Celebrating February

February is full of interesting historical tidbits and holidays, some that I didn't have a true appreciation for until I read up on some of them. I thought it would be a fun activity to dive into some of the celebrations that occur in this chilly month and get to know them a little better. Let's begin!

Some of us anticipate the coming of Valentine's Day, a welcome reprieve from the winter weather filled with gratuitous amounts of candy and flattering cards. Not all too surprisingly, it may have originated in unison with Roman fertility festivities during this time, though the holiday's true origins are vague at best. Formal valentines and the way we celebrate the holiday today began in the 1500s with commercially printed valentines becoming a mainstay in the 1700s. 

Those of us who choose to celebrate this holiday enjoy planning the best way to appreciate the loved ones in our lives, though in modern times it has extended beyond just a single significant other. I've sent cards and/or candy to close friends and family on Valentine's Day simply because they are important people in my life. Personally, to me, celebrating any holiday is better than none during this time of year. It gives a much-needed break to the otherwise monotonous cloudy skies and snowy landscapes that grow long and dreary.

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Then there is the humorous tradition of Groundhog Day, where a Pennsylvanian groundhog pops out to see if there will be another 6 more weeks of winter (for those of us who didn't keep up with this, he predicted a longer winter - BOOO!). This European-originated tradition actually happens during the midpoint between Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox, and continued its relevancy as a encouragement and reminder that spring is coming. It started out with those in the Middle Ages believing bears and badgers interrupted their hibernation to check if spring was on its way around this time of year. German immigrants to America brought this tradition with them, but since they couldn't wrangle a bear or badger onto their ships they adopted a groundhog as substitute as they were plentiful in the "new world".

Funnily enough, despite his extravagant name of "Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Sages of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators, and Weather-Prophet Extraordinary", he only predicts the season's change accurately 40% of the time. That is only slightly better than our own human meteorologists (haha, just kidding...). Thanks to our modern day technology, you can enjoy watching this event at 6:00am sharp on February 2nd every year, again and again and again... 

For our Christian friends, there may be something a little more solemn and reverent to celebrate on February 2. Candlemas is a time that shares a major similarity with Groundhog Day. There is no marmot involved, but rather it is a time to reflect on the coming of spring. It is a celebration to remind people of the natural cycles in life which involve that of spring overtaking winter, as well as the more hopeful themes of life overcoming death and light prevailing over darkness.

Another interesting fact about February is that the last full moon was often called the Snow Moon due to the snowy conditions in the last month of winter in the Northern Hemisphere. However, North American tribes referred to it as the Hunger Moon due the scarcity of food during this time of the year.

President's Day also happens this month which traditionally honors George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, though all-in-all it is for recognition of every U.S. President. It was first celebrated in the 1800s, but was heavily debated starting in 1968 when Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Bill in order to give people longer weekends throughout the year. Despite oppositions that the holiday be split and celebrated on the actual birthdays of both presidents, it has been widely accepted as President's Day by retailers in order to promote sales. It is also the day that public ceremonies in Washington and throughout the country are held.

Lastly, let's talk about the Winter Olympics! The Nordic Games began in 1901 in Scandinavian countries and was not officially recognized as the Winter Olympics until 1924. Oppositions by Scandinavian countries to create the Winter Olympics rose from their own Nordic Games as they did not want to give up this tradition. After adding figure skating and ice hockey to the modern Olympics and many of their own people going on to secure medal after medal, the opposition died down. After 1994, the Winter and Summer Games became held every 4 years and alternates in even-numbered years.

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Despite being the shortest month of the year, February is full of celebrations that offer rich history, even more than I anticipated upon first glance. We can continue to recognize important people, events, and contributions when we become aware of the significance of each one. Ultimately, it is up to each individual to keep information at the forefront of understanding in order to keep our traditions alive. It is helpful to have a calendar with official celebrations, but when faced without one we are still capable of honoring our humanity. As winter gives way to spring, the human spirit presses on.