March 2023 Calendar Picture – There are a variety of fun holidays planned for February and they can all be observed throughout the month. A few examples include Valentine’s Day or Groundhog Day, Presidents’ Day, Groundhog Day or meteor showers. There are many Roman celebrations also take place on various dates.
February 14th
Valentine’s Day is an annual celebration of love and passion , and is observed on February 14th. The Middle Ages are the time when Valentine’s Day was first observed. This was the time when courtly love and sacraments were still common.
It was believed to be an occasion to celebrate romance between romantically connected friends from the fourteenth-century. Valentine’s Day was the day to exchange flowers, gifts, and even cards.
At the start of the 19th century commercial cards were already produced. The demand for the printing of postcards in bulk. These cards were a hit in stores as displays of themed designs.
Valentine’s Day is traditionally marked by gifting your loved ones an item of chocolate or candy, and an arrangement or card. It is possible to also give jewelry.
February 2nd.
Groundhog Day is observed annually on February 2. Groundhog Day is celebrated every year in Canada on February 2.
The celebration was born out of superstition among Pennsylvanians Dutch immigrants. The Americans, however, inherited the custom of making predictions about weather through German immigrants. Punxsutawney Philip, one of the Pennsylvania groundhog, provides meteorological forecasts for the remainder of the winter.
When researchers discovered that mice hibernated in winter, they established the foundation for this custom. The plan was to forecast the next six weeks of the season by studying how animals responded to weather.
Groundhogs belong to the Sciuridae which is a small group of hairy mammals. It hibernates in winter. Groundhog Day is a common day on which they are seen peering out from their burrows.
Christmas Day
Presidents Daylight (third Monday in February) is a holiday that is celebrated across the nation. It celebrates the former American presidents. The Presidents’ Day holiday was traditionally a day to honor Lincoln and Washington.
Although it’s a national holiday, many states do not observe it. Some states honor both presidents simultaneously, while others only recognize one. The Presidents Day is now an opportunity to remember the all U.S. presidents, including Lincoln.
The history of Presidents’ Day is complicated. Washington’s Birthday was the original title of the holiday. Today, it is Presidents’ Day.
A well-known unofficial holiday was Washington’s birthday, often called Washington’s Day. In the 1870s, it became a federal holiday. The Uniform Monday Holiday Act was approved by Congress.
Meteor showers
Every year, Earth moves around the sun. Every year, tiny meteors are released into space. They are visible almost everywhere in the skies. Some showers are more spectacular than others. It is usually the nighttime time for watching.
One of the largest and most magnificent meteor showers in the world is the Perseids. This is due to the fact that Comet 109P/SwiftTuttle is the culprit. It will be seen from the Northern Hemisphere, but as the Southern Hemisphere has some of the highest fireball rates and astrophysical activity, it’s also worth to observe from there.
Every year, there are four important meteor showers. The Quadrantid one is well-known for its explosive but short peak. The Lyrid Another one is renowned for its peculiar surges. The Geminid is also famous for its warm appearance.
Roman holidays from antiquity
The Lupercalia is among the most celebrated holidays in ancient Rome. The month of February was when a fertility-cleansing ceremony was held. Priests offered animal sacrifices on the altar to the Lapis Nuiger at the time of the ceremony. The hearth was then cleaned of the animal’s blood. The grain fields were believed to be protected and fertility.
Ludi Ceriales was another celebration in honor of Ceres, the harvest goddess. Ludi Ceriales celebrations are documented back to the year 202 BC.
Other popular Roman celebrations include Neptunalia, Saturnalia and Vestalia. These celebrations were initially held to honor Mars the god of war.
Roman working weeks were eight days long. Each day was divided into two parts: the morning and the afternoon. Nundin was an 8-day collection, with the rest of the year comprised of 29 days.