My calendars indicate February, to be perhaps the busiest month of
the year
with several notable days to celebrate.
Two
calendars keep me 'in tune' with activities: The
Canadian Wildlife Federation
which is yearly sent to me in recognition of my support; the other
is a yearly gift from my son ~ a large 2018 calendar this year
depicting cats and kittens. (Last year's was of 'Mennonite Lifestyle'
in Pennsylvania).
Northern
Gannets
(on January's calendar), have large webbed feet which make landings
and take-offs look awkward and clumsy; but with a wing span of almost
2 metres wide, adult gannets are graceful, fast and powerful, gliding
for hours just above the waves, seldom moving their narrow tapered
wings.
Lion's
Mane Jellyfish
on February's calendar are found along all of Canada's coastlines.
They are the largest jellyfish with a diameter as large as 2 metres.
Their tentacles are divided into 8 clusters and can reach up to 30
metres in length. They have a potent sting that is unpleasant but
not usually a serious threat to people. ( I comment here that the
only jellyfish I've seen was along PEI's north coast...don't know the
species, but on the beach, it looked ugly! Wouldn't want to step on
it in water.)
February
is “Heritage Month”
in Canada, The United Kingdom and the Netherlands.
Also
known as “Black
Achievement Month”
it is a way for remembering important people and events in African
history. Visit free displays at Burlington's Central Library on New
Street. Learn something new this winter at Ireland House Museum ~
Open House here is February 4; and February 6 features “A Toast to
History.” Also, a great place to celebrate 'Family Day.'
February
2
each year is “Groundhog
Day.”
According to folklore, if the groundhog emerges from his burrow and
sees his shadow (a sunny morning), winter will last 6 weeks.
Ontario's 'Willie'
lives in Wiarton located in Bruce County. It's an annual festival
highly celebrated in both Canada and USA.
February
2
is also “World
Wetlands Day” (the
annivesary of the adoption of a treaty ~ providing the framework for
the conservation and wide use of wetlands) observed annually around
the globe.
February
12
is “Family
Day”
in Ontario and British Columbia ~ and is observed to celebrate the
importance of families and family life to people and their
comunities.
February
13
is Mardi Gras Day. The most popular time to visit New Orleans is the
extended weekend before Mardi Gras (Feb. 9 to 13) which features
colourful parades and celebrations. (Of interest is that back in
February '70, I was in Rio for a week with my little boy, staying
with my husband's cousins ~ Mardi Gras had finished ~ all colour
decor for the parade celebrations were still in place.) Superb!
When I was there ~ the weather was very hot and very, very humid!
February
14:
Ash Wednesday, a day of fasting, is the first day of Lent in Western
Christianity and time of personal 'reflection' and 'penitence.'
February
14
is Valentine's Day, the feast of Saint Valentine, honouring one of
more early saints named Valentinus
and
is recognized as a significant cultural and commercial celebration in
many regions world-wide. Some refer to it as 'Lovers' Day.'
February
15
is “National Flag of Canada Day” and falls during the Olympic
Winter Games. Canadians honour their flag and cheer on their Olympic
and Paralympic Team Canada athletes.
February
16
is Chinese New Year ~ known as the Spring
Festival
in modern China or simply “The Lunar New Year.” Celebrations are
exceedingly high at this time with great honour.
February
19
is President's Day in United States honouring George Washington ~
its first President.
February
19
is also Family Day honoured in Alberta, Saskatchewan and 'Islander's
Day' (PEI). Nova Scotia honours Heritage Day and Manitoba honours
'Louis Riel Day.'
February
23
is Yukon Heritage Day, in place for several years, honours
government employees, teachers and students.
You may wonder about the Northwest Territories and Nunavut;
they honour the identical holidays to the rest of Canada.
February's
History
Around
690 B.C. Numa Pompilius turned a period of celebration at the end of
the year into a month of its own ~ naming it after the festival of
Februa
~ thus
its name February. Since I hear many people calling its name in
error, I draw attention to the correct pronunciation: Feb-ru-ary.
Perhaps you know that January was not always the first month of the
year.
The ancient Romans used a different calendar system than ours.
Their year began in March and ended in February.
February is the boundary between winter and spring. (Teri
Guillemets)
The February sunshine steeps your boughs and tints the buds
and swells the leaves within. (William C. Bryant)
February is always a bad month for TV posts:
football is gone...basketball is plodding along in the annual
mid-season doldrums
and baseball isn't even mentioned. (Unknown Author)
Seems this author is not a hockey fan!
Scripted by Merle Baird-Kerr...January 26, 2018
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