Ah February. The only month of the year that can pass without a single full moon. February was named for the Roman word “februum”, which means purification. It was one of the last months to be added to the Roman calendar, because they didn’t have months in winter time. I know that winter can go on a bit, but that seems a little melodramatic. We all know that February is the shortest month, but at one time it was only 23 days long! That would make the rhyme a bit more complicated. Prepare yourself for the fascinating special days of the month that February has to offer.

1^st February – Freedom (from slavery) Day. Started by Mayor Richard Robert Wright Sr. to celebrate the freedom of all Americans, and commemorates Abraham Lincoln’s signing of the 13^th Amendment outlawing slavery. In a thousand years they will still celebrate Freedom Day, as long as Futurama is accurate.

2^nd February – Heavenly Hash Day. A day to celebrate any sweet goodness that contains anything up to and including: ice cream, brownies, cookies, and a rather peculiar gelatine based dessert with rice, marshmallows, and fruit. Most heavenly hash recipes contain either marshmallows or marshmallow fluff. What a day.

3^rd February – The Day the Music Died. A tragedy of the music world occurred on this day in 1959. The day Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper died in a plane crash.

4^th February – Thank a Mailman Day. The origin of this day is hazy, but the postmen love this day. They bring you your mail, and carry your parcels; so go out and give your letter carrier some show of appreciation.

5^th February – Shower with a Friend Day. Do you remember the early days of Facebook? Do you recall liking at least a thousand pages with titles like “Let’s make tomorrow national SLEEP day!!” This is what happens when you click like to anything you find funny. Now we have a Shower With A Friend day. Do you want to tell your best friend?

6^th February – Lame Duck Day. A day to celebrate political losers; any politician who’s term is coming to an end because they were not re-elected, or are choosing not to run for re-election… and you thought this was about birds!

7^th February – Send a Card to a Friend Day. It’s said to be a holiday genuinely created by the card companies. Spend a little time today showing your friends that you care. Send them a card.

8^th February – Kite Flying Day. Take the advice of the work obsessed father from Mary Poppins, go out and fly a kite. How else are you meant to enjoy the windy weather?

9^th February – Pizza Day. What can I say? Somebody up there loves us. Go forth and celebrate the humble pizza, in all of its cheesy glory. The gods have handed down a holiday celebrating that most delicious of foods. Go forth and celebrate.

10^th February – Umbrella Day. Hot on the heels of a celebration of the wind, let’s raises our glasses to the driving rain that make indoors a much better prospect this time of year.

11^th February – Don’t Cry Over Spilled Milk Day. Extensive research has proven this day to be unofficial, but everything has to start somewhere. Don’t Cry Over Spilled Milk Day is about letting the little things slide; realising that we don’t need to obsess over mistakes that we may have made. What’s done is done. Don’t let it bring you down.

12^th February – Plum Pudding Day. This fruit filled cake is a dense one that people in the U.K. douse in alcohol and set on fire at Christmas.

13^th February – Tortellini Day. Typically stuffed with pork loin and cheese, these cousins to ravioli are a delicious alternative to boring old pasta. Eat a big bowl of Tortellini today, but please don’t wonder why your jeans have gotten a little tight.

14^th February – Organ Donor Day. Okay, so we all know what day it is. Some of us will be loved up, and some of us will be bitter about it, but it’s also Organ Donor Day. Organ Donors save lives, so I hope you use this holiday to become an Organ Donor. And give some thought to the brave men and women that donate organs to their friends, family, and sometimes strangers.

15^th February – Singles Awareness Day. So the couples got yesterday. So what? Today is Singles Awareness Day, although why it makes a lack of partner sound like some kind of fatal disease I have no idea. Go out and make sure people know that Singles Awareness Day is a day to love yourself, by yourself. Cook yourself a nice meal, share a bottle of wine with… yourself, this holiday is sounding better and better.

16^th February – Do a Grouch a Favour Day. Today I challenge you to do something nice for the vocally irritated amongst us. On Do a Grouch a Favour Day it’s the day to do something nice for someone who is not the “suffer in silence” type. You never know, that one favour could put an end to the whining.

17^th February – Random Act of Kindness Day. Buy a homeless guy a sandwich. Let your sister get the last piece of pizza. Buy a drink for someone having a bad day. Actually hold the lift when someone calls out. Give a sheep a blanket. It’s Random Act of Kindness Day!

18^th February – Drink Wine Day. I’m not going to lie, it tastes like varying kinds of vinegar, and costs way more than old grape juice should, but today is the day to celebrate wine, specifically the health benefits and cultural significance of drinking wine.

19^th February – Lash Day. A day for eyelash appreciation. No really.

20^th February – Love Your Pet Day. They watch you take your selfies, they provide warmth on a cold night, and they eat your food and sit wherever the hell they feel like. And you love them for it. It’s Love Your Pet day.

21^st February – Sticky Bun Day. Cinnamon and sugar come together in the glorious presence of leavened dough in the sticky bun. Indulge yourself in the name of celebration, eat a sticky bun.

22^nd February – Cook a Sweet Potato Day. Now there are chores that come with our holidays, cook a sweet potato day is upon us. Bake them, eat them, you’re welcome.

23^rd February – Dog Biscuit Day. After so many days celebrating food, it’s time to give your digestive system a break. Today is all about the humble dog biscuit, which has been around since Roman times but oddly it did not become specifically for dogs until 1871, instead being considered to be peasants’ food.

24^th February – Tortilla Chip Day. They were invented using the rejects from a tortilla machine, cut into triangles, fried, and made delicious. Celebrate this happy accident by picking an awesome film and eating some tortilla chips, with salsa, or melted cheese. They need to be softened otherwise you won’t hear the movie.

25^th February – Chocolate Covered Nut Day. Not such a good day if you have a nut allergy. If you do suffer from a nut allergy I’d steer clear of anything small, round, and covered in chocolate. Otherwise go nuts, if you’ll pardon the pun.

26^th February – Tell a Fairy Tale Day. Whether it’s a lovely Disney affair, with songs and a talking animal, or a more sinister affair with red hot shoes and awful torture, spread a little fantasy today.

27^th February – Polar Bear Day. An oddly thermostat-oriented day where you watch your carbon emissions, think about how your lifestyle is affecting the polar ice caps & the lovely translucent furred creatures that live there. Think about the polar bears, where will they live if we don’t try to address climate change?

28^th February – Public Sleeping Day. You could fall asleep at home, but why not try it on the bus? Today we celebrate those tired individuals who sleep in public and the habit that leaves them oddly vulnerable.

29^th February – Rare Disease Day. The rarest day of the calendar is the perfect day to appreciate and honour those suffering with rare diseases, the fact that you’ve never heard of isovaleric acidema, that doesn’t make it any less awful, or its victims any less mentally and physically disabled. Take some time and think of the people battling with diseases that we often treat as impossible, or read about in the tabloids.

Please check back next month for the special days in March!