Fat Tuesday “Mardi Gras.” Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras falls on February 16th and under the category of Activities/ Work.
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Mardi Gras, “Fat Tuesday in French, is a celebratory carnival that leads up to the beginning of Lent. “Fat Tuesday” refers to the practice of consuming all of the food forbidden to eat while fasting during Lent. Lent then begins on Ash Wednesday, February 17th. Lent begins on February 17th and ends on April 3rd, going on for 40 days, not including Sundays. If you include Sundays, then it would be approximately 46 days.
Lent is considered 40 days long because Sundays are not taken into account. On Sundays, anyone participating in Lent can have a choice to continue their fast, or they can take a break for that day. Sundays could be called “Cheat Days.” However, the Church does not officially promote the concept of “cheat days” during Lent.
Lent is the season of reflection and preparation before the celebration of Easter. Christians replicate Jesus Christ’s sacrifice by observing this holiday. Lent is marked from fasting, both from foods and festivities.
Usually, on Lent, people who celebrate this holiday will give up something they love or take up something new. On Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and every Friday during Lent, adult Catholics over the age of 14 abstain from eating meat.
During these days, they are not allowed to eat lamb, chicken, beef, pork, ham, deer, and almost every other meat. However, foods such as eggs, milk, fish, grains, and fruits and vegetables are allowed to be eaten. Everyone age 14 and up must abstain from eating meat, and everyone from 18 to 59 must fast. However, they can be exempted due to a medical reason.
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Chocolate/ Dessert/ Candy and Baking:
National Dark Chocolate Day………..February 1st
National Carrot Cake Day…………...February 3rd
National Chocolate Fondue Day………..February 5th
National Bubble Gum Day………….February 5th
World Nutella Day…………..February 5th
National Eat Ice Cream For Breakfast Day………..February 6th
National Frozen Yogurt Day…………...February 6th
National Plum Pudding Day…………….February 12th
National Gumdrop Day…………February 15th
National Cherry Pie Day……….February 20th
National Muffin Day…………..February 20th
National Sticky Bun Day………….February 21st
National Chocolate Souffle Day…………….February 28th
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Groundhogs day
GroundHog Day derives from the Pennsylvania Dutch superstition. If a groundhog emerges from its burrow on this day and sees its shadow due to clear weather, it will retreat to its den, and winter will persist for another six weeks. If the groundhog doesn’t see its shadow because of cloudiness, spring will arrive early that year. This year, Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog, saw his shadow. This means that winter will persist for another six weeks.
If you have been following the weather here in Indiana then you know that this prediction is seemingly coming true. Lately, the snow has been coming down here in Hartford City, causing two hour-delays and cancelations. There were three cancelations due to snow and slick roads all in the same week.
Although Phil’s prediction seems to be coming true, Phil the groundhog has only been correct 39% of the time. Phil and his predecessors have seen their shadow 104 times and only 19 times have they not seen it.
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Galentine’s Day
Galentine’s Day is celebrated on February 13th, the day before February 14th, Valentine’s Day. Galentine’s Day is a celebration of female friendship. The term was popularized following the release of a 2010 episode of a US sitcom, “Parks and Recreation.” In this episode, Amy Poehler, who plays Leslie Knope, explains Galentine’s Day meaning while throwing an annual Galentine’s Day bash for her friends.
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Activities/ Work
National Get Up Day…………….February 1st
National Sickie Day……………..February 1st
Groundhog Day………...February 2nd
National Ukulele day…………..February 2nd
National Women Physicians Day………..February 3rd
National Send a Card to a Friend Day………...February 7th
National Boy Scout Day…………...February 8th
Galentine’s Day…………..February 13th
Valentine’s Day…………...February 14th
Singles Awareness Day…………..February 15th
Mardi Gras………..February 16th
Random Act of Kindness………….February 17th
Tug of War Day…………….February 19th
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National Freedom Day
National Freedom Day is always observed on February 1st. National Freedom Day celebrates freedom from slavery. National Freedom Day recognizes that America is a symbol of liberty. The day honors the signing by Abraham Lincoln of a joint House and Senate resolution that later became the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
As Abraham signed the Amendment he was outlawing slavery. Although this Amendment was signed on February 1, 1865, it was not recognized by the states until December 18, 1865.
Although Abraham signed the Amendment outlawing slavery National Freedom Day did not become a thing until June 30, 1948. A former slave, Major Richard Robert Wright, Sr. created National Freedom Day. Major Wright believed that this day needed to be celebrated, and Major Wright was greatly respected in the community. As a result, June 30, 1948, was when President Harry Truman signed a bill proclaiming February 1st as the official National Freedom Day in the United States.
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Darwin Day
Darwin Day is a celebration to commemorate the birthday of Charles Darwin, February 12, 1809. On this day, Darwin’s contributions to science are highlighted. As his contributions to science are highlighted on this day, his theory of natural selection is also greatly promoted in general.
Natural selection is a mechanism of evolution. Organisms that are more adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and pass on the genes that aided their success. This process causes species to change and diverge over time.
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Purim Day
Purim is often referred to as the “Feast of Lots.” Purim is a joyous Jewish Festival commemorating the survival of the Jews. The Jews who, in the 5th century BCE, were marked for death by their Persian rules. Purim day goes from February 25th to February 26th. The story of Purim is related to the biblical Bible of Esther.
On Purim Day the Ashkenazi Jews tend to eat triangular-shaped foods such as kreplach and hamantaschen pastries. Kreplach is pasta triangles filled with ground beef or chicken. Hamantaschen are triangles of pastry dough surrounding a filling often made with dates or poppy seeds.
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Historical Events
National Freedom Day……….February 1st
Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday………..February 12th
Darwin Day………….February 12th
Purim………...February 26th
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Food
National Tater Tot Day………..February 2nd
National Fettuccine Alfredo day………….February 7th
National Pizza Day………….February 9th
National Tortellini Day………..February 13th
National Pancake Day………….February 16th
National Almond Day………...February 16th
National Tortilla Chip Day………….February 24th
National Chili Day…………February 25th
National Pistachio Day……….February 26th
National Protein Day………….February 27th
National Strawberry Day………..February 27th
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Food is an important part of any celebration in all nations of the world. Food can unite and strengthen community bonds and helps maintain a common identity among a group of people. Food can be celebrated in any culture and any religion. Food is considered universal.
I say that food is universal, but for certain foods, like kreplach, they only get eaten for certain religions or in certain cultures. Kreplach can be eaten in any culture or any religion, but kreplach is eaten in different countries for many different reasons. Kreplach is eaten on Purim day for the Jews. Kreplach is also eaten in Asia, Europe, and more for the simple delicacy of it.
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Technology
National Weatherperson’s Day………...February 3rd
National Clean Out Your Computer Day………...February 8th
Safe Internet Day………...February 9th
World Radio Day………….February 13th
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National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
National Black HIV/ AIDS Awareness Day is around to increase HIV education, testing, community involvement, and treatment among Black communities. The first NBHAAD was marked in 1999 as a grassroots-education effort to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS prevention, care, and treatment in communities of color.
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National Wear Red Day
National Wear Red Day is always on the first Friday in February. National Wear Red Day raises awareness about heart disease. February is considered American Heart Month. The American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women movement encourages people to take action through the month of February by wearing red on National Wear Red Day, Friday, February 5, 2021, to raise awareness about cardiovascular disease.
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Health
National Women Physicians Day………..February 3rd
World Cancer Day……….February 4th
Give Kids A Smile Day………...February 5th
National Wear Red Day………..February 5th
National Black HIV/ AIDS Awareness Day………..February 7th
National Toothache Day………...February 9th
National Donor Day………….February 14th
Rare Disease Day………...February 28th
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Everyone has a love for some type of animal. Some kids grow up with animals that become their best friends. Some kids grow up to have a love for animals that proceeds into a real career. February has holidays dedicated to loving your pet or spaying/ neutering their pet. February has holidays to celebrate dog biscuits even.
I am a dog person myself, and I grew up with dogs in my family around every corner. My grandma had two dachshunds. I had a black lab/ pitbull mix. My grandpa had a german shepherd. My family grew up with dogs in every aspect of their life. Growing up with dogs is in every way amazing; if you exclude picking up their poop as you go on walks.
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Pets/ Animals
Doggy Date Night………….February 3rd
National Golden Retriever Day………….February 3rd
National Love Your Pet Day…………...February 20th
NationalWalking The Dog Day………….February 22nd
International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day………..February 23rd
National Dog Biscuit Day………..February 23rd
World Spay Day………...February 23rd
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Candlemas Day
Candlemas Day commemorates the ritual purification of Mary, 40 days after the birth of her son Jesus. This day marks the ritual presentation of the baby, Jesus, to God in the Temple at Jerusalem.
Ritual purification stems back to a Jewish tradition that women were considered unclean after the birth of a child. For 40 days for a boy and 60 days for a girl, women weren’t allowed to worship in the temple. At the end of this time, women were brought to the temple or Synagogue to be purified. After the ceremony women were allowed to take part in the religious services again.
Candlemas got its name because this was the day that all the Church’s candles for the year were blessed. On Candlemas night, many people place lighted candles in their windows at home. Like some other Christian festivals, Candlemas draws some of its elements from Paganism.
In pre-Christian times, it was the festival of light. This ancient festival marked the midpoint of winter, halfway between the winter solstice (shortest day) and the spring equinox. Some people lit candles to scare away evil spirits on dark winter nights. People believed that Candlemas predicted the weather for the rest of the winter.
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Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year is widely celebrated in China and is the most important holiday in China. Chinese New Year is tied to the Chinese lunar calendar. The holiday was traditionally a time to honor household and heavenly deities as well as ancestors. It was also a time to bring the family together for feasting.
The Chinese calendar also included the Chinese zodiac, the cycle of twelve stations or “signs” along the apparent path of the sun through the cosmos. Each new year was marked by the characteristics of one of the 12 zodiac animals: the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. For 2021, the ox is the Chinese zodiac animal.
Traditional Chinese New Year was the most important festival on the calendar. The entire attention of the household was fixed on the celebration. During this time, business life came nearly to a stop. Home and family became the principal focus in households. Houses were thoroughly cleaned to rid them of “hui qi,” or inauspicious breaths, which might have been collected during the old year. Cleaning was also meant to appease the gods who would be coming down from heaven to make inspections.
Sacrifices of food and paper icons were offered to gods and ancestors. People posted scrolls printed with lucky messages on household gates and set off firecrackers to frighten evil spirits away. Elders would give out money to children. Many of the rites carried during this period were meant to bring good luck to the household and long life to the family - particularly to the parents.
The Chinese New Year festival period lasts for 16 days, starting from Chinese New Year’s eve to the Lantern Festival. Chinese New Year’s eve is on February 11, 2021. The Lantern Festival begins on February 26, 2021.
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Pop Culture/ Culture
Candlemas Day……….February 2nd
Bob Marley’s Birthday………….February 6th
Chinese New Year……...February 12th
Ash Wednesday………...February 17th
Rihanna’s Birthday………..February 20th
Yukon Heritage Day………...February 26th
National Pokemon Day………...February 27th
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February has holidays upon holidays. I hope you can celebrate some new ones you may not have known about. Holidays are a part of everybody's culture and environment. No matter if you celebrate the new ones you have learned about or not, you will always have the basic holidays you grew up on.
Sources
https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/chinese-new-year
https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/holydays/candlemas.shtml
https://nationaldaycalendar.com/national-freedom-day-february-1/