(click on the day for details)
As a Christian feast day:
Saint John Cassian
February 29 in the Orthodox church
Rare Disease Day (in leap years; celebrated in common years on February 28)
Bachelor's Day (Ireland, United Kingdom)
Observances (click on the day, BD or week for details)
Leap Year Day
Digital Learning Day
National Toast Day
International Underlings Day
Richard Ramirez
Aileen Wuornos
Tony Robbins
***
According to unofficial sources, a new simplified income-tax form contains only four lines:
1. What was your income for the year?
2. What were your expenses?
3. How much have you left?
4. Send it in.
***
Two Hollywood stars ran into each other at the door of their psychiatrist’s office.
“Hello, there,” said one. “Are you coming or going?”
“If I knew that,” said the other, “I wouldn’t be here.”
***
A teenager brings her new boyfriend home to meet her parents. They’re appalled by his haircut, his tattoos, his piercings.
Later, the girl’s mom says, “Dear, he doesn’t seem to be a very nice boy.”
“Oh, please, Mom!” says the daughter. “If he wasn’t nice, would he be doing 500 hours of community service?”
***
Every time a little boy went to a playmate’s house, he found the friend’s grandmother deeply engrossed in her Bible. Finally his curiosity got the better of him.
“Why do you suppose your grandmother reads the Bible so much?” he asked.
“I’m not sure,” said his friend, “but I think she’s cramming for her finals.”
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sandrewn
This is the first Feb 29th blog entry, here. This blog started in July 2021 If I'm still around in 2028, we'll try for a repeat.
(click on the day for details)
Christian feast day:
February 28 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Kalevala Day, also known as the Finnish Culture Day (Finland)
National Science Day (India)
Peace Memorial Day (Taiwan)
Observances (click on the day, BD or week for details)
Andalusia Day
Car Keys and Small Change Day
Fasching
Feast of Saint Vartan
Floral Design Day
Global Scouse Day
Inconvenience Yourself Day
International Repetitive Strain Injury Awareness Day
Launceston Cup
Linus Pauling Day
National Chocolate Souffle Day
National Customized Wheel and Tire Day
National Essay Day
National Pancake Day
National Time Refund Day
National Vegan Lipstick Day
Pink Shirt Day Canada
Rare Disease Day
US Snow Shoe Day
National Tooth Fairy Day
LunarEclipse’s Birthday
Jason Aldean’s Birthday
Fun Observances
Public Sleeping Day
Catch a few winks or take a long nap in public to celebrate Public Sleeping Day on February 28.
Definitely one of the more quirky made-up holidays we have seen, Public Sleeping Day or National Public Sleeping Day as it is also known, encourages people to commune with nature by sleeping outdoors in public.
Cold in the North
Cold temperatures in many parts of the Northern Hemisphere may make observing this holiday a foolhardy venture so make sure you have a sleeping bag. And if you are looking for a restful adventure, this may be the perfect holiday for you to participate in.
How to Celebrate?
Get your favorite pillow and blanket and find a safe and clean place in public to take a nap. Make sure you layer up if it is still winter in your part of the world.
You don't even need to find a special place to take a nap. If you have long commute why not take that time to catch a few winks?
Get together with friends and organize a large pajama party at a park. Have everyone bring their sleeping bags, set up an outdoor movie screen, have a picnic and then take a nap.
Did You Know…
…that humans are the only mammals that can willingly delay sleep?
***
In good weather, my friend Mark always let his yellow-naped Amazon parrot, Nicky, sit on the balcony of his tenth-floor apartment. One morning, Nicky flew away, much to Mark’s dismay. He searched and called for the bird, with no luck.
The next day when Mark returned from work, the phone rang. “Is this Mark?” The caller asked. “You’re going to think this is crazy, but there’s a bird outside on my balcony saying, ‘Hello, this is Mark.’ Then it recites this phone number and says, ‘I can’t come to the phone right now, but if you will leave a message at the tone, I will call you back.’”
Nicky’s cage had been kept in the same room as Mark’s answering machine.
***
We brought our newborn son, Adam, to the pediatrician for his first checkup. As he finished, the doctor told us, "You have a cute baby."
Smiling, I said, "I bet you say that to all new parents."
"No," he replied, "just to those whose babies really are good-looking."
"So what do you say to the others?" I asked.
"He looks just like you."
***
Neighbors of ours had a terrible disagreement over a patio they wanted for their backyard. The wife had rather grand ideas, while the husband wanted costs kept to a minimum. The wife won out, and the construction bill climbed higher and higher.
I dropped by one day, when the patio was near completion, and was surprised to find the husband smiling from ear to ear as the workmen smoothed over the surface. I remarked how nice it was to see a grin replace the frown he had been wearing lately.
“You see where they’re smoothing that cement?” he replied. “I just threw my wife’s credit cards in there.”
***
I grew up hearing my dad tell a joke about a Mrs. Dunn, whose son, Timmy Dunn, had left Ireland for America, never to be heard from again. She discovered that Mike O’Malley was leaving for America and asked Mike to look for Timmy and tell him to write to her.
Well, Mike looked for Tim everywhere he went, asking many a man whether he was Timmy Dunn, but to no avail. Then one day in a men’s room, a man walked out of a stall. Mike asked him, “Are you Dunn?”
The gentleman said, “Yes.”
Mike replied, “Well, why don’t you write to your mother?!”
When my 12-year-old brother heard Dad tell the joke for the hundredth time, all of sudden, he started laughing.
“I finally got it!”
(click on the day for details)
Christian feast day:
Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows
George Herbert (Anglicanism)
Honorina
Leander
February 27 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Doctors' Day (Vietnam)
Independence Day (Dominican Republic), celebrates the first independence of Dominican Republic from Haiti in 1844.
Majuba Day (some Afrikaners in South Africa)
Marathi Language Day (Maharashtra, India)
World NGO Day
Observances (click on the day, BD, week or fortnight for details)
Anosmia Awareness Day
National Albert Day
National Kahlua Day
National Pokemon Day
National Protein day
National Strawberry Day
National Susan Day
Retro Day
Special Operations Forces Day
The Big Breakfast Day
World Spay Day
Ten’s Birthday
Steven Fernandez’s Birthday
Money Man’s Birthday
JWoww’s Birthday
Elizabeth Taylor’s Birthday
Kate Mara
John Steinbeck
Fun Observances ( 2 )
International Polar Bear Day
International Polar Bear Day on February 27 is an unofficial holiday created by Polar Bear International (PBI). It raises awareness of the impact of global warming on Polar Bears.
Polar Bear International is a group run by conservationists, scientists, and volunteers working to educate the public about the effects of climate change on the Arctic region. More specifically, they focus on how global warming is slowly destroying the habitat of polar bears and adversely affecting their population.
Reduced Food Source
Despite being the largest carnivores on land, polar bears largely rely on seals for food. Shorter ice seasons and melting sea ice mean seals, who rely on ice to raise their young, are becoming scarcer. This is leaving polar bears without a ready source of food. Lack of food is also forcing polar bears to venture into areas populated by humans, making them vulnerable to attacks from residents and hunters.
Vulnerable to Diseases
Rising temperatures, loss of weight, and lack of nutrition due to lack of food has also meant that polar bears are now becoming vulnerable to previously unknown diseases.
Scientists believe all of these factors have caused a severe decline in polar bear populations, and if the trend continues global warming could potentially lead to the extinction of the species.
Effects of Human Activity
Human activity, including the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation, is considered by scientists as the primary cause of global warming.
The goal of International Polar Bear Day is to bring light to this fact, and to encourage people around the world to help find solutions to the problem of climate change.
How to Observe?
Fixing global warming might seem like a daunting task for an individual, but it doesn't have to be. Use this day to find ways to reduce your carbon footprint and help raise awareness about the importance of polar bears in our ecology, and the effects of global warming on their survival.
To reduce your carbon footprint, consider taking the following steps:
Walk, bike, take public transport, or carpool to work.
Avoid using a vehicle that runs on fossil fuel as much as you can.
Reduce plastic usage and waste by carrying your reusable shopping bags to the stores.
Plant trees in your backyard if you have space or join a local tree planting drive.
Learn more about polar bears, their habitat, habits, and life cycle.
Raise funds or volunteer your time for an organization that works to reduce global warming.
Did You Know…
… that polar bears are black and not white? Their fur is transparent while their skin is black. The transparent fur reflects sunlight such that it looks white to human eyes.
~~~~~~~
No Brainer Day
February 27 is No Brainer Day. It is believed that the holiday was created by Adrienne Sioux Koopersmith in the United States as a way to remind people that most things are simple and that many problems we encounter daily have obvious and easy solutions.
The made-up holiday, which is also sometimes known as International No Brainer Day, also allows people to stop over analyzing things, second-guessing themselves, and to relax and take it easy.
Very Little Thought
The holiday gets its name from the English language phrase no brainer, which refers to decisions or choices that require very little effort and thought.
How to Celebrate?
That’s a no brainer of course! Take this day to relax your brain and stop yourself from over analyzing problems. Leave that for another day.
Did You Know…
…that in a study conducted at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, neuroscientists found that the human brain could process images that had been flashed before the person for as little as 13 milliseconds?
***
I was working as a short-order cook at two restaurants in the same neighborhood. On a Saturday night, I was finishing up the dinner shift at one restaurant and hurrying to report to work at the second place. But I was delayed because one table kept sending back an order of hash browns, insisting they were too cold. I replaced them several times, but still the customers were dissatisfied.
When I was able to leave, I raced out the door and arrived at my second job. A server immediately handed me my first order. "Make sure these hash browns are hot," she said, "because these people just left a restaurant down the street that kept serving them cold ones."
***
The generation gap proved glaringly obvious at the mail-order music company where my wife works as a customer service representative. Some college students, who were working part-time inputting customer information, wrote the following notes regarding some golden oldies:
"Customer is looking for two song titles:
'Shovel Off Two Buffaloes' and 'Honey, Suck a Rose.' "
***
While I was dining out with my children, a man came over to our table and we started talking. He asked where my kids go to school. I told him we home-school them. With a raised eyebrow he asked if my husband is the sole breadwinner for our family. I said no, I also work—out of our home. Then, noticing our two-month-old son, he mentioned that his daughter had just had a baby, and he wondered what hospital our son was born in.
"He was born at home," I answered.
The man looked at me, then said, "Wow, you don't get out much, do you?"
***
My mother was hard of hearing and wore a hearing aid that she removed at bedtime.
My dad would wait till she had put it on her nightstand and say, “Do you want to go to sleep or what?”
Not being able to hear, she would inevitably respond with “What?”
And that, my dad joked to me on numerous occasions, is the explanation for why I come from a very large family.
(click on the day for details)
Christian feast day:
Alexander of Alexandria
Emily Malbone Morgan (Episcopal Church (USA))
Isabelle of France
Li Tim-Oi (Anglican Church of Canada)
Porphyry of Gaza
February 26 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Day of Remembrance for Victims of Khojaly Massacre (Azerbaijan)
Liberation Day (Kuwait)
Saviours' Day (Nation of Islam)
Observances (click on the day, BD or week for details)
Black Lives Matter Day
Carnival Day
Carpe Diem Day
For Pete's Sake Day
International Tongue Twister Contest Day
Letter to an Elder Day
Levi Strauss Day
National Saul Day
Thermos Bottle Day
Museum Advocacy Days
National Personal Chef Day
Play More Cards Day
Johnny Cash’s Birthday
Eva Cudmore’s Birthday
Erykah Badu’s Birthday
Duke Dennis’s Birthday
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mon Feb 26th, 2024 - Fri Mar 1st, 2024
National Invasive Species Awareness Week
NEDA Week
Mon Feb 26th, 2024 - Sun Mar 3rd, 2024
Cornish Pasty Week
Mon Feb 26th, 2024 - Mon Mar 4th, 2024
Jewish Book Week
Fun Observances ( 2 )
Pistachio Day
Archeologists believe that pistachios were used as food as early as 6000 BCE. Celebrate this ancient and healthy nut on February 26, Pistachio Day.
Also known as National Pistachio Day or World Pistachio Day, this unofficial holiday encourages people to add pistachios to their daily diets and take advantage of their health benefits.
Happy Nut
Called the happy nut in China and the smiling nut in Iran, pistachios are native to the Middle East and Central Asia.
Food historians believe that the pistachio tree reached Greece along with Alexander the Great's army. Traders introduced the nut to the rest of the European continent, where it was initially used as an expensive addition to food and baked goods.
Dyed Red to Hide Flaws
In the United States, the nut was introduced by Middle Eastern immigrants during the late 19th century. Even though, the country now produces most of the world's pistachio crops, along with Iran, Turkey and Syria, the nut wasn't grown commercially there until the mid 20th century.
In the initial days of their commercial productions, pistachio shells were dyed red or green by the growers. This was to hide the marks and dents made on the shell during harvesting. Today, with mechanical harvesting procedures, there is no reason to dye the shells anymore.
Full of Nutrients
Pistachios are a rich source of proteins, fiber, and vitamin B. Research indicates that adding the nut to one's daily diet may reduce the risk of heart disease.
The nut is used in many cuisines around the world. In the Middle East, it is one of the main ingredients in many types of sweets including baklava and halva. In Italy, it is used to make spumoni and pistachio gelato – the Italian versions of ice cream.
How to Celebrate?
Add pistachios to every meal of the day. Start with adding it to your breakfast cereal, substitute peanut butter with pistachio butter for your lunch sandwich, have a pistachio crusted pork chop for dinner and finish the day off with a scoop or two of pistachio ice cream or pistachio cake.
Did You Know…
…that the Jylgyndy Forest Reserve in Kyrgyzstan was created to conserve the pistachio plant?
~~~~~~~
Tell a Fairy Tale Day
Tell a Fairy Tale Day is on February 26. The unofficial holiday encourages celebrators to read, tell, and listen to fairy tales from around the world.
Fairy tales are a genre of literature that features fantastical and magical characters. Usually in the form of short stories with fairies, elves, trolls, and witches as central characters, fairy tales are set in a magical world with events that take place "once upon a time."
Oral Tradition
A form of folk tales, fairy tales have a strong oral and written tradition all around the world - with cultures adopting whole or parts of tales from other cultures.
Before the 17th century, fairy tales often had themes unsuitable for children and were written mostly for adults.
Children's Genre
Today, fairy tales are considered to be a genre of children's literature and the term fairy tale is used to refer to happy events and happenings, such as a fairy tale romance or a fairy tale ending.
The holiday is also known as National Tell a Fairy Tale Day in the United States.
How to Celebrate?
Set your imagination free on this very fantastical holiday and re-read all your favorite fairy tales.
If you have children in your lives, why not introduce them to some of the world's most famous fairy tales?
Bring out your inner writer and pen down a fairy tale. Who knows, you could be the next Hans Christian Andersen!
Watch movies based on fairy tales.
Host a fairy tale party. Instruct your guests to come as their favorite fairy tale character, decorate the venue as if you were in an enchanted land of fairy tales and serve foods from all your favorite fairy tale stories. Some ideas include caramel apples (Snow White), pea salad (The Princess and the Pea), pumpkin soup (Cinderella) and porridge or rice pudding (Goldilocks and the Three Bears).
Did You Know…
… that at least 500 versions of Cinderella have been found around the world?
***
One morning a customer entered my flower shop and ordered a bouquet for his wife. "No card is necessary," he instructed us. "She'll know who sent them."
The delivery truck hadn't even returned to the store when the phone rang. It was the customer's wife. "Who sent the flowers?" she asked.
After explaining that the customer had requested that no card be included, I considered the matter closed—but not so. A bit later, she came rushing in the front door. "You've got to tell me who sent the flowers," she demanded, "before my husband gets home."
***
Another man and I share a locker at work. Noticing that it needed a new combination lock, my partner said he would pick one up on his way to work the next day. It occurred to me later that I might not see him in the morning. How would I find out the combination? I needn't have worried. When I arrived at work I found that he had used the locker before me and had left a note reading:
"To find the first number subtract 142 from your high score the last time we went bowling.
The second number is 16 less than that.
To find the third number subtract 1.87 from the amount you owe me."
***
Faculty members at Texas Christian university were urged to become familiar with the timesaving machines of the new computer center. Basic courses in their use were given, and research projects were accelerated.
The faculty was enthusiastic—except for one veteran professor. Not only did he flunk the primer course, but on his first project, when he asked the machine simply to separate the names of students by sex, the cards came out in three stacks.
***
The other day I got carded at the liquor store. While I was taking out my ID, my old Blockbuster card fell out.
The clerk shook his head, said, “Never mind,” and rang me up.
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Grammatical Pedantry Syndrome: Signs That You're Suffering From GPS
(click on the day for details)
Christian feast days:
Æthelberht of Kent
Blessed Ciriaco María Sancha y Hervás
Gerland of Agrigento
John Roberts, writer and missionary (Anglican Communion)
Hamburg Matthiae-mahl, feast of Hanseatic League cities on the mediaeval first day of spring
Blessed Maria Adeodata Pisani
Blessed Robert of Arbrissel, founder of Fontevraud Abbey
Saint Walpurga (she was canonised on 1 May c. 870 and Walpurgis Night is celebrated 30 April)
February 25 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Kitano Baika-sai or "Plum Blossom Festival" (Kitano Tenman-gu Shrine, Kyoto, Japan)
Memorial Day for the Victims of the Communist Dictatorships (Hungary)
National Day (Kuwait)
People Power Day (Philippines)
Revolution Day in Suriname
Soviet Occupation Day (Georgia)
Observances (click on the day, BD or week for details)
Choiseul Province Day
Let's All Eat Right Day
National Billy Day
National Chocolate Covered Nut Day
National Jessica Day
National Kathy Day
National Nicholas Day
Pistol Patent Day
Quiet Day
National Clam Chowder Day
Nick Hounslow’s Birthday
George Harrison’s Birthday
Dutchess Lattimore’s Birthday
Chelsea Handler’s Birthday
Ric Flair’s Birthday
James Phelps’s Birthday
Rashida Jones
Sean Astin
Téa Leoni
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sun Feb 25th, 2024 - Sat Mar 2nd, 2024
Peace Corps Week
***
Checking out of the grocery store, I noticed the bag boy eyeing my two adopted children. They often draw scrutiny, since my son's a blond Russian, while my daughter has shiny black Haitian skin.
The boy continued staring as he carried our groceries to the car. Finally he asked, "Those your kids?"
"They sure are," I said with pride.
"They adopted?"
"Yes," I replied.
"I thought so," he concluded. "I figured you're too old to have kids that small."
***
The board of education in a nearby town sold off a building that had been a one-room schoolhouse. The buyer converted it to a tavern. One day an elderly man was walking by the place with his grandson and pointed to the building.
"That's where I went to school when I was your age."
"Really," said the boy. "Who was your bartender back then?"
***
It was the first day of basketball practice at Wingate high school in Brooklyn, N.Y. Coach Jack Kaminer handed a ball to each player. "Fellas," he said, "I want you to practice shooting from the spots you might expect to be in during the game."
The No. 12 sub immediately sat down on the bench and began arcing the ball toward the basket.
***
New to the United States, I was eager to meet people. So one day I struck up a conversation with the only other woman in the gym. Pointing to two men playing racquetball in a nearby court, I said to her, "There’s my husband." Then I added, "The thin one—not the fat one."
After a slightly uncomfortable silence she replied, "And that’s my husband—the fat one."
***
I was waiting at a small train station when a man put up a sign regarding my train:
“30-Minute Delay.”
“What happened?” I asked.
“The train went off the rails,” he said.
“How long will that take to fix?”
“Quite a few hours.”
“So why put up a sign saying it would take 30 minutes?”
“It’s the only sign we have.”
(click on the day for details)
Christian feast day:
Blessed Ascensión Nicol y Goñi
Lindel Tsen and Paul Sasaki (Anglican Church of Canada)
Modest (bishop of Trier)
Sergius of Cappadocia
February 24 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Dragobete (Romania)
Engineer's Day (Iran)
Flag Day in Mexico
Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Estonia from the Russian Empire in 1918; the Soviet period is considered to have been an illegal annexation.
National Artist Day (Thailand)
Sweden Finns' Day (Sweden)
Observances (click on the day, BD or week for details)
DiscoverE Girl Day
Edward Dickinson Baker Day
Guru Ravidas Jayanti
I Hate Coriander Day
Introduce A Girl To Engineering Day
Lailatul Barat
Floating Lantern Festival - 1
Lantern Festival - 2
Lantern Festival Taiwan - 3
Maghi Purnima
Makha Bucha Day
National Trading Card Day
Navam Full Moon Poya Day
Open That Bottle Night
Tourism Day
Twin Peaks Day
World Bartender Day
Steve Jobs’s Birthday
Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s Birthday
Earl Sweatshirt’s Birthday
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sat Feb 24th, 2024 - Tue Feb 27th, 2024
Whooping Crane Festival
Fun Observances ( 2 )
Tortilla Chip Day
Honor the tortilla chip – the carrier of delicious dips – on February 24, Tortilla Chip Day.
Tortilla chips were first popularized as a way to reuse misshapen tortillas by Rebecca Webb Carranza whose family owned the Los Angeles-based El Zarape Tortilla Factory in the 1940s.
Served With Dip
Today tortilla chips accompanied by some form of a dip is now a staple party dish.
Usually made of fried yellow corn tortillas, tortilla chips can be served with dips like salsa, guacamole, or spicy guacamole. It can be incorporated in a more elaborate dish with cheese and sour cream such as nachos.
How to Celebrate?
Have tortilla chips for all your meals today - have tortilla chip cereal for breakfast, crush them into your salad at lunch, and have nachos for dinner.
Try making your own tortilla chips at home.
Did You Know…
…that tortilla chips and salsa are the state snack of Texas?
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World Sword Swallowers Day
If you enjoy seeing people do dangerous things, you will enjoy celebrating World Sword Swallowers Day on the last Saturday of February.
This unofficial holiday was created by the Sword Swallowers Association International (SSAI) in 2008. It celebrates the ancient art of sword swallowing and honors those who practice it.
16 Inches Long
The day also attempts to dispel myths about sword swallowing and to bring international attention to the medical and scientific contribution of sword swallowers.
According to SSAI, sword swallowing is the act of passing a sword or solid blade at least 16 inches long through the mouth into the stomach. Contrary to popular belief, sword swallowing is not a magic trick or an illusion, but a real skill that requires a lot of hard work and practice.
How to Celebrate?
Find a sword swallowing event nearby and go watch them.
Learn about the art and science behind sword swallowing.
Did You Know…
…that the art of sword swallowing is an ancient art that is thought to have originated in the southern part of India?
***
The plane was only half-full. When an attractive young woman asked if the seat next to mine was free, my male ego soared. Soon we were chatting pleasantly, and she told me it was her first flight.
"Mom said to sit next to someone I thought I could trust," she confessed nervously, "and you look just like my dad."
***
While on the freeway in Los Angeles, I was behind a pack of cars. The last driver was on the phone and drifting all over the road. This did not escape the attention of a California Highway Patrol officer, who snuck up behind her and said over his loudspeaker, "If you can't stay in your lane while on the phone, pull over until the call is completed."
Immediately eight cars pulled over.
***
My husband and I, married 13 years, were dressing for a party. I'd spent all day getting a haircut and permanent, then as we were leaving, we met in the hall and he said nothing.
I complained that he had not even noticed my hair. "You used to pay attention to every little thing, and now you don't notice anything! You take me for granted!"
My husband stood there rubbing his face as he let me rant and rave. Then it hit me: He'd shaved off his six-month-old beard.
***
Q: What do you call a boomerang that doesn't work?
A: A stick.
***
Q: What do you call four bullfighters in quicksand?
A: Quattro sinko.
***
Ed: The same bike tries to run me down every day.
Fred: Sounds like a vicious cycle...
(click on the day for details)
Christian feast day:
Polycarp of Smyrna
Serenus the Gardener
February 23 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
The Emperor's Birthday, birthday of Naruhito, the current Emperor of Japan (Japan)
Mashramani-Republic Day (Guyana)
National Day (Brunei)
Red Army Day or Day of Soviet Army and Navy in the former Soviet Union, also held in various former Soviet republics:
Defender of the Fatherland Day (Russia)
Defender of the Fatherland and Armed Forces day (Belarus)
Armed Forces Day (Tajikistan) (Tajikistan)
Observances (click on the day, BD or week for details)
Curling Is Cool Day
Diesel Engine Day
International Stand Up to Bullying Day
National Banana Bread Day
National Hospitality Workers Appreciation Day
National Play Tennis Day
National Rationalization Day
National Rudy Day
National Tile Day
National Tootsie Roll Day
Pinocchio Day
Skip the Straw Day
World Peace and Understanding Day
Yukon Heritage Day
Emily Blunt’s Birthday
Desiree Montoya’s Birthday
Dakota Fanning’s Birthday
W. E. B. Du Bois
Fun Observances
International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day
February 23 is Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day. Show your appreciation for your furry canine friends by spoiling them with their favorite dog biscuits.
Dog biscuits, or dog bread as they were known then, have been part of human-canine history since Roman times.
Bad Bread
For a large part of history, dog bread was considered bad, low-quality bread unfit for human consumption.
It is thought that modern day dog biscuits were created by American inventor James Pratt sometime in the 19th century.
Toothbrush
Today, there are hundreds of types of dog biscuits, many of which claim that they can help maintain your dog's oral health by acting as a "toothbrush" cleaning the dog's teeth.
The origins of this holiday are unknown, and it is also known as Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day or National Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day in the U.S.
How to Celebrate?
They say that a dog is a man’s best friend – they shower you with unconditional love and are always there for you. So, give your dog all your love on Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day.
Treat your dog with his or her favorite biscuits. Better still, bake them at home – they will surely appreciate it!
Did You Know…
…that dogs can express about 100 types of expressions using mostly their ears?
***
As a professor at Texas A&M, I taught during the day and did research at night. I would usually take a break around nine, however, calling up the strategy game Warcraft on the Internet and playing with an online team.
One night I was paired with a veteran of the game who was a master strategist. With him at the helm, our troops crushed opponent after opponent, and after six games we were undefeated. Suddenly, my fearless leader informed me his mom wanted him to go to bed.
"How old are you?" I typed.
"Twelve," he replied. "How old are you?"
Feeling my face redden, I answered, "Eight."
***
While my friend Emily was visiting her mother, they went for a walk and bumped into an old family acquaintance. "Is this your daughter?" the woman asked. "Oh, I remember her when she was this high. How old is she now?"
Without pausing, Emily's mother said, "Twenty-four." Emily, 35, nearly fainted on the spot.
After everyone had said their good-byes, Emily asked her mother why she'd told such a whopper.
"Well," she replied, "I've been lying about my age for so long, it suddenly dawned on me that I'd have to start lying about yours too."
***
An acquaintance of mine was hired as a research assistant by the physics department of a West Coast university to investigate the thermodynamic properties of wood. Two weeks after starting work he was approached by an encyclopedia salesman who explained that purchase of the encyclopedia entitled the buyer to have any three special questions answered completely. To save himself a great deal of work, the researcher bought the encyclopedia, stipulating for his first free question a full dissertation on the thermodynamic properties of wood.
Three weeks later the head of the physics department called the research assistant into his office and said, "We have a request from an encyclopedia company. One of their customers has asked for a report on the thermodynamic properties of wood. Please prepare the report for them."
***
While serving in Vietnam, my friend and his buddies were hunkered down in a mud-filled hole that had been dug into the side of a berm and covered with lumber for protection. Their one extravagance: a bare light bulb they’d hung from the “ceiling.”
One guy was reading a newspaper article from back home about a congressional investigation into why some troops were living in relative luxury.
The guy put down the paper, turned to my friend, and said,
“Well, there goes the light bulb.”
(click on the day for details)
Birthday of Scouting and Guiding founder Robert Baden-Powell and Olave Baden-Powell, and its related observance:
Founder's Day or "B.-P. day" (World Organization of the Scout Movement)
World Thinking Day (World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts)
Christian feast day:
Baradates
Eric Liddell (Episcopal Church (USA))
Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter (Roman Catholic Church)
Margaret of Cortona
February 22 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Crime Victims Day (Europe)
Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Saint Lucia from the United Kingdom in 1979.
Founding Day (Saudi Arabia)
Washington's Birthday, federal holiday in the United States. A holiday on February 22 as well as the third Monday in February.
National Cat Day (Japan)
Observances (click on the day, BD or week for details)
2Twenty2 Day
Day of Fraternity and Cohesion
Great American Spit Out
National California Day
National Chili Day
National Cook a Sweet Potato Day
National Heart Valve Disease Awareness Day
National Margarita Day
National Walk Your Dog Day
Play More Cards Day
Recreational Sports & Fitness Day
Supermarket Employee Day
Tex Avery Day
Woolworth's Day
World Thinking Day
World Yoga Day
Introduce A Girl To Engineering Day
Robert Kardashian’s Birthday
Drew Barrymore’s Birthday
Matt FamilyFunPack’s Birthday
James Blunt’s Birthday
Baby Kaely’s Birthday
George Washington
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Thu Feb 22nd, 2024 - Sun Feb 25th, 2024
EDSA People Power Commemoration Week
Thu Feb 22nd, 2024 - Wed Mar 28th, 2024
Hong Kong Arts Festival
Fun Observances ( 2 )
Single Tasking Day
You may have been praised for your multitasking skills, but have you ever tried single tasking i.e. doing only one thing at a time? Try it on February 22, Single Tasking Day.
The made-up holiday clearly wants to encourage people to devote all their time and energy on accomplishing one task at a time. Some people also celebrate it on February 19.
Multitasking Lowers Productivity
Recent studies have shown that multitasking - the ability to focus on more than one task at any given time, can be less effective and productive than previously thought. Multitasking can also decrease the accuracy of certain tasks. This is because when one shifts from one task to another, the brain needs time to change focus. This can lead to a waste of time and can cause a lot of stress. Time management can also become an issue for multitaskers.
Increase Accuracy and Productivity
Productivity experts suggest that the best way to accomplish something well is to direct all of one's energy and time on the task. Single tasking increases engagement and helps reduce errors. By improving productivity and accuracy, single tasking can help reduce stress and other health problems that are stress-related.
How to Celebrate?
Make a list of all the tasks you want to accomplish and go down the list one at a time.
Cut off all distractions. Switch off your phone, block the Internet, close your office door, and get started on your list. It may be hard now, but when you are done, you will be proud of yourself!
Did You Know…
…that according to research only about 2% of people can effectively multitask? The rest tend to be less productive when they multitask.
~~~~~~~
Be Humble Day
Practice humility on February 22 or Be Humble Day.
Cultures, religions, and philosophies around the world stress the importance of practicing humility in our daily lives. The holiday promotes the idea that accepting our errors and our faults makes us better human beings.
So, take this day to listen to others, not boast about one’s own life and achievements, and to accept that we have faults that we need to work on.
How to Celebrate?
Appreciate other people's achievements.
Take the day to introspect and think of ways to make your life better and to move towards perfection.
If you have children in your life, give them a lesson in humility and teach them that humility is a good virtue to have.
Did You Know…
…that the term humble pie, meaning to apologize after a serious error, comes from a mispronunciation of the world umble pie? Umble pie was a type of pie popular among people with little means in medieval times.
***
Working as a secretary at an international airport, my sister had an office adjacent to the room where security temporarily holds suspects. One day security officers were questioning a man when they were suddenly called away on another emergency. To the horror of my sister and her colleagues, the man was left alone in the unlocked room. After a few minutes, the door opened and he began to walk out.
Summoning up her courage, one of the secretaries barked, "Get back in there, and don't you come out until you're told!" The man scuttled back inside and slammed the door.
When the security people returned, the women reported what had happened. Without a word, an officer walked into the room and released one very frightened telephone repairman.
***
My older son loves school, but his younger brother absolutely hates it. One weekend he cried and fretted and tried every excuse not to go back on Monday. Sunday morning on the way home from church, the crying and whining built to a crescendo. At the end of my rope, I finally stopped the car and explained, "Honey, it's a law. If you don't go to school, they'll put Mommy in jail."
He looked at me, thought a moment, then asked, "How long would you have to stay?"
***
I was on duty as an emergency-room technician when a father brought in his son, who had poked a tire from one of his toy trucks up his nose. The man was embarrassed, but I assured him this was something kids often do. I quickly removed the tire and they were on their way. A few minutes later, the father was back in the ER asking to talk to me in private.
Mystified, I led him to an examining room. "While we were on our way home," he began, "I was looking at that little tire and wondering, how on earth did my son get this thing stuck up his nose and…"
It took just a few seconds to get the tire out of Dad's nose.
***
While serving as chief medical officer at Fort Ritchie in Maryland, I attended a nearby wedding. Since it was a formal affair at a country club, I went in my officer’s dress blue uniform.
Once at the club, I drove up to the entrance, where the doorman promptly came to the passenger door and assisted my wife out of the car.
He then made his way to my side. But before I could get out, he pointed to the other end of the building and said,
“The band entrance is that way.”
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Swansea Uni study: African wild dogs 'sneeze to vote' - BBC News
(click on the day for details)
Armed Forces Day (South Africa)
Birthday of King Harald V (Norway)
Christian feast day:
Felix of Hadrumetum
Pepin of Landen
Peter Damian
Randoald of Grandval
February 21 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Father Lini Day (Vanuatu)
Language Movement Day (Bangladesh)
International Mother Language Day (UNESCO)
The first day of the Birth Anniversary of Fifth Druk Gyalpo, celebrated until February 23. (Bhutan)
The first day of the Musikahan Festival, celebrated until February 27. (Tagum City, Philippines)
Observances (click on the day, BD or week for details)
Card Reading Day
Language Day
National Grain Free Day
National Sticky Bun Day
Robert Gabriel Mugabe National Youth Day
Sophie Turner’s Birthday
Solar’s Birthday
Nina Simone’s Birthday
Wendy’s Birthday
John Lewis’s Birthday
Giveon’s Birthday
Blanket Jackson’s Birthday
Alan Rickman’s Birthday
Jordan Peele’s Birthday
Jennifer Love Hewitt
Kelsey Grammer
***
Which windshield wiper blade always quits first? That's right—the driver's side. This happened to me one day while driving home in the middle of a blinding storm. Unable to see, I pulled over and tried to figure out a quick fix. I found it in a yellow cotton work glove that was lying on the floor. I wedged the cloth hand under the wiper arm. It did a great job keeping my windshield clear. Not only that— you'd be surprised at how many people waved back.
***
Our Lamaze class included a tour of the pediatric wing at the hospital. When a new baby was brought into the nursery, all the women tried to guess its weight, but the guy standing next to me was the only male to venture a number. "Looks like 9 1⁄2 pounds," he offered confidently.
"This must not be your first," I said.
"Oh, yes, it's my first."
"Then how would you know the weight of a baby?"
He shrugged. "I'm a fisherman."
***
We purchased an old home in northern New York State from two elderly sisters. Winter was fast approaching, and I was concerned about the house's lack of insulation. "If they could live here all those years, so can we!" my husband confidently declared. One November night the temperature plunged to below zero, and we woke up to find interior walls covered with frost.
My husband called the sisters to ask how they had kept the house warm. After a brief conversation, he hung up.
"For the past 30 years," he muttered, "they've gone to Florida for the winter."
***
Our company gives out Thanksgiving turkeys to retired employees. All they have to do is stop by the plant to pick them up.
A few days before the holiday, a retiree called to ask, “What time do the turkeys get in?”
The receptionist, without thinking, responded, “Everyone starts at eight.”
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A brief history of the Molotov cocktail
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How a British Officer Disabled A German Armored Vehicle With An Umbrella in the Heat of Battle
(click on the day for details)
Christian feast day:
Eleutherius of Tournai
Eucherius of Orléans
Francisco Marto and Jacinta Marto
Frederick Douglass (Episcopal Church (USA))
Wulfric of Haselbury
February 20 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Day of Heavenly Hundred Heroes (Ukraine)
World Day of Social Justice
Observances (click on the day, BD or week for details)
Clean Out Your Bookcase Day
Hoodie Hoo Day
Mizoram State Day
National Cherry Pie Day
National Comfy Day
National Day of Solidarity with Muslim Arab and South Asian Immigrants
National Handcuff Day
National Leadership Day
National Love Your Pet Day
National Muffin Day
National Student Volunteer Day
National Whistleblower Reward Day
No Politics Day
Statehood Day of Arunachal Pradesh
Women in Blue Jeans Days
International Lego Classicism Day
International Pipe Smoking Day
Rihanna’s Birthday
Trevor Noah’s Birthday
Olivia Rodrigo’s Birthday
Kurt Cobain’s Birthday
Elmo O'Dwyer’s Birthday
Cindy Crawford’s Birthday
Charles Barkley’s Birthday
Mitch McConnell
Chelsea Peretti
Ivana Trump
Sidney Poitier
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tue Feb 20th, 2024 - Mon Feb 26th, 2024
National Chip Week
***
At the busy dental office where I work, one patient was always late. Once when I called to confirm an appointment, he said, "I'll be about 15 minutes late. That won't be a problem, will it?"
"No," I told him. "We just won't have time to give you an anesthetic."
He arrived early.
***
As a promotional gimmick for my restaurant, I send out coupons offering people a free dinner on their birthdays. One day an anxious-sounding man called. "I got your card. How did you find me?"
"From a mailing list I purchased from a supplier," I told him. "Why?"
"It used my real name, and I'm in the Witness Protection Program. What's the name of the company?"
I didn't want to say it, but I had to tell him the truth: Moving Targets.
***
My musical director wasn't happy with the performance of one of our percussionists. Repeated attempts to get the drummer to improve failed. Finally, in front of the orchestra, the director said in frustration, "When a musician just can't handle his instrument, they take it away, give him two sticks and make him a drummer!"
A stage whisper was heard from the percussion section: "And if he can't handle that, they take away one of his sticks and make him a conductor."
***
It was our first day on the rifle range at Lackland Air Force Base. I felt confident as I aimed and squeezed the trigger of my carbine for my first shot.
“Good news and bad news,” my instructor said.
“The good news: You got a bull’s eye.”
Before my head could swell too much, he added,
“But it was in somebody else’s target.”
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Egyptian authorities detained a stork last week on suspicion of espionage, mistaking its migration tag for spying equipment. In fact the stork was innocent - like a number of other animals falsely accused over the years of undercover work, writes Mohamed Madi.
In 2011, Saudi authorities arrested a high-flying vulture on suspicion that it was flying missions for Israel's famously ingenious Mossad agency. And a spate of shark attacks near the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh in 2010 was blamed by one TV station on GPS-controlled predators planted by Israel in order to harm the Egyptian tourism industry.
Iran has also felt threatened by animal agents. In 2007 the Iranian army arrested a team of 14 "spy squirrels" found near a nuclear enrichment plant. Officials said they succeeded in apprehending the suspects "before they were able to take any action".
However, not all reports of pets on patrol are as far-fetched as they seem. Animals have been serving in the military as early as 1908, when Germans first attached cameras to pigeons to take aerial photographs.
Some programmes have been more successful than others. The CIA's attempt to implant listening devices into a cat - dubbed Operation Acoustic Kitty - ended in failure on day one, when the kitty was run over by a car outside the Soviet embassy in Washington DC. The project was estimated to have cost more than $14m.
Another failed project was the equally outlandish Bat Bomb, tried by the US in WWII, where bats were strapped to mini-incendiary devices and dropped over Japan. The idea was for them to roost inside wooden Japanese buildings before bursting into flames. The atomic bomb ultimately proved more effective.
Perhaps the most successful recruits from the animal world have been dolphins. The US and Russia have confirmed the existence of marine mammal training programmes, where dolphins and seals are trained to identify underwater mines and disable enemy swimmers. But just like young soldiers, dolphins have hormones, and can go awol. In March this year Ukraine's Defence Ministry had to deny reports that three military dolphins had escaped and were roaming the Black Sea in search of sex.
(click on the day for details)
Armed Forces Day (Mexico)
Brâncuși Day (Romania)
Christian feast day:
Barbatus of Benevento
Boniface of Brussels
Conrad of Piacenza
Lucy Yi Zhenmei (one of Martyrs of Guizhou)
February 19 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Commemoration of Vasil Levski (Bulgaria)
Flag Day (Turkmenistan)
Shivaji Jayanti (Maharashtra, India)
Observances (click on the day, BD or week for details)
Daisy Gatson Bates Day
Family Day
Islander Day
Iwo Jima Day
Louis Riel Day
National Airboat Day
National Arabian Horse Day
National Lash Day
National Vet Girls ROCK Day
Nova Scotia Heritage Day
Presidents' Day
Prevent Plagiarism Day
The Day of Illustrious Puerto Ricans
Tug of War Day
U.S. Coast Guard Reserve Birthday
National Hickey Day
Royalty Johnson’s Birthday
Millie Bobby Brown’s Birthday
Smokey Robinson’s Birthday
Cynthia Bailey’s Birthday
Benicio del Toro
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mon Feb 19th, 2024 - Fri Feb 23rd, 2024
America Saves Week
Take Your Family to School Week
Mon Feb 19th, 2024 - Sun Feb 25th, 2024
National Eating Disorder Awareness Week
National Pancake Week
Cancer Prevention Action Week
Fun Observances
Chocolate Mint Day
Chocolate Mint Day on February 19 is devoted to the classic combination of chocolate and mint
Chocolate goes well with almost everything, but there is one chocolate pairing that is classic – chocolate and mint. So, it is only fair that the United States National Confectioners Association has declared February 19 to be Chocolate Mint Day in honor of this hugely popular flavor pairing.
Chocolate Every Day
Chocolate is a very popular theme for a fun holiday. Other chocolate flavored holidays are Chocolate Pudding Day, Milk Chocolate Day, Chocolate Pecan Pie Day, Chocolate Milkshake Day, Chocolate Cupcake Day, Chocolate Covered Anything Day, and Chocolate Cake Day.
How to Celebrate?
Introduce chocolate and mint pairings in each of your meals.
Have a chocolate mint latte for your morning cup of coffee, or add chocolate chips and some mint to your cereal.
Replace your main course with a big slice (or two) of chocolate mint cake, and follow it with chocolate mint ice cream.
Did You Know…
…that there is an herb called mint chocolate whose leaves taste like chocolate mint?
***
While walking through a Dallas airport, my dentist ran into a group of folks from his hometown. Among them was one of his patients. When he said hello, she gave him a curious look, saying he looked familiar but she could not quite place him.
"Lean back and look up at me," he suggested.
She did. "Oh! Dr. Harrison!"
***
My father’s secretary was visibly distraught one morning when she arrived at the office and explained that her children’s parrot had escaped from his cage and flown out an open window. Of all the dangers the tame bird would face outdoors alone, she seemed most concerned about what would happen if the bird started talking. Confused, my father asked what the parrot could say.
“Well,” she explained, “he mostly says, ‘Here, kitty, kitty.’ ”
***
Some newly married friends were visiting us when the topic of children came up. The bride said she wanted three children, while the young husband demurred, saying two would be enough for him. They discussed this discrepancy for a few minutes until the husband thought he'd put an end to things, saying boldly, "After our second child, I'll just have a vasectomy."
Without a moment's hesitation, the bride retorted, "Well, I hope you'll love the third one like it's your own!"
***
Concerned that he might have put on a few pounds, my husband exited the bathroom and asked, “Do you think my chin is getting fat?”
I smiled lovingly and replied, “Which one?”
(click on the day for details)
Christian feast day:
Bernadette Soubirous (France)
Colmán of Lindisfarne
Flavian of Constantinople
Geltrude Comensoli
Simeon of Jerusalem (Western Christianity)
February 18 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Dialect Day (Amami Islands, Japan)
Independence Day, celebrates the independence of the Gambia from the United Kingdom in 1965
Kurdish Students Union Day (Iraqi Kurdistan)
National Democracy Day, celebrates the 1951 overthrow of the Rana dynasty (Nepal)
Observances (click on the day, BD, or week for details)
Cow Milked While Flying in an Airplane Day
Daytona Pole Day
National Crab Stuffed Flounder Day
National Drink Wine Day
NBA All Star Game
Pluto Day
Thumb Appreciation Day
World Whale Day
National Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day
Yoko Ono’s Birthday
Vanna White’s Birthday
John Travolta’s Birthday
Hansol Vernon Chwe’s Birthday
Dr. Dre’s Birthday
Damien Prince’s Birthday
Gary Ridgway
~~~~~~~~~
Sun Feb 18th, 2024 - Sat Feb 24th, 2024
Bird Health Awareness Week
National Engineers Week
National Justice for Animals Week
Through with the Chew
Fun Observances
Battery Day
February 18 is Battery Day. It is a day to acknowledge the device that makes it possible for the smallest household items to the largest heavy-duty equipment to work smoothly.
The unofficial holiday of unknown origins is also known as National Battery Day in the United States
Converts Energy
A battery is a device that converts chemical energy to electrical energy. It is thought that the term battery to describe such a device was first used by Benjamin Franklin because the setting of the capacitator he saw reminded him of a battery of cannons.
How to Celebrate?
Celebrate the day by swapping out old the old, dead batteries from your household items.
Take all the old batteries to the recycling center.
Check your smoke alarm and fire alarm batteries and replace them if needed.
Learn the history and science behind batteries.
Did You Know…
…that according to some archeologists and historians, the earliest known battery in recorded human history can be traced back to as far as 2000 years ago? Known as the Baghdad Battery, the battery is a clay pot containing a metal tube and a metal rod. It is thought to have been discovered in the basement of the Baghdad Museum by German painter and archaeologist Wilhelm Konig, who suggested that the artifact was probably used as a battery.
***
Exchange your shivers for some giggles as we celebrate the spring season with some of our silliest reader submissions:
Stop and Smell the Softener I had spent the late winter months waiting impatiently for signs of spring. When the first warm, sunny Saturday arrived, I eagerly unlocked the storm door and stepped onto our patio deck. I was pleased by the sight of green sprouts and the sounds of singing birds. More than anything else, I delighted in the sweet aroma of the spring air. Knocking on the kitchen window, I beckoned to my wife to join me in enjoying the pleasures of the season. She quietly brought me back to earth when she reminded me that I was standing over the dryer vent, inhaling the scent of fabric softener.
Your Sunday Best Our daughter, an ROTC cadet, was ordered to Fort Indiantown Gap in Pennsylvania for field exercises. Since it was the Easter season, she requested permission to attend church services on Palm Sunday. The troops were in the field at the time, so the commanding officer agreed only if there happened to be a church in the vicinity of their maneuvers. When a small country church was seen along the road, our daughter entered quietly, hoping to be unnoticed in spite of her leaf-and-branch camouflage. But all eyes turned upon her as a small child cried in amazement, "Look, somebody came as a palm!"
Spring Fever One spring day I was taking the roll in my secretarial class at our local technical college. One of the sun worshipers was absent. "Cindy won't be here this afternoon?" I asked. "She went home to lay in the sun," a young woman in the front row answered. Trying to correct her grammar without embarrassing her before the class, I whispered, "Lie." Okay," she replied in astonishment. "Cindy got sick and went home."
Standby, Soldier Every Easter our church stages an elaborate pageant. Last year the man who played Pontius Pilate had to work on the night of the dress rehearsal, and a chorus member substituted for him. As we began rehearsing Pilate's solo, the conductor stopped the orchestra. "Pilate, I don't hear you," he called out. "You're not loud enough." "Pilate is at work," a voice on the stage shouted back. "We've got our co-Pilate tonight."
Signs of Spring In Ohio, spring is always eagerly awaited after the long, cold winters. When I arrived at work one day in mid-March, I noticed a sign gaily decorated with flowers and butterflies. It read: "Think Spring." The first day of spring blew in with a snowstorm and freezing temperatures, however, and another flowery sign was posted. This time the message read: "Forget Spring. Think Summer."
Sleepless Saving Time Twice a year, we change the clocks for daylight-savings time. And twice a year, my normally punctual assistant arrives late to work the Monday after we do so. I finally had to find out why. "Do you have a problem remembering to spring forward or fall back?" I asked. "Oh, no," she said, pouring herself a cup of coffee. "What gets to me is staying up until 2 a.m. to change my clock."
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I admit it—I have a tendency to exaggerate, and I was afraid when I joined the Navy that my “creativity” might get me in trouble. But my fears were put to rest one day while getting into formation, which was determined by height. Now, I was shy of six feet tall, but when our drill sergeant called for all six-footers to line up, I stepped forward anyway. I instantly knew I was in the right outfit when I looked around. I was the tallest guy in line.
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Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers were dining in New York. Ginger was resplendent in a ball gown and pearls, and Fred also sported evening wear. But the meal was marred when the waiter bringing their desserts tripped and covered Fred from head to toe in treacle sponge.
“I’m terribly sorry,” said the waiter.
“So you should be,” replied Fred. “Thanks to you, I’ve pudding on my top hat, pudding on my white tie, pudding on my tails.”
***
When the box with my Halloween costume arrived, it was empty. I called the company and asked where my Maid Marian costume was.
“We’re sorry, ma’am. We’ll send your costume tomorrow,” the representative said.
“In the meantime, feel free to keep the Lady Godiva costume you got by mistake.”
(click on the day for details)
Christian feast day:
Seven Founders of the Servite Order
Alexis Falconieri
Constabilis
Donatus, Romulus, Secundian, and Companions
Fintan of Clonenagh
Janani Luwum (Anglican Communion)
Lommán of Trim
February 17 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Independence Day, celebrates the independence declaration of Kosovo in 2008, still partially recognized.
Revolution Day (Libya)
Observances (click on the day, BD, or week for details)
Analog to Digital TV Day
Champion Crab Races Day
February 17th Revolution
My Way Day
National Cabbage Day
National Cafe au Lait Day
National Public Science Day
National Tennis Pro Day
Who Shall I Be Day
World Human Spirit Day
World Pangolin Day
Michael Jordan’s Birthday
David Goggins’s Birthday
Bonnie Wright’s Birthday
Billie Joe Armstrong’s Birthday
Alex Vargas’s Birthday
Rene Russo’s Birthday
Paris Hilton’s Birthday
Denise Richards
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
~~~~~~~~~
Sat Feb 17th, 2024 - Mon Feb 19th, 2024
Simplot Games
Sat Feb 17th, 2024 - Sat Feb 24th, 2024
National FFA Week
Sat Feb 17th, 2024 - Sun Mar 25th, 2024
Real Bread Week
Fun Observances
Random Act of Kindness Day
February 17, is a day to practice kindness and pay it forward.
The unofficial holiday is also known as National Random Act of Kindness Day in the United States.
One-Sided Concern
Considered to be a core value of most religions and cultures, kindness is the act of showing concern for others, loved ones and strangers, without any expectations of any consideration in return.
Spreads Happiness and Health
Studies have shown that being compassionate not only helps other people, but also makes one happy and healthier. People who are kind are thought to have lower risk for heart and blood pressure-related diseases.
September 1 in New Zealand
In New Zealand, Random Act of Kindness Day or RAK has been celebrated on September 1 since 2004.
Other kindness related holidays one can celebrate during the year include Be Kind to Lawyers Day and World Kindness Day.
How to Celebrate?
Every day should be a day to be kind, but here are some easy ways to spread kindness around on this day.
Smile at a stranger at your bus stop.
Say "thank you" to your bus driver for driving you safely.
Compliment a friend.
Buy your co-worker their favorite snack.
Help your neighbor mow their lawn.
Pay for the groceries of the person behind you in the checkout line.
Did You Know…
…that randomness is a mathematical concept? In statistics and probability, a random event means that it cannot be predicted.
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I worked at a boarding kennel where people leave their dogs and cats while on vacation. One morning I had taken a cat out of his cage, and after playing with him and replenishing his food and water, I put him back in. A few minutes later, I was surprised to see the feline at my feet, since the cage doors lock automatically when they’re shut.
I couldn’t figure out how the cat escaped, until I bent down to pick him up and spied his nametag: “Houdini.”
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Living in a household with eight indoor cats requires buying large amounts of kitty litter, which I usually get in 25-pound bags—100 pounds at a time. When I was going to be out of town for a week, I decided to go to the supermarket to stock up.
As my husband and I both pushed shopping carts, each loaded with five large bags of litter, a man looked at our purchases and queried, “Bengal or Siberian?”
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One night while I was cat-sitting my daughter’s indoor feline, it escaped outside. When it failed to return the following morning, I found the beast clinging to a branch about 30 feet up in a spindly tree. Unable to lure it down, I called the fire department.
“We don’t do that anymore,” the woman dispatcher said. When I persisted, she was polite but firm. “The cat will come down when it gets hungry enough.”
“How do you know that?” I asked.
“Have you ever seen a cat skeleton in a tree?” she said.
Two hours later the cat was back, looking for breakfast.
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My 85-year-old grandfather was rushed to the hospital with a possible concussion. The doctor asked him a series of questions:
“Do you know where you are?”
“I’m at Rex Hospital.”
“What city are you in?”
“Raleigh.”
“Do you know who I am?”
“Dr. Hamilton.”
My grandfather then turned to the nurse and said, “I hope he doesn’t ask me any more questions.”
“Why?” she asked.
“Because all of those answers were on his badge.”
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sandrewn
(Todays' blog would not let me add any new jokes or pictures, sorry.)
(click on the day for details)
Christian feast day:
Abda of Edessa
Elias and companions
Juliana of Nicomedia (Catholic Church)
Onesimus
Charles Todd Quintard (Episcopal Church (USA))
February 16 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Day of the Shining Star (Kim Jong-il's Birthday) (North Korea)
Restoration of Lithuania's Statehood Day, celebrate the independence of Lithuania from Russia and Germany in 1918 (Lithuania)
Elizabeth Peratrovich Day (Alaska)
Observances (click on the day, BD, or week for details)
Friday Fish Fry Day
Innovation Day
Kyoto Protocol Day
National Almond Day
National Caregivers Day
National Tartar Sauce Day
No One Eats Alone Day
Tim Tam Day
Lupe Fiasco’s Birthday
Brittney Atwood’s Birthday
Ice T’s Birthday
Elizabeth Olsen’s Birthday
Ava Max’s Birthday
The Weeknd
Mahershala Ali
~~~~~~~~~
Fri Feb 16th, 2024 - Sun Feb 18th, 2024
Girl Scout Cookie Weekend
Fun Observances
Do a Grouch a Favor Day
On February 16 or Do a Grouch a Favor Day, make someone’s day by doing something nice for them and getting them out of their funk.
How to Celebrate?
If you see someone who is grumpy, do something nice for them. Something as simple as a cheerful greeting and a smile can make someone’s day.
If you know of someone who is having a hard time, make their day by taking them out for lunch or treat them to their favorite dessert.
Be cheerful, remember happiness is contagious and your cheer may just rub off.
Did You Know…
…that Sesame Street, a children's TV show, has a number of characters called grouches? Grouches are always grouchy and unhappy, and usually live where there is trash.
***
My boss yelled at me the other day, “You’ve got to be the worst train driver in history. How many trains did you derail last year?"
I said, "Can’t say for sure, it’s so hard to keep track!"
***
The public safety officer came up to a large mob of people outside a department store and asked, “What’s happening?”
A mall officer replied, “These people are waiting to get the new Barbie doll.” The public safety officer shook his head and muttered, “Who can resist a Barbie queue?”
***
Two antennas met on a roof, fell in love and got married. The ceremony wasn't much, but the reception was excellent.
***
Did you hear the news about that Chinese restaurant that got vandalized? It was an act of wonton destruction.
***
“What’s wrong, Bubba?” asked the pastor.
“I need you to pray for my hearing,” said Bubba.
The pastor put his hands on Bubba’s ears and prayed. When he was done, he asked, “So how’s your hearing?”
“I don’t know,” said Bubba. “It isn’t until next Tuesday.”
***
Anyone wanting to take pictures on our base’s airfield needs a letter from public affairs, which happens to be me. One day, while out snapping photos, I was stopped by the military police, who asked for my letter from public affairs.
“But I am public affairs,” I said.
“Without a letter from public affairs, we’ll have to take your camera.”
I did the only thing I could do: I pulled a notepad and pen from my bag and wrote a letter giving myself permission to take photos.
The MPs read the letter, saluted, and left.
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Frank "Rocky" Fiegel | Popeye the Sailorpedia | Fandom
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Ancient Egyptian Pregnancy Test Survived Millennia Because It Worked | HowStuffWorks
(click on the day for details)
Christian feast day:
Blessed Michał Sopoćko
Claude de la Colombière
Faustinus and Jovita
Oswiu
Quinidius
Sigfrid of Sweden
Thomas Bray (Episcopal Church)
Walfrid
February 15 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Earliest day on which Family Day can fall, while February 21 is the latest; celebrated on the third Monday in February. (parts of Canada)
Earliest day on which Washington's Birthday can fall, while February 21 is the latest; celebrated on the third Monday in February. (United States)
International Duties Memorial Day (Russia, regional)
John Frum Day (Vanuatu)
Liberation Day (Afghanistan)
National Flag of Canada Day (Canada)
Parinirvana Day, also celebrated on February 8. (Mahayana Buddhism)
Singles Awareness Day
Statehood Day (Serbia)
Susan B. Anthony Day (Florida, United States)
The ENIAC Day (Philadelphia, United States)
Total Defence Day (Singapore)
Observances (click on the day, BD, or week for details)
Annoy Squidward Day
Day of Ashakalia
International Angelman Day
International Childhood Cancer Day
Love Reset Day
Lui-Ngai-Ni
National Black Girl Magic Day
National I Want Butterscotch Day
National Marcus Day
National Wisconsin Day
Remember the Maine Day
St. Skeletor's Day
World Anthropology Day
World Cholangiocarcinoma Day
World Hippo Day
Megan Thee Stallion’s Birthday
Susan B. Anthony’s Birthday
Jane Seymour’s Birthday
Chris Farley
~~~~~~~~~
Thu Feb 15th, 2024 - Wed Apr 17th, 2024
Make Mine Chocolate
Fun Observances
Gumdrop Day
February 15 is Gumdrop Day. Celebrate this day by treating yourself to a bowlful of the colorful, chewy, and delicious candy.
This unofficial and fun holiday is also called National Gumdrop Day in the United States.
Bright Colored Candy
Gumdrops are brightly colored candy or sweets made of pectin or gelatin. The cone-shaped treats are typically covered in sugar and are usually fruit flavored.
Gumdrops that are flavored with artificial spices like cinnamon and mint are called spice drops.
Decoration for Cakes
Generally cone shaped, gumdrops are often used to decorate cakes and gingerbread houses during Christmas time.
Similar sweet tooth holidays are Gummi Worm Day and Candy Corn Day.
How to Celebrate?
It’s easy to celebrate this day. Just get a bag full of delicious gumdrops and enjoy them to your heart's content.
Try and make gumdrops in your own kitchen. Share them with your family and friends.
Did You Know…
…that the world gelatin comes from Latin gelat, which means to freeze?
***
My young son declared, “When I grow up, I’m going to marry you, Mommy.”
“You can’t marry your own mother,” said his older sister.
“Then I’ll marry you.” “You can’t marry me either.”
He looked confused, so I explained, “You can’t marry someone in your own family.”
“You mean I have to marry a total stranger?!” he cried.
***
We had just finished tucking our five kids into bed when three-year-old Billy began to wail. Turns out, he had accidentally swallowed a penny and was sure he was going to die.
Desperate to calm him, my husband palmed a penny that he had in his pocket and pretended to pull it from Billy’s ear.
Billy was delighted. In a flash, he snatched it from my husband’s hand, swallowed it, and demanded, “Do it again!”
***
My sister is a know-it-all who bristles at anyone's well-intentioned advice. But when our older sister gave her several clever tips, she was impressed.
"I have to hand it to Pat," she told me.
"She really is smart. Not Jeopardy! smart; more Wheel of Fortune smart."
***
As A.J. and his platoon of recruits were marching, their sergeant slipped and tumbled down a ravine.
The irate sergeant scrambled back up amid guffaws and barked, “Those who laughed, get down and give me 20!”
A.J. and some others fell to the ground quickly and did their push-ups.
Meanwhile, the sergeant glared at the others.
“As for the rest of you, get down and give me 40 for lying!”
(click on the day for details)
Christian feast day:
Cyril and Methodius, patron saints of Europe (Roman Catholic Church)
Manchan
Valentine (see also Valentine's Day)
February 14 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Statehood Day (Arizona, United States)
Statehood Day (Oregon, United States)
Presentation of Jesus at the Temple (Armenian Apostolic Church)
Parents' Worship Day (parts of India)
Observances (click on the day, BD, or week for details)
Ash Wednesday
Basant Panchami
Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Day
Frederick Douglass Day
Gold Heart Day
Have a Heart Day
International Book Giving Day
League of Women Voters Day
Lui-Ngai-Ni Festival
Madly In Love With Me Day
National Black Literacy Day
National Boone Day
National Call in Single Day
National Chance Day
National Christine Day
National Condom Day
National Cream-Filled Chocolate Day
National Donor Day
National Football Hangover Day
National Impotence Day
Organ Donor Day
Pet Theft Awareness Day
Quirkyalone Day
Rafik Hariri Memorial Day
Read to Your Child Day
Valentine's Day
Vasant Panchami
World Bonobo Day
World Sound Healing Day
Tati Westbrook’s Birthday
Koharu Sugawara’s Birthday
Karol G’s Birthday
Companiondish’s Birthday
Michael Bloomberg
Jimmy Hoffa
Frederick Douglass
~~~~~~~~~
Wed Feb 14th, 2024 - Tue Feb 20th, 2024
Random Acts of Kindness Week
Wed Feb 14th, 2024 - Mon Feb 21st, 2024
Nest Box Week
National Condom Week
Love Teaching Week
Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Care Staff Education Week
Wed Feb 14th, 2024 - Sun Mar 31st, 2024
Lent
Fun Observances ( 2 )
Ferris Wheel Day
February 14 is Ferris Wheel Day, a day to honor the life and time of Ferris wheel inventor George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr.
Now a mainstay of theme parks and fairs, the Ferris wheel debuted at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, United States.
How to Celebrate?
Visit your closest theme park and spend time riding the Ferris wheel.
Since it is also Valentine’s Day, why not take your loved one with you on a Ferris wheel?
Learn more about the science and technology behind Ferris wheels.
Did You Know…
…that the world’s largest Ferris wheel is 167.6 m or 550 feet tall? The High Roller, as it is called, can be found in Las Vegas.
~~~~~~~
Library Lovers Day
February 14 is not only Valentine’s Day, it's also Library Lover’s Day. It is a day to honor libraries, librarians, bookworms, and library lovers in your life.
How to Celebrate?
Show your appreciation for your library and your librarian by volunteering your time helping out at the library or by donating money to your local library to add to their collections.
Visit your local library and check out books or films.
If you know someone – a friend or a family member – who does not have a library membership, now is the chance for you to encourage them to get one.
Did You Know…
…that the Library of Congress in Washington DC, United States, is the largest library in the world?
***
My dad used to sing little ditties. This was my favorite:
There was a young lady named Mabel. She danced on the dining room table. Her face grew red, When the gentleman said ...
“Look at the legs on that table!”
***
Here's my favorite dad joke, with me as the dad:
Every Sunday on the way to church, we would have to stop at a railroad crossing. And each time, I’d tell my 12-year-old daughter, “A train just went by. Know how I can tell? It left its tracks.” I got a moan the first couple of Sundays.
After a while, every time we’d pull up to the crossing, all I had to do was look in the rearview mirror and she would smile.
My daughter is now a college graduate and lives out of state, but every time I cross those tracks, I think of her.
***
My dad was not a jokester, but his fun side did come out once in a while. When I was 12, he took me to a Chicago White Sox game with a group from a local tavern. The game between the Sox and the Indians was in the ninth inning, with the Sox ahead by a run.
I was having so much fun, I said, “I hope the Indians tie the game in the ninth.” The die-hard Sox fans we were with were horrified, but not Dad.
He started cheering for the Indians to score, even as the men yelled, “Cut it out; you’re a Sox fan!” The Sox ended up winning, everyone was happy, and my dad and I laughed all the way home.
I miss him tremendously.
***
(I needed a break from purple, back to normal tomorrow)
(click on the day for details)
Children's Day (Myanmar)
Christian feast day:
Absalom Jones (Episcopal Church (USA))
Beatrice of Ornacieux
Castor of Karden
Catherine of Ricci
Dyfnog
Ermenilda of Ely
Fulcran
Jordan of Saxony
Polyeuctus (Roman Catholic Church)
February 13 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
World Radio Day
Observances (click on the day, BD, or week for details)
Angola Carnival Day
Black Love Day
Brazilian Carninval
Canada's Agriculture Day
Desperation Day
Dream Your Sweet Day
Ecuador Carnival
Employee Legal Awareness Day
Extraterrestrial Culture Day
Fasnacht Day
Galentine's Day
Get a Different Name Day
International Condom Day
International Natural Day
Kiss Day
Mardi Gras
National Apology Day
National Break Up With Your Carrier Day
National Cheddar Day
National Crab Rangoon Day
National Derrick Day
National Internet Friends Day
National Jamie Day
National Tortellini Day
National Wingman Day
Qatar Sports Day
Safer Internet Day
Self-Love Day
Travel Africa Day
Pancake Day
Sockie Norris’s Birthday
Jess Hilarious’s Birthday
Jerry Springer
Randy Moss
~~~~~~~~
Tue Feb 13th, 2024 - Thu Feb 15th, 2024
World AG Expo
Tue Feb 13th, 2024 - Mon Feb 19th, 2024
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Awareness Week
***
One day, my physician father treated himself to a plate of raw oysters and offered to share them with me. Just as I was about to dig in, he picked up an oyster, examined it, and commented,
“They remind me of infected tonsils.”And that’s the story of how he ended up eating the entire plate of oysters himself.
***
My six-year-old loved his pet fish. He watched and fed it faithfully, morning and night. But one day while he was in school, his fish died, so I flushed it down the toilet. I told him when he got home, and he was inconsolable. Nothing I said helped.
After a while, I asked, “Why are you crying so much?”
Arching his back, he shouted, “I wanted to flush!”
***
Two regulars are sitting at a bar when one of them casually points to a couple of drunks across from them.
“That’s us in ten years,” he says.
His friend takes a sip from his beer, sets it down on the bar, turns to his friend, and slurs, “That’s a mirror.”
***
I was working from home, interviewing a famous neurologist for an article, when my three-year-old announced she had to go potty and waddled into the bathroom.
After some loud moans, she yelled, “I did it, Mom! I pooped in the toilet! I pooped on the floor too! But I’ll clean it! Oh, I stepped in it!”
There was an uncomfortable silence as I realized the doctor had heard every word. “Ha ha,” I laughed nervously. “Do you have kids?”
“No,” he said, “and I never will.”
(click on the day for details)
Christian feast day:
Benedict of Aniane
Damian (?)
Julian the Hospitaller
Martyrs of Abitinae
February 12 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Darwin Day (International)
Georgia Day (Georgia (U.S. state))
Lincoln's Birthday (United States)
Red Hand Day (United Nations)
Union Day (Myanmar)
Observances (click on the day, BD, or week for details)
Argentina Carnival
Carnival Monday
Hug Day
International Day Against the Use of Child Soldiers
International Epilepsy Day
NAACP Day
National Brayden Day
National Freedom to Marry Day
National Lost Penny Day
National Plum Pudding Day
National Poop Day
Oatmeal Monday
Oglethorpe Day
Safety Pup Day
Shrove Monday
Sick of Food Waste Day
Uruguay Carnival
National Football Hangover Day
Yungeen Ace’s Birthday
Gucci Mane’s Birthday
Charles Darwin’s Birthday
Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday
Josh Brolin
Tony Ferguson
Christina Ricci
Brett Kavanaugh
~~~~~~~~
Mon Feb 12th, 2024 - Fri Feb 16th, 2024
Love Data Week
Mon Feb 12th, 2024 - Sun Feb 18th, 2024
Cardiac Rehab Week
Homes for Birds Week
National Jell-O Week
Student Volunteering Week
Random Acts of Kindness Week
National Secondhand Wardrobe Week
Fun Observances ( 02 )
Darwin Day
Darwin Day is held annually on or around February 12, the birthday of Charles Darwin.
The unofficial holiday honors the life and work of English naturalist Charles Darwin. Also known as International Darwin Day, the day is a celebration of science and humanity.
Theory of Evolution
Born in 1809, Charles Darwin revolutionized the field of natural history by putting forth the theory of evolution by natural selection. In his book On the Origins of Species published in 1859, he argued that all present-day life forms on Earth came from a single ancestor and that diversity in the animal and plant kingdom came about due to natural selection, migration, extinction, and genetic mutations.
Celebrated Worldwide
While initially contested, Darwin's theory of evolution is now widely accepted as fact and theory in the scientific community.
Darwin Day has been celebrated off and on since his death in 1882. In 2000, three Darwin fans, Dr. Robert Stephens, Prof. Massimo Pigliucci, and Amanda Chesworth created the Darwin Day Program. The program was later named the Darwin Day Celebration, a non-profit organization committed to science education. Today Darwin Day celebrations are held all around the world.
How to Celebrate?
Get a crash course on evolution and natural selection.
Read Charles Darwin's book The Origin of Species.
Visit your local natural history museum and spend the day among dinosaur bones.
Did You Know…
…that the full title of Darwin’s seminal book is: On the Origin of Species by means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life?
~~~~~~~
Clean Out Your Computer Day
Have you been putting off cleaning out those old files on your desktop? Well, today is the day you should do it, because it is Clean Out Your Computer Day.
Started in 2000 by the Institute of Business Technology, the day falls on the second Monday in February.
A similar holiday called National Clean Your Virtual Desktop Day is celebrated in October.
How to Celebrate
Backup your computer, including all your files, documents, and pictures.
Clean out your desktop. Delete or archive files that you have no use of or haven’t used in several months.
Organize your folders, files and bookmarks.
Uninstall all the programs you no longer used.
Did You Know…
…that the Perottina was the world’s first commercially marketed desktop? Launched in 1964, the computer was named after its inventor Pier Giorgio Perotto.
***
Ed: I bought the world’s worst thesaurus yesterday.
Fred: How bad is it?
Ed: Not only is it awful, it’s awful.
***
Q: What weighs more, a gallon of water or a gallon of butane?
A: The water. Butane is lighter fluid.
***
I went to a smoke shop to discover that it has been replaced by an apparel store.
Clothes, but no cigar.
***
Q: If you're an American in the kitchen, what are you when you're in the bathroom?
A: European!
***
The new draftee refused to march with his squad. Instead, he rode his invisible motorcycle beside them while making motorcycle noises. After a few weeks of this and several psychiatric exams, he was given a discharge. He rode his Hog to the main gate, propped it up on its invisible stand and walked out.
"Hey," called the gate guard. "You forgot your bike."
"No," replied the draftee, "I'm leaving it for the next guy who wants to get out."
***
As my wife and I prepared for our garage sale, I came across a painting. Looking at the back, I discovered that I had written “To my beautiful wife on our fifth anniversary. I love you … Keith.”
Feeling nostalgic about a gift I’d given her 25 years earlier, I showed it to her, thinking we should rehang the picture.
After gazing at my message for a few seconds, she replied,
“You know, I think a black marker would cover over all that so that we could sell it.”
(click on the day for details)
Christian feast day:
Blaise Eastern Orthodox liturgics
Cædmon, first recorded Christian poet in England, c. 680 CE (Anglicanism)
Gobnait
Gregory II
Lazarus of Milan
February 11 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
European 112 Day (European Union)
Armed Forces Day (Liberia)
Evelio Javier Day (Panay Island, the Philippines)
Feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes (Catholic Church), and its related observance
World Day of the Sick (Roman Catholic Church)
Inventors' Day (United States)
National Foundation Day (Japan)
Youth Day (Cameroon)
International Day of Women and Girls in Science (UN Women)
Observances (click on the day, BD, or week for details)
Autism Sunday
Battle of the Oranges Ivrea
Be Electrific Day
Fastelavn
Get Out Your Guitar Day - 1
National Guitar Day - 2
Grandmother Achievement Day
Islamic Revolution Day
Man Day
Mother's Day Norway
National Ava Day
National Emergency Number Day
National Homegating Day
National Latte Day
National Marc Day
National Peppermint Patty Day
National Shut-in Visitation Day
National Van Day
Pro Sports Wives Day
Promise Day
Satisfied Staying Single Day
Super Bowl Sunday
Super Chicken Wing Day
White Shirt Day
World Marriage Day
Sarah Palin’s Birthday
Roseanne Park’s Birthday
Mehgan James’s Birthday
Jennifer Aniston’s Birthday
Cody Herbinko’s Birthday
Burt Reynolds’s Birthday
Yung Miami’s Birthday
Thomas Edison’s Birthday
Brandy’s Birthday
Taylor Lautner’s Birthday
Khalid
~~~~~~~~
Sun Feb 11th, 2024 - Wed Feb 14th, 2024
American Association For the Advancement of Science Week
Sun Feb 11th, 2024 - Fri Feb 16th, 2024
Brotherhood/Sisterhood Week
Sun Feb 11th, 2024 - Sat Feb 17th, 2024
Build a Better Trade Show Image Week
Chastity Week
Children of Alcoholics Week
Great American Pizza Bake
International Flirting Week
National Salute to Veteran Patients
Pickle Time Week
Take Your Family to School Week
Freelance Writers Appreciation Week
National Kraut and Frankfurter Week
Fun Observances ( 2 )
Make a Friend Day
Make a Friend Day on February 11 is an unofficial holiday that encourages people to stop and take stock of their friend list and make new friends.
Humans are social animals and we need friends to feel fulfilled and happy. But sometimes in the daily rush of our lives not only do we tend to ignore our old friends, but we also forget to make new friends. Make a Friend Day inspires people to step out their comfort zone and try to meet new people and become friends with them.
More Tolerant
Making new friends can help people broaden their horizons and learn about different cultures and parts of the society. Research has shown that people with diverse group of friends are more tolerant, open to new ideas, and empathetic than people who have a small or a non-diverse group of friends.
How to Celebrate?
Say hello to new people and make new friends.
Attend events in the city where you can meet like-minded and interesting people.
Be adventurous and attend an event that you may never have thought about attending. Who knows you may even meet your future best friends there!
Did You Know…
…that studies have shown that on average people will remain long-term friends with 1 out of every 12 people they consider to be friends?
~~~~~~~
Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk Day
February 11 is Don’t Cry Over Spilled Milk Day, an annual reminder that nothing good ever comes out of holding on to regrets.
The name of the holiday comes from the English language idiom crying over spilled milk, which means to be sad over something that cannot be undone. Just like nothing can be done once milk has been spilled, one must not worry about something that is in the past.
Learning From Our Mistakes
We all make regrettable decisions in life. And while it is important to apologize to people whom our bad decisions may have affected, set things right for them, and learn from our mistakes, we must also ensure that we don’t spend more time than necessary on regret.
Regretting Regret
Studies have shown that long-term regret – that includes disappointment, remorse, shame, anger, and embarrassment over one’s actions – can have a negative effect on one’s mental and physical well-being. By focusing energy and thoughts on a past event, long-term regret can stop people from re-engaging with life and can often cripple a person’s decision-making process. Holding on to regret can also be stressful to the person’s body by negatively impacting his or her immune system. Regretful people are more prone to being sick, have more mental health issues, and they tend to attract fewer people socially than those who do not hold on to any form of regret.
How to Celebrate?
If you have any regrets, today is the day to start letting go of them. We won’t tell you that it will be easy, but once you start the process, you won’t regret it!
Did You Know…
...that there are 3 types of tears – basal, reflex and emotional? Basal tears are what keep our eyes moist throughout the day, while our eyes secrete reflex tears when dust or a foreign particle irritates them. Emotional tears are the tears we are all familiar with; we shed them when we are experiencing a range of emotions - anger, sadness, guilt, happiness, and joy.
***
Our booking office had three phones. One day during lunch, I was responsible for answering all of them. It was a constant repeat of “May I help you?” or “Will you hold?”
I guess I got confused because I surprised one man on the other end of the line when I answered his call with, “May I hold you?”
***
I’m known as a stickler for good spelling. So when an associate e-mailed technical documents and asked me to “decifer” them, I had to set him straight.
“Decipher is spelled with a ph, not an f,” I wrote. “In case you’ve forgotten, spellchecker comes free with your Microsoft program.”
A minute later came his reply: “Must be dephective.”
***
With the economy improved, my son, Pat, finally found a job in electrical engineering. Pat traveled to various locales to analyze and fix problems with his company’s equipment. Yet it frustrated him that his employer gave him little training.
One day Pat heard about some training classes coming up and asked if he might attend.
“Oh, sure,” his boss said. “You’re going to be the instructor.”
***
I went to a smoke shop to discover that it has been replaced by an apparel store.
Clothes, but no cigar.
***
Q: What is the best way to cook a gator?
A: In a crock-pot.
(click on the day for details)
Christian feast day:
Austrebertha
Charalambos
José Sánchez del Río
Scholastica
February 10 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Feast of St. Paul's Shipwreck (Malta)
Fenkil Day (Eritrea)
Kurdish Authors Union Day (Iraqi Kurdistan)
National Memorial Day of the Exiles and Foibe (Italy)
Observances (click on the day, BD, or week for details)
All the News That's Fit to Print Day
Children's Hospice Day
Chinese Lunar New Year's Day
Chinese New Year
Chinese Spring Festival
Global Movie Day
International Cribbage Day
Korean New Year
Losar
National Cream Cheese Brownie Day
National Flannel Day
National Home Warranty Day
National Julio Day
National Louis Day
Plimsoll Day
Royal Hobart Regatta
Seollal
Sonam Losar
Teddy Day
Tet Eve
Tet Holiday
Tet Nguyen Dan
Tsagaan Sar
Valentismas
World Pulses Day
Emily Bustamante’s Birthday
Mia Khalifa
Emma Roberts
Chloë Grace Moretz
Elizabeth Banks
Laura Dern
Robert Wagner
Yara Shahidi
~~~~~~~~
Sat Feb 10th, 2024 - Fri Feb 16th, 2024
National Hero Week
Sat Feb 10th, 2024 - Sat Feb 17th, 2024
National Entrepreneurship Week
Fun Observances
Umbrella Day
February 10 is Umbrella Day, so honor the humble umbrella for shielding you from the elements all year long.
Umbrellas have always been a part of human history, though in ancient times they were used only by the nobility and by the rich. In many cultures, umbrellas were used as part of religious ceremonies and rituals.
Fashion Accessory
In the 18th century, umbrellas became a popular women's fashion accessory and by the end of the 19th century, umbrellas had become a household item. It is thought that Englishman Jonas Hanway was the first male Londoner to carry an umbrella and that he was responsible for the popularity of umbrellas as an accessory among men in Europe and elsewhere.
More Practical
Today, with advances in technology, umbrellas have become smaller, lighter, easier to carry and more resilient to wind and strong rain. A majority of umbrellas on the market these days are manufactured in China.
Although umbrellas are sometimes also called parasols, parasols may not always be waterproof and are usually intended to shield people from sunshine rather than rain.
The holiday is also known as National Umbrella Day in the United States.
How to Celebrate?
Check the weather in your location and bring out your coolest umbrella to accessorize your outfit.
Go to the beach, and relax under your beach umbrella while having a drink with an umbrella in it.
Learn more about the history and the science behind umbrellas.
Did You Know…
…that some people believe that opening an umbrella indoors is considered to bring bad luck?
***
At an art gallery, a woman and her ten-year-old son were having a tough time choosing between one of my paintings and another artist’s work. They finally went with mine.
“I guess you decided you prefer an autumn scene to a floral,” I said.
“No,” said the boy. “Your painting’s wider, so it’ll cover three holes in our wall.”
***
As the hostess at the casino buffet showed me to my table, I asked her to keep an eye out for my husband, who would be joining me momentarily.
I started to describe him: “He has gray hair, wears glasses, has a potbelly ...”
She stopped me there. “Honey,” she said, “today is senior day. They all look like that.”
***
5 Lies Job Applicants Tell
Gilding the lily is a job seeker’s birthright. Here are a few doozies, where the applicant claimed …
... to be a former CEO of the company to which he was applying.
... to be fluent in two languages—one of which was pig Latin.
... to be a Nobel Prize winner.
... to have worked in a jail when he was really in there serving time.
... he was fired “on accident.”
***
A man is at the funeral of an old friend. He tentatively approaches the deceased’s wife and asks whether he can say a word. The widow nods.
The man clears his throat and says, “Plethora.”
The widow smiles appreciatively. “Thank you,” she says. “That means a lot.”
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Walmart Sued For Collecting Life Insurance on Employees | WFSU News
(click on the day for details)
Further information: February 9 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Alto of Altomünster
Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich
Ansbert of Rouen
Apollonia
Bracchio
Einion the King (Western Orthodoxy)
Blessed Leopold of Alpandeire
Maron (Maronite Church)
Miguel Febres Cordero
Nebridius
Sabinus of Canosa
Teilo (Wales)
February 9 is the earliest day on which Clean Monday can fall, while March 15 is the latest; celebrated on the first Monday of Great Lent. (Eastern Christianity)
February 9 is the earliest day on which People's Sunday can fall, while March 15 is the latest; celebrated on the first Sunday of Lent. (Malta)
St. Maroun's Day (public holiday in Lebanon)
Observances (click on the day, BD, or week for details)
Brazil Carnival
Chocolate Day
Gwyl Mabsant
International Winter Bike to Work Day
National Cut the Cord Day
National Develop Alternative Vices Day
National Owen Day
National Pizza Day - 1
Pizza Pie Day - 2
Read In The Bathtub Day
Scout Sabbath
Welsh Language Music Day
Chung-ha Kim’s Birthday
Tom Hiddleston’s Birthday
Johnny Suh’s Birthday
Jalen Green’s Birthday
DJ Prince’s Birthday
Craig Conover’s Birthday
Bella Poarch’s Birthday
Michael B. Jordan
Mia Farrow
Joe Pesci
William Henry Harrison
~~~~~~~~
Fri Feb 9th, 2024 - Thu Feb 15th, 2024
Spring Festival Golden Week holiday
Fun Observances ( 2 )
Toothache Day
February 9 is Toothache Day. It is admittedly not a fun holiday, especially if you are suffering from, or have bad memories of, a toothache.
Today is a good day to remind us that toothaches are never fun and that maintaining oral health is very important to keep painful toothaches away.
Created by Dentists?
While the origins of Toothache Day are a mystery, we suspect that it was a dentist who created this unofficial holiday to remind people that taking care of one's oral well-being is very important to live a happy, healthy and long life.
The holiday is also called National Toothache Day in the United States.
How to Celebrate?
Celebrating Toothache Day is an oxymoron, but there are ways you can celebrate toothache-free days by giving your teeth and oral health attention on this day.
Make an appointment with your dentist for a checkup.
Take advantage of this day to resolve to brush and floss your teeth at least twice every day.
Avoid food items that are bad for your oral health.
Did You Know…
…that the phrase I would give my eye-teeth refers to the fact that our canine teeth, also sometimes known as eye-teeth, are incredibly valuable to us? The phrase indicates a person’s want of something.
~~~~~~~
Bagel and Lox Day
Bagel and Lox Day is an unofficial holiday dedicated to the quintessential Jewish American dish made of bagels, cream cheese, and lox or cured salmon.
This holiday of unknown origins is also often known as National Bagel Day or Bagel Day. In 2018, Thomas', a division of Bimbo Bakeries USA, decided to move the date of National Bagel Day from February 9 to January 15 to avoid competing with National Pizza Day.
Despite this, many people still prefer to celebrate this holiday on the original date of February 9.
Ring Shaped Bread
Popularized first by Jewish immigrants in New York City, bagels and lox is a classic combination and is a dish usually eaten during breakfast or for brunch.
Traditionally from Poland, bagels are ring-shaped bread made out of wheat dough that is first boiled and then baked to give it its distinctive chewy texture. The hole in the middle is thought to make it easier for the bagel to cook as well as easier for bakers to transport and store lots of bagels at one time – all they need to do is to string a rope or thread through the bagel holes.
Lox and Schmear
The word lox is derived from the Yiddish word for salmon, laks. In the United States, lox is brined and cured salmon that has been sliced very thinly. On a bagel, it is usually served with cream cheese, popularly called schmear, from the German word for spread.
How to Celebrate
This one’s easy. Just go to your closest deli and get yourself a bagel with cream cheese and lox.
Don’t have a deli close to you? Make the sandwich yourself at home – all you’ll need is some cream cheese, a bagel, and some lox. Add a slice of tomato or onion and you have a delicious meal ready!
Did You Know…
...that the shape of a bagel – a ring with a hole – is technically called a torus? The word torus comes from the Latin word for cushion.
***
Hoss drove over to the next county to buy a new bull for the farm. It cost more than expected, and he was left with only one dollar. This was a problem, since he needed to let his wife, Sue, know that he'd bought the bull so she could come get it with the truck—and telegrams cost a dollar per word. Hoss thought hard for a minute.
Finally he said, "All right. Here's my dollar. Go ahead and just make it this one word: Comfortable."
"How's that going to get your point across?" the clerk asked, scratching his head.
"Don't worry," Hoss said. "Sue's not the greatest reader. She'll say it real slow."
***
A man is pulled over by a police officer for a broken headlight. The cop looks in the car and sees a collection of knives on the backseat. "Sir," he says. "Why do you have all those knives?"
"They're for my juggling act," the man replies.
"Prove it," says the cop.
The man gets out of the car and begins juggling the knives just as two men drive by.
"Man," says one guy. "I'm glad I quit drinking. These new sobriety tests are hard."
***
During a business trip to Boeing's Everett, Wash., factory, I noticed several 747 and 777 airliners being assembled. Before the engines were installed, huge weights were hung from the wings to keep the planes balanced. The solid-steel weights were bright yellow and marked "14,000 lbs."
But what I found particularly interesting was some stenciling I discovered on the side of each weight. Imprinted there was the warning: "Remove before flight."
***
A man goes to the doctor, concerned about his wife's hearing. The doctor says, "Stand behind her and say something and tell me how close you are when she hears you."
The man goes home, sees his wife in the kitchen, cutting carrots on the countertop. About 15 feet away he says, "Honey, what's for dinner?" Nothing.
He gets halfway to her and repeats the same question. Nothing.
Very concerned, he gets right behind her and asks again "What's for dinner?"
She turns around and says "For the THIRD time, beef stew!"
(click on the day for details)
Christian feast day:
Cuthmann of Steyning
Elffled of Whitby
Gerolamo Emiliani
Josephine Bakhita
Juventius of Pavia
Mengold of Huy
Stephen of Muret
February 8 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Parinirvana Day (some Mahayana Buddhism traditions; most celebrate on February 15)
Prešeren Day (Slovenia)
Propose Day (India)
Observances (click on the day, BD, or week for details)
Fat Thursday
Giving Hearts Day
Isra and Mi'raj
Molasses Bar Day
National Boy Scout Day
National Iowa Day
National Kite-Flying Day
Opera Day
Paczki Day
Klay Thompson’s Birthday
Jaden Hossler’s Birthday
I.N’s Birthday
Shereen Jenkins’s Birthday
Charlie Axel Woods’s Birthday
James Dean
Mary Steenburgen
Big Show
Fun Observances
Laugh and Get Rich Day
February 8 is Laugh and Get Rich Day. A day for enriching your life with happiness.
While the origins of this unofficial holiday are not known, it seems that the unknown creators of the holiday wanted to encourage people to spend the day laughing and being happy.
Happy and Healthy
While being happy won't make you laugh all the way to the bank, it will certainly help improve your mood and your health. Studies have shown that people who are happy and laugh often tend to have less stress, lower blood pressure, and a better immune response. Laughing and sharing jokes can also have social benefits. Happy people tend to have more friends and are easily accepted by social groups.
More Productive
Being happy can also help a person professionally. Joyful workers are more productive and liked by their co-workers compared to cranky and unhappy professionals.
Other happy days to celebrate are Happiness Happens Day, Let's Laugh Day, I Want You to be Happy Day, and International Moment of Laughter Day.
How to Celebrate?
Laugh, laugh, and laugh! Tell jokes and solicit jokes from friends and co-workers to put you in the mood to think up of money making ventures.
Watch the 1931 American comedy movie, Laugh and Get Rich starring Edna May Oliver and Hugh Herbert with family and friends.
Did You Know…
…that laughing can burn calories? Scientists have found that 15 minutes of laughter can burn as many as 50 calories.
***
Q: What's a good holiday tip?
A: Never catch snowflakes with your tongue until all the birds have gone south for the winter.
***
I once wanted to become an atheist but I gave up ... they have no holidays.
***
A New Year's resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other.
***
A Holiday Quiz
“Pretend to be someone you’re not, and receive candy.”
Quick: Halloween or Valentine’s Day?
***
In fourth grade, my son had a huge crush on a classmate. So for Valentine's Day, he bought her a box of chocolates and took it into school. When I returned home from work, I found him on the couch eating the same box of candy.
"What happened?" I asked.
"Well, I thought about it for a long time," he said between chews. "And I decided that, for now, I still like candy more than girls."
***
While shopping for a bathroom scale, I found one that tracks not only weight but also body fat, bone mass, and water percentage. I nixed that one in favor of a low-tech model.
As I told the salesperson,
“I don’t need to be depressed four ways; one is quite enough.”
(click on the day for details)
Christian feast day:
Richard the Pilgrim
Blessed Eugénie Smet
Blessed Pope Pius IX
Chrysolius
Egidio Maria of Saint Joseph
February 7 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Orthodox Church Typically observed on the Sunday closest to January 25 (O.S.)/February 7 (N.S.)
Independence Day (Grenada), celebrates the independence of Grenada from the United Kingdom in 1974.
National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (United States)
Observances (click on the day, BD, or week for details)
Global School Play Day
Hug an Addict or Alcoholic Day
National Ballet Day
National Fettuccine Alfredo Day
National Girls and Women in Sports Day
National Jack Day
National Periodic Table Day
National Signing Day
Rose Day
Wave All Your Fingers at Your Neighbor Day
World Read Aloud Day
LaToya Forever’s Birthday
Sandra Bland’s Birthday
John Deere’s Birthday
Jun Seba’s Birthday
Garth Brooks’s Birthday
Jacksepticeye’s Birthday
Gabbie Hanna’s Birthday
Chris Rock’s Birthday
Charles Dickens’s Birthday
BabyFace Ray’s Birthday
Ashton Kutcher’s Birthday
James Spader
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Wed Feb 7th, 2024 - Tue Feb 13th, 2024
African Heritage and Health Week
National Apprenticeship Week
Philippine Industry and Made-in-the-Philippines Products Week
Wed Feb 7th, 2024 - Wed Feb 14th, 2024
CHD Awareness Week
Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week
Have a Heart for Chained Dogs Week
Love a Mensch Week
Wed Feb 7th, 2024 - Thu Feb 15th, 2024
International Week of Black Women In the Arts
Wed Feb 7th, 2024 - Sat Apr 30th, 2024
National Green Week
Fun Observances ( 2 )
e-Day
e-Day celebrates the mathematical constant e, which has a value of 2.7182818. It is celebrated on February 7 in countries that follow the month/day (m/d) date format. This is because the first two digits of the date - 2/7 - correspond to the first two digits of the constant.
People living in countries that follow the day/month (d/m) format celebrate it on January 27. The first three digits of this date - 27/1 - match up with the first three digits of e (2.71).
Euler’s Number
Also known Euler’s number, after the Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler, e is an irrational number that represents the idea that all continually growing systems are a scaled version of a common rate. It is mostly used in logarithms, exponential growth, and complex numbers. It is one of the most important numbers in mathematics, including 0, 1 and pi (π).
e is also sometimes called the Napier's Constant and is often incorrectly referred to Euler's Constant. Euler's Constant is denoted by lower case gamma (γ) and has a value of 0.57721.
Other e Days
Many European countries celebrate Euro Day, sometimes also called e Day. The day is observed on January 1 and celebrates the anniversary of the adoption of the Euro, Europe's common currency in 2002. In New Zealand, eDay is a day where people can get rid of e-waste or old electronics such as computers and old appliances so they can be recycled rather than being placed in a landfill. Engineer’s Day is observed in Paducah, Kentucky on February 21, where many people participate in an egg drop contest, create edible cars, and tape people to walls.
Other Mathematical Holidays
The year is full of mathematical and scientific holidays. Some of these include: Yellow Pig Day, Mole Day, Fibonacci Day, Palindrome Day, and Pi-Day. Use our Date Pattern Calculator to find out other interesting calendar dates during the year.
How to Celebrate?
Celebrate this fun mathematical holiday by learning more about Euler's number and its importance in mathematics and science.
Eat foods that begin with e - make eggs, eggplant, or eclairs. Make eggnog as a before dinner refreshment or eggs benedict for breakfast.
Did You Know...
...that there is an island in northern Scotland called Eday?
~~~~~~~
Send a Card to a Friend Day
February 7 is Send a Card to a Friend Day.
The unofficial holiday encourages people to send a card to a friend to let them know that they haven't been forgotten.
Stay Connected
While we all love our friends and would like to keep in touch with them all the time, daily life can sometimes make it hard to stay connected. If you are unable to keep up with the lives and times of your friends, then Send a Card to a Friend Day is the prefect excuse to take some time during the day to write a note to a dear friend to let them know you are thinking of them.
How to Celebrate?
Celebrating this holiday is very simple. Take some time out of your busy day and write notes to your friends.
Everyone loves a handwritten note, but if you can’t do that send them an e-card or even an email. No one will judge you as long as they hear from you.
Did You Know…
…that the earliest known greeting card is a Valentine’s Day card thought to have been sent sometime in the 1400s?
***
My dog was my soul mate; we both took naps, we both skipped lunch, we both hated the vacuum...
***
Comedian Daniel Tosh is no fan of the expression “The worst day of fishing is better than the best day at work.”
“I’ve watched The Deadliest Catch on Discovery,” he said.
“I’ve never once been at work, capsized in 40-degree water, watched all my coworkers die, and been like, ‘Hey, at least we’re fishin’.’”
***
It’s important to have a good vocabulary.
If I had known the difference between the words antidote and anecdote, one of my good friends would still be living.
***
Some sad news from Australia … the inventor of the boomerang grenade died today. —Johnny Carson
***
Q: What weighs more, a gallon of water or a gallon of butane?
A: The water. Butane is lighter fluid.
***
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A top-secret government agency who is in charge of all things superhero is set to unveil their newest recruits. —redheads. Based on findings published in various medical journals, scientists have shifted their efforts from creating rings that give the wearer unique powers to the training of redheads on how they can...
Redheads Possess DNA Linked to Superheroism - According To Anonymous S – I AM & CO
(click on the day for details)
Christian feast day:
Amand
Dorothea of Caesarea
Hildegund, O.Praem.
Jacut
Mateo Correa Magallanes (one of Saints of the Cristero War)
Mél of Ardagh
Paul Miki and Twenty-six Martyrs of Japan
Relindis (Renule) of Maaseik
Vedastus
February 6 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation (United Nations)
Ronald Reagan Day (California, United States)
Sami National Day (Russia, Finland, Norway and Sweden)
Waitangi Day, celebrates the founding of New Zealand in 1840.
Observances (click on the day, BD, or week for details)
African American Coaches Day
National Ashley Day
National Chopsticks Day
National Frozen Yogurt Day
National Valentine Shopping Reminder Day
Pay a Compliment Day
Reclaim Social Day
Time to Talk Day
Safer Internet Day
Ronald Reagan’s Birthday
Natalie Cole’s Birthday
Rick Astley’s Birthday
Zsa Zsa Gabor’s Birthday
Drita D'Avanzo’s Birthday
Bob Marley’s Birthday
Babe Ruth’s Birthday
Axl Rose’s Birthday
Ginny Lemon’s Birthday
Aaron Burr
Fun Observances
Lame Duck Day
February 6 is Lame Duck Day. The unofficial holiday honors anyone who is on their way out of their jobs or their elected office.
Contrary to popular belief, a lame duck is not an injured or an uncool duck.
Political Term
Lame duck is a term usually reserved for politics in many democratic countries in the West and in Australia. It refers to a person or a group of people who are nearing the end of their elected term and will not be running for political office again.
Risky Decisions
Because their time in political office is limited, lame ducks are thought to have a freer hand in making decisions. Studies have shown that elected politicians towards the end of their tenure tend to make risky decisions. This is because they do not need to worry about the political consequences of their actions anymore.
Stock Exchange
The term lame duck however, originated in a field far from politics. Etymologists trace the first usage of the word to the London Stock Exchange in the 18th century. The term was used to refer to a defaulter - 'someone who couldn't pay his or her debts and then waddled off like a duck'. The usage of the term to refer to an elected official on his or her way out dates back to the late 19th century in the United States.
How to Celebrate
Honor any lame ducks you may have around you. If you personally know of one, throw them a going away party.
If you are in the United States, learn more about the 20th Amendment to the U.S. constitution, also sometimes known as the lame duck amendment.
Did You Know…
…that a group of ducks is called a team or a raft?
***
An exercise for people who are out of shape:
Begin with a five-pound potato bag in each hand. Extend your arms straight out from your sides, hold them there for a full minute, and then relax.
After a few weeks, move up to ten-pound potato bags.
Then try 50-pound potato bags, and eventually try to get to where you can lift a 100-pound potato bag in each hand and hold your arms straight for more than a full minute.
Once you feel confident at that level, put a potato in each bag.
***
Things I overheard at my health club:
“I’m only taking this class so I don’t eat for an hour.”
“Who knew 40 years of neglect would have repercussions?”
“Does this body make me look fat?”
***
Could a ...
... librarian be called a bookkeeper?
... referee be a game warden?
... dairyman be a cowboy?
... cabinetmaker be the president?
***
A man came in to give his application to the manager. But the manager asked, "Why is there a four-year gap in your application?"
And the man responded, "Yale."
The manager hired him and the guy said,
"Thanks. I needed a yob."
(click on the day for details)
Christian feast day:
Adelaide of Vilich
Agatha of Sicily
Avitus of Vienne
Bertulf (Bertoul) of Renty
Ingenuinus (Jenewein)
Roger Williams, Anne Hutchinson (Episcopal Church (United States))
26 Martyrs of Japan (in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and Anglican Church in Japan)
February 5 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Kashmir Solidarity Day (Pakistan)
Observances (click on the day or week for details)
Adlai Stevenson Day
Disaster Day
International Clash Day
Leo Day
Liberation Day San Marino
Move Hollywood & Broadway to Lebanon PA Day
National Fart Day
National Pork Rind Day
National Primrose Day
National Shower with a Friend Day
National Sickie Day
National Weatherman's Day
Unity Day Burundi
Western Monarch Day
World Animal Reiki Day
World Nutella Day
Neymar’s Birthday
Kevin Gates’s Birthday
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Birthday
Bobby Brown’s Birthday
Steven Suptic’s Birthday
Hank Aaron’s Birthday
Michael Sheen
Jennifer Jason Leigh
Darren Criss
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Mon Feb 5th, 2024 - Fri Feb 9th, 2024
Feeding Tube Awareness Week
National School Counseling Week
Pride in Foodservice Week
Mon Feb 5th, 2024 - Sun Feb 11th, 2024
Freelance Writers Appreciation Week
Heart Failure Awareness Week
International Networking Week
Tinnitus Awareness Week
Children’s Mental Health Week
National Apprenticeship Week
Fun Observances (2)
National Weatherperson's Day
National Weatherperson’s Day is celebrated every year on February 5.
On this unofficial holiday, honor the women and men who keep an eye on the weather so that you don’t get caught unawares by changing or extreme weather.
The First Weatherman
Primarily celebrated in the United States, the holiday commemorates the birth anniversary of John Jeffries, thought to be America's first weatherman. A physician by profession, Jeffries started collecting weather data in Boston in 1774. Ten years later, in 1784, he became the first person in the world to collect weather data from a weather observation balloon over London.
Celebrates the Science
This day celebrates the science of meteorology and encourages people to pay tribute to the women and men who forecast and broadcast weather related information and warnings every day of the year. The day also honors volunteers, storm chasers, and meteorologists who sometimes risk their lives in order to collect climate and weather data and to alert the public and businesses about severe weather conditions.
The holiday is also known as National Weatherman’s Day.
How to Celebrate?
Know a meteorologist or a weatherperson? Thank them for all their hard work.
If you are a science teacher or have young adults in your life, encourage them to look at meteorology as a career option.
Learn more about weather patterns and meteorological events.
Visit a weather or meteorology museum.
Did You Know…
…that the first weather forecast was printed in The Times of London on August 1, 1861?
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Chocolate Fondue Day
February 5 is Chocolate Fondue Day, a made-up holiday that encourages people to get together with family and friends and enjoy a fondue pot of delicious and gooey melted chocolate.
Chocolate fondue is the dessert version of the traditional fondue – pieces of bread and vegetables dipped in melted cheese. In chocolate fondue, pieces of fruit, cake or cookies are dipped into sweetened melted chocolate.
Bringing People Together
Fondue is a communal dish eaten out of a pot that is kept warm with a candle or lamp. The heat keeps the cheese or the chocolate melted and warm. Diners use skewers, toothpicks, or special fondue forks to dip the bread or fruit in the melted cheese or chocolate. Etiquette requires that the dipping instrument is only used to bring the food from the fondue pot to the diner’s plate and that diners never double dip their morsels of food in the cheese or chocolate.
An American Invention With Swiss Roots
Thought to be the national dish of Switzerland, fondue is thought to have originated in the country as a way to use up leftover cheese. Original cheese fondue recipes called for the cheese to be mixed with wine and herbs.
Rumor has it that chocolate fondue was first created in the United States, where this holiday is also known as National Chocolate Fondue Day, sometime in the 1950s.
How to Celebrate?
With chocolate fondue, of course! Get your friends and family together and indulge in some delicious chocolate fondue. To keep it healthy, offer an array of fruits – apples, strawberries, oranges, bananas – to the diners.
In addition to fruits, you can also serve cake, cookies, waffles, marshmallows, and ice cream cubes for everyone to dip in the chocolate.
Have a chocolate fondue party. Set up a fondue station with different kinds of melted chocolates and chocolate flavors. May we recommend dark chocolate with bacon bits, salted caramel chocolate, mint chocolate, and white chocolate with sprinkles?
Did You Know…
...that fondue bourguignonne is a type of fondue where diners dip pieces of uncooked meat into hot oil?
***
Author Cindy Chupack coined these useful neologisms to help those dating today.
Man-me-downs: Men who are passed on from one woman to another after a failed attempt at romance.
Cupidity: The faulty logic that leads a well-meaning but clueless third party to believe that two random singles are perfect for each other.
DNRR (Do Not Resuscitate Romance): A directive that you are not, under any circumstance, allowed to revive a past relationship.
***
I met my husband while I was working in a science library. He came in every week to read the latest journals and eventually decided to take out the librarian instead of the books. After a year and a half of dating, he showed up at the library and started rummaging through my desk.
I asked what he was looking for, but he didn't answer. Finally he unearthed one of the rubber stamps I used to identify reference books.
"Since I couldn't find the right engagement ring," he said, "this will have to do," and he firmly stamped my hand.
Across my knuckles, in capital letters, it read "NOT FOR CIRCULATION."
***
Driving through Southern California, I stopped at a roadside stand that sold fruit, vegetables and crafts. As I went to pay, I noticed the young woman behind the counter was painting a sign.
"Why the new sign?" I asked.
"My boyfriend didn't approve of the old one," she said.
When I glanced at what hung above the counter, I understood.
It declared: "Local Honey Dates Nuts"
***
Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers were dining in New York. Ginger was resplendent in a ball gown and pearls, and Fred also sported evening wear. But the meal was marred when the waiter bringing their desserts tripped and covered Fred from head to toe in treacle sponge.
“I’m terribly sorry,” said the waiter.
“So you should be,” replied Fred.
“Thanks to you, I’ve pudding on my top hat, pudding on my white tie, pudding on my tails.”
