Paczki Day – This is a Polish dish that looks a lot like a doughnut without the hole in the middle. It is traditionally made on this day to use up ingredients that could not be eaten during Lent. You can find some delicious recipes here.
Mardi Gras – This is the last day of a celebration that seems to last for weeks. It is the last day because Lent starts tomorrow and I guess you can't have parties like this during Lent. The parades began last month, I believe, and as far as I know, New Orleans is the only place in the world where you can experience Mardi Gras the way it's supposed to be. I have never even heard of any other place celebrating it, but if you have, please let me know.
Pancake Day or Shrove Tuesday or Fat Tuesday or Fastnacht Day – This is the day before Ash Wednesday which is the beginning of Lent. This is a day to eat lots of food in preparation for the fasting of Lent. Hence the pancakes since they are rich in eggs, milk and sugar. The other purpose that I can think of is to use up ingredients that you won't be using during Lent which might go bad before Lent is over and they can be used again.
International Pancake Day – This day is tied into the Shrove Tuesday celebrations as I described above, but this day needs more explanation and a paragraph of its' own. Especially if you have never heard of or seen the pancake race. You can read about how the pancake race got started if you read the section entitled, “The Story,” at this website. You will also see why there has been a competition between Olney, England and Liberal, Kansas for the last 60+ years involving head scarfs, pancakes, aprons and skillets. It has apparently turned into an event lasting 4 days, of which this is the last so you better head over to Kansas now before it's over. You don't want to miss the pancakes, talent show, races, cooking contests and more.
Kiss Day - This is the seventh day of Valentine week and today is a day to kiss your loved one.
Get A Different Name Day - This is a day for everyone out there who thinks that their parents didn’t have the very best judgement when it came to choosing your name. Maybe it’s too common, or maybe it’s just not jazzy enough, or maybe it’s a little TOO unusual. Whatever the reason, if you’re not happy with your name, today is the day to change it to whatever you want.
Dream Your Sweet Day - Being the day before Valentine’s Day, this is a day to dream about your sweetheart. You don’t need to tell anyone what your dreams consist of, just keep that to yourself, thank you very much.
Employee Legal Awareness Day – This is a day to arrange for one or more of your employees to get a legal education so that you can make sure your business avoids legal problems in the future. It's a very complicated subject, since new laws are created all the time and it's rare for old ones to go away. So make sure you pick an employee that can handle all that complexity.
Madly In Love With Me Day or Self Love Day – Far too many people in this country are affected by what we think other people think about us. Be confident of your own appeal to others. If you fall in love with yourself first, others will be drawn to your confidence and follow your example. And, if they don't, you will be self-confident enough to not care what they think and you'll be a whole lot happier anyway.
World Radio Day – This is a day to celebrate radio all over the world. We are to encourage broadcasters to cooperate with each other internationally and to provide free access to information to listeners. We must also ask major networks and smaller community radio stations to support freedom of expression and gender equality in their broadcasts.
National Tortellini Day – Created in Bologna, Italy, this is a pasta that is stuffed with things like ham, or Parmesan cheese, among other things. The Learned Order of the Tortellini (you can't make this stuff up) is an organization that is dedicated to the preservation of the traditional tortellini. So if you are brave enough to make your own, don't mess it up or there will be trouble.
Extraterrestrial Culture Day – Celebrated on the Second Tuesday in February, this is a big day in New Mexico. It is a day “to celebrate and honor all past, present and future extraterrestrial visitors in ways to enhance relationships among all citizens of the cosmos, known and unknown.” As far as I know, I am not personally acquainted with any extraterrestrials, although I suppose that is something that could be up for debate.
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