Fun Facts For February

First, I want to share my good news! My poem, "The Beast," appears on SNM Horror Magazine's website for the Feb/Mar issue of  Dark Poetry. Although I am not a horror writer, I leave that to the professionals I know (Rebecca Besser, being one of them) I have written some dark poetry on those dark days when I've felt less sunshiney than usual. I just happened to have The Beast on hand and ready to go, when I stumbled upon the website. I was thrilled to get an acceptance and I'm almost looking forward to having another one of those less-than-happy days to see what else I can come up with. Well, enough about me, let's talk about:

February is the second month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. The Romans originally considered winter a monthless period!

February is the shortest month and the only month with fewer than 30 days. February has 28 days in common years, and 29 days in leap years. 2012 is a leap year!  In leap years, February is also the only month that ends on the same weekday it begins.

People born before February 19th are born under the sign of Aquarius. Those born on and after February 19th are considered Pisces. Their birth flower is the violet and the primrose, and the birthstone is amethyst. Amethysts symbolize piety, humility, spiritual wisdom, and sincerity.

Some Events in February:

February 1

St. Brigid's Day is celebrated in Ireland. St Brigid is the patron saint of cattle and dairy. Here's a link with instructions on how to make a St. Brigid's Cross.

February 2

Imbolc is the festival of the lactating sheep. Seeds are blessed and agricultural tools are consecrated. Traditional festival activities include candle lighting, stone gathering, hiking in the snow, and lighting bonfires. Imbolc marks the halfway point of winter and is believed to be the origin of--

Groundhog Day.  Punxsutawney Phil, a groundhog that lives on dog food and ice cream in a town library, is transported to Gobbler's Knob once a year. The United States and Canada await his forecast of how much longer winter will last.  

February 14

Valentine's Day, a day commemorating love and affection, is celebrated in most countries by giving loved ones hearts, candy, and flowers. The US Greeting Card Association estimates that 190 million valentine cards are sent each year in the US. According to the Society of American Florists, over 110 million roses are sold each Valentine's Day in the US.

February 20 (2012)

Presidents' Day,celebrated in the United States, on the third Monday in February, is combined holiday, commemorating  George Washington and Abraham Lincoln's birthdays.

February is National...

Embroidery Month
Chocolate Lover's Month (Hmmm. I wonder if this is somehow connected to Valentine's Day.)
Black History Month
American Heart Month
Pet Dental Health Month
Grapefruit Month
Blah Buster Month and
Return Carts to the Supermarket Month.

Famous Birthdays in February:

February 2
James Joyce (1882)-Irish novelist and poet. Author of Ulysses, Finnegan's Wake, and many others.

February 3
Norman Rockwell (1894)-American painter and illustrator.

James Michener (1907)-American Pulitzer prize winner, who wrote more than 40 novels including, Tales of the South Pacific and Centennial.

February 7
Sinclair Lewis (1885)-American writer, playwright, and Nobel prize winner, known for Babbitt.

Charles Dickens (1812)-Considered the greatest English novelist of the Victorian Era.

Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867)-Author of the Little House on the Prairie novels.
February 8
John Grisham (1955)-American lawyer and author, best known for his legal thrillers, such as The Firm.
Jules Verne (1928)-French author, known for Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea and A Journey to the Center of the Earth.

February 12
Judy Blume (1938)-American children's and YA author, known for Are you there God? It's Me, Margaret, and many others.


February 18
Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848)-American artist and designer, known for his creations in stained glass.

February 21
Anais Nin (1903)-A French-Cuban author, best known for her journals and erotica.

February 23
Donna J. Stone (1933)-American poet and philanthropist.

February 26
Victor Hugo (1802)-French writer and author of Les Miserables.

February 27
John Steinbeck (1902)-American Pulitzer prize winner of The Grapes of Wrath, East of Eden, and Of Mice and Men.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807)-American poet whose works include Paul Revere's Ride and The Song of Hiawatha.