It’s been said that once the holiday season officially ends, people feel like there really aren’t any good holidays for a while. If you’re part of the camp that holds this opinion, then the month of February is for you! There is a holiday every single day, so there isn’t an excuse not to celebrate during the year’s shortest month. Just to get the ball rolling, we’ll discuss some of the more offbeat holidays that we, as students, can partake in besides the old standbys like Valentine’s Day, Groundhog Day and Mardi Gras.
Feb. 5 is definitely a holiday after my own heart: World Nutella Day! It’s a celebration of the Italian chocolate, hazelnut spread that’s taken place since 2007. On this day, find a fun recipe using Nutella on Pinterest, have a little bit spread on some toast or just go all out and grab a spoon and polish off a whole jar in an afternoon — why not? It’s World Nutella Day!
Next is Lame Duck Day, which falls on Feb 6. Despite what you might be thinking about the colorful name, it’s not actually a day for appreciating crippled aquatic birds. However, if you feel like your day would be improved by giving a wounded duck a hug, by all means, go ahead. The real deal behind the day is that it commemorates the time period just after a presidential election where the old president tries to keep from being overshadowed by the new one coming in. For the rest of us, it’s for people that fear they may be laid off. While losing a job is never fun, there is a silver lining: World Nutella Day falls the day before so you can cushion the blow with some sweet chocolate and hazelnut spread.
On Feb. 13, there is Get a Different Name Day. It might be fun to rock a different name for the afternoon. Feel free to make it something whimsical and awesome because it’s probably one of the only days you can get away with introducing yourself as Sir Dandelion Benedict.
As we all probably know, Feb. 14 is Valentine’s Day; a very romantic and exciting holiday, for those who have Valentines. For those that don’t have a Valentine, Feb. 14 might be like another World Nutella Day. Another holiday that singles can partake in also falls on Feb. 14 and won’t put someone into a deep, deep food coma, is Ferris Wheel Day. It commemorates the birthday of George Washington Gale Ferris Jr., the man behind the Ferris Wheel. Celebrating this day might be difficult, considering not many Ferris Wheels are up and running in the middle of February but you can always print out a picture of a Ferris Wheel, stare at it and use some good old fashioned imagination to pretend that you’re riding on it. That sounds fun, right?
Feb. 16 is Do a Grouch a Favor Day. This is the day to find a grumpy person and just kill them with kindness, because grouches need love too! Give them a compliment or smile and say ‘hi!’ Do something nice for them, such as walking their dog, washing the dishes for them, helping them with their homework — The possibilities are endless. You might make their day even if they don’t show it.
Feb. 26 is Tell a Fairy Tale Day. You could celebrate this day by reading Rapunzel to a kid you know, or you could try marching up to a random person you don’t know on the street and telling them a fairy tale made up on the spot, (That’s definitely not going to freak anyone out!).
Feb. 28 is probably the greatest day in a college student’s year. I’m talking about Public Sleeping Day. The day you can sit back and catch a few Z’s while in a public setting. You can sleep in the library, on the bus, on a park bench; just don’t sleep during class because your professor may not be a fan of you observing this spectacular holiday during their class time.
All these holidays aren’t even half of the special days that February provides. Feel free to go online to look up some of the other magical holidays of February. If you find one you think is worth sharing, let us know by emailing us at clarion@sinclair.edu. There’s a day out there for all of us, Happy celebrating!