Top 5 Random Holidays in February
Do you ever feel like celebrating for no reason? Feel free because there are holidays occurring each and every day! Below, you will find five unique traditions to brighten your February (beyond Valentines and Galentines!).
February 1 – Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day
This childish, yet delightful, celebration originated in the 1960s during the cold winter month of February. Florence Rappaport, a mother of six, began the tradition in an attempt to brighten the day of her two youngest children. In the following years, her children continued to remind her of their special holiday, but Rappaport could never have imagined the influence her made-up holiday would have across the world. With her grandchildren spreading the celebration, national Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day has become known and enjoyed on the first Saturday of February throughout Germany, China, Israel, Honduras, New Zealand, and many other places! A few great breakfast ideas for this day are pancakes with ice cream, milkshakes instead of smoothies, and fruit-flavored sorbets rather than fruit. 2
February 4 – Thank a Mail Carrier Day
When people pull into their driveway, they check the mail. However, they rarely spare a thought for the mail carrier or vast history behind their easily accessible bills and letters. The legacy of the organized postal service dates back over two hundred years. The Constitutional Post began in 1775 under the direction of Postmaster General Benjamin Franklin. Over the centuries of American postal delivery, the Pony Express is perhaps the most renowned system with their motto, “Neither rain, nor snow, nor dead of night can keep us from our duty.” Thank a Mail Carrier Day is a date to show appreciation for our postal service and its hard-working mail carriers.
February 7 – Send a Card to a Friend Day
Sweet and special, Send a Card to a Friend Day is placed strategically four days after Mail Carrier Day. After appreciating mail carriers, make use of their services by writing a heartfelt letter to a friend. Too often in this age of instant messaging people forget the value of a handwritten letter. Today is the day to write one! It does not have to be extraordinarily deep; it is the thought that counts. In celebration of the holiday, break out the scrapbook stickers, uncap the glitter, and sharpen your pencil!
February 12 – National Lost Penny Day
Alright everyone, read carefully. February 12th is Lost Penny Day. The day to collect the shiny, little pieces of copper that are constantly clogging your vacuum, dinging the inside of your washer, and melting into the cup holder of your car. Seemingly insignificant, and of virtually no value, pennies are often lost on street corners or in the crevices of a couch, but they have meaning! On this one day of the year, go out and collect the pennies. Remember their history and value. Use the opportunity to donate the lost pennies to whatever charity your favorite fast food restaurant is sponsoring. Why are pennies celebrated on this day? In 1787, Benjamin Franklin minted his new design: the penny. Two centuries later, in 1909, on February 12, the penny we know today was first minted, with Abraham Lincoln’s face in honor of his birthday. America’s top eventologist, Adrienne Koopersmith, began the holiday of lost pennies writing, “Petty change can make an astounding difference.”
February 14 – Ferris Wheel Day
The picture-perfect first date; bubbling laughter and sneakers swinging out of the car of the Ferris Wheel. This classic ride of fun and youth is celebrated on February 14th! This marks not just a day of love but also invention. The celebration of Ferris Wheel Day takes place alongside Valentine’s because the great American inventor, George Washington Gale Ferris, was born on February 14th, 1859. Ferris created his wheel 34 years later for the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Just one year earlier, the Eiffel Tower had been erected in Paris. Daniel Burnham, who directed the fair’s events, sought to build a contraption that would rival the new international tourist attraction. Ferris certainty tried. His wheel stretched 26 stories high and made $726,805.50 at the fair, a hefty amount for that time. Though he died three years later, American’s continue to commemorate his life by celebrating his shocking invention.
