Tater Tot Day - Tater Tots are chopped up potatoes, squished together in little balls and fried. Yum! Delicious, and naturally gluten free unless someone decides to mess with the recipe. They were invented by the Ore-Ida company back in 1953 and are known by different names in different parts of the world. But beloved all over.
California Kiwifruit Day - Two Kiwifruits have the about the same amount of Vitamin C as one medium orange. I didn’t know that. They are green with little seeds inside. In my experience, you will have either a love or hate relationship with them.
Self Renewal Day - Today is a day to focus on yourself. Do some activities that help lower your stress levels and bring yourself back to….yourself. You can add some time for deep breathing exercises where you focus only on your breath for a few minutes. Spend some time outside in a peaceful area breathing the cool air and listening to the quiet around you. Just a couple of suggestions, I’m sure you can come up with more if you think about it.
Candelmas – a Christian holiday that celebrates three events: the presentation of the child Jesus, Jesus' first entry into the temple, and the purification of the Virgin Mary.
Crepe Day or La Chandeleur – In France, crepes are traditionally served on Candelmas. While the French are making the crepes, they tell fortunes. You are supposed to hold a coin in your writing hand and the crepe pan in your other hand, flip the crepe into the air and catch it back in the pan. If you can do this, your family will prosper for the rest of that year. I'm not sure how many tries you get. I would probably need a lot.
Groundhog Day – On this day, the groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, is woken up from his hibernation and forced to come outside into the cold. If it is cloudy and the groundhog cannot see its' shadow, then spring will come early this year. If it is sunny, the groundhog will see its' shadow and go back to bed and winter will continue for six more frigid weeks. In certain areas, like Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, the day is celebrated with food, speeches and possibly some plays.
Marmot Day – Alaska doesn't have many groundhogs so in 2009, the 26th Alaska State Legislature voted to have Marmot Day replace Groundhog Day. Marmots, in case you don't know, look very much like groundhogs but are considered to be large squirrels. They tend to live in mountainous areas.
Groundhog Job Shadow Day – This is the 10th Annual day for young people to get an up close and personal look at various jobs so that they can see which ones would suit them better. So they shadow various professionals who sign up for the honor of being a mentor. I'm not sure why the word Groundhog is part of the name, but I am certain that shadowing groundhogs is not one of the options today.
Hedgehog Day – According to legend, hedgehogs were the original groundhogs. The Romans would watch the hedgehogs on February 2nd at night. If a hedgehog came out and saw his shadow in the moonlight, he would go back in and hibernate some more and winter was not easing up anytime soon. When people came to America, they switched to the groundhog because hedgehogs were hard to find in this country.
Imbolc – This is a Pagan holiday, which celebrates the first signs of spring. I don't see any first signs of spring yet, but maybe I'm not looking hard enough. It is the day when they celebrate the passing of winter and make way for the arrival of spring. The Fire Festival that usually occurs in Marsden has been cancelled and is going to be an every other year event because of the huge expense. So you can look forward to that happening next year.
Sled Dog Day – Sled dogs have been used in the upper regions of North America since the 10th century. This day is particularly important because it was on this day in 1925 that Gunnar Kaasen and his sled dog team led by Balto, arrived in Nome, Alaska with the medicine to save the town from the Diptheria epidemic. Of course, we all know about Balto, but it should be noted that Leonhard Seppala and his lead dog, Togo, had the longest and most dangerous leg of the relay. Balto just had the last leg, which does not in any way diminish his accomplishment but it should remind us that there were 20 men and about 150 sled dogs involved in that 674 mile relay to save a city and they all deserve to be celebrated.
World Play Your Ukulele Day – I'm not sure if this is today or May 2nd. I've seen both days talked about on the web. But if you know how to play one, go ahead and celebrate twice.
World Wetlands Day – On this day in 1971, the Ramsar Convention was signed. This raised public awareness of wetland values and benefits. The theme for this year's celebration is “Wetlands for a sustainable urban future” since the wetlands are very important to reducing the impact of natural disasters such as floods and droughts on the environment even in urban areas. Well managed wetlands absorb water in times of excess rainfall and release it in times of drought.
Heavenly Hash Day – This is a day to have some Heavenly Hash for dessert. Ingredients for this heavenly dish vary widely from region to region. It could have ice cream, brownies, cookies, rice, marshmallows, fruit or whipped cream or any combination of those items and others. Make your own favorite recipe and enjoy.
Ayn Rand Day – Born on this day in 1905, Ms. Rand was an American novelist, philosopher, playwright and screenwriter. Her most famous novels were, The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. She came to America from her homeland of Russia when she was 21 years old. She was a big influence among Libertarians.
Bubble Gum Day – As far as my children are concerned, every day should be bubble gum day. However, today is actually all about using bubble gum as a fun fundraiser. It was begun in 2006 by Ruth Spiro and the basic idea is that children who pay 50 cents or more are allowed to chew gum at school or at a library or some other business. The money goes to whatever non-profit association the business/school/library has chosen to give it to. I haven’t seen an official designation but it seems to me that for the last couple of years it fell on the first Friday in February if that changes I’ll let you know.
Wear Red Day – This is a day to raise awareness that heart disease is the number one killer of women and many times can be prevented if you know the signs. But educate yourselves because the signs of heart disease in women and men are different. This day is celebrated on the first Friday in February.
Give Kids A Smile Day – Dental organizations all over the country have designated this to be a day to focus on teeth. Many dentists will give free examinations to kids today so call up your dentist to see if he/she is participating. This day is also celebrated on the first Friday in February.
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