February is the shortest month of the year, but that doesn’t mean celebrating holidays for February is any less fun! There are plenty of reasons to celebrate. Many months get their names from the Roman gods so it would be easy to conclude the same for February. It is often noted that February is named after the Roman god Februus. The fact of the matter is, during the month of February, the Romans held a festival of purification called Februa. February, and the Roman God Februus both get their name from this festival of cleansing!
As you explore the Holidays for February, I hope the celebrations inspire you to dig a little deeper into these holidays. Each holiday of the day is filled with information to help your Happy Hive buzz with excitement!
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Groundhog Day – February 2
We start the month with simply the best holiday in history. (I only say that because it also happens to be my birthday!) Rooted in ancient German folklore, this holiday has a rodent that can predict the weather. Groundhog Day is a great holiday for talking about the change of seasons. It’s fun to “predict” if we will have more winter, or get an early spring in the Northern Hemisphere, the reality is, seasons change according to fixed dates. After exploring the History of Groundhog Day, be sure to polish up with some facts about seasons.
Thank A Mail Carrier Day – February 4
“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” is a quote from The Persian Wars by Herodotus. It is carved above the 8th street post office in New York City.
Many believe it to be the motto of the United States Post office, however, the USPS does not have an official motto. They do however have a rich history. Spend a minute today creating a homemade thank you card for YOUR mail carrier then dive into the history of the Postage Stamp with this great Happy Hive Activity. There is a slide presentation, a Teaching Video and a unique Mail Box mini book you can make!
National Chopsticks Day – February 6
Early chopsticks were used mainly for cooking. They became a way of getting food into your mouth around 400 AD when China was in the middle of a population boom. More people meant there was more to cook. In an effort to get things cooked faster, cooks began cutting whatever it was they were cooking into smaller pieces. These smaller pieces were perfect for the pinching grip of the chopstick and a new way to eat was born!
Today chopsticks can be used for eating, cooking, art projects, hair accessories, and more!
Here are some things you can do to celebrate National Chopstick Day:
- Make Popsicles and use wooden chopsticks as the stick
- Use them as a skewer for caramel apples or bacon wrapped hot dogs
- Toast marshmallows over the stove
- Chopsticks make great stir sticks for paint, hot chocolate or other things.
- use a chopstick to hold your bun in place
National Kite Flying Day – February 8
You may think of a kite as a fun flying toy for kids, and the thing Benjamin Franklin used to show the electrical nature of lightning…but kites are so much more! Throughout history, kites have been used in military exercises, in the field of meteorology, photography, and science, and even for human flight!
Celebrate this unique holiday for February by:
- Learning more about the unique uses for kites
- Make your own homemade kite
- Fly a kite you purchased or have on hand
Happy Hive Homeschooling has an activity you can use for learning more about Benjamin Franklin and his kite-flying experiment.
Pizza Day – February 9
Pizza was selected as the ONE food Americans would want to eat for the rest of their lives by 21 % of those surveyed by Reader’s Digest. In theory, it sounds great, but I’m not sure how reality would measure up. Hopefully, we get to switch up the toppings.
In some regions of the United States (mainly the East Coast) pizza is referred to as “pie” – Pizza Pie. This seems to come from the simple truth that it is round and cut into slices. It was the Americans who labeled the “tomato pizza” a pizza pie.
To celebrate Pizza Day why not whip up some homemade pizza! You can make your own crust or use sturdy bread as the base. We like to use toasted English muffins, as our pizza pie base!
Book Giving Day – February 14
Book Giving Day is a special holiday for February that everyone can participate in easily.
You can write your own book and give it as a gift. You can also visit a local bookstore and purchase a special book just for giving away. Another idea for book giving day is to take a look at your bookshelf and see if there are any books you have read and can share with others. Give away books to family and friends today. You can give them as your Valentine or exclusively to celebrate Book Giving Day!
Random Acts of Kindness Day – February 17
It seems counterproductive to *plan* Random Acts of Kindness – but when we make kindness a habit, the world wins. The last week in August is designated as Be Kind to Human Kind Week. February 17th is Random Acts of Kindness Day…We have 2 great FREE products that will help you encourage kindness at home and in your community.
Diesel Engine Day – February 23
An engine converts energy into mechanical energy. You can think of an oar for rowing a boat a type of prehistoric engine. Invention has come a long way and continues to as more and more advancements in technology are made.
The Steam engine uses steam, a gasoline engine uses gasoline, while the Diesel engine, more efficiently uses Diesel Fuel. The Diesel engine is also more powerful, which is why it is used in larger vehicles.
February 23 is Diesel Engine day, celebrated on the birthday of Rudolf Diesel to honor his invention.
Shell Oil film – The Diesel Story (about 17 minutes) Public Domain
To celebrate if you have a car or vehicle enthusiast they can compare and contrast engine types. Another valuable exercise is to compare the overall cost-effectiveness of purchasing a hybrid-gasoline-diesel vehicle for your family’s needs.
Tell a Fairy Tale Day – February 26
The name says it all – today is your opportunity to tell a fairy tale. Use one that has been recorded in a book, or make up your own.
Many Children’s stories are lumped into the category “Fairy Tales” without a thought to their proper classification. You may have grown up thinking one of your favorites was a fairy tale, and that’s ok. This is likely because of books published with MANY WORKS in them – a “Collection of Fairy Tales” for example made its way onto your bookshelf.
What is a Fairy Tale Exactly?
There are 6 types of TRADITIONAL LITERATURE: Folktales, Fairy Tales, Fables, Myths, Legends, and Tall Tales
It can be confusing because Fairy Tales, Fables, Myths, Legends, and Tall Tales are all FOLKTALES. Folktale is the big category and everything else falls under it as a sub-category.
That’s because all the other stories can be told as Folktales, as stories passed down over time. Many Folktales do not have a known author.
Regardless of the actual classification of your favorite “fairy tale” – the important thing about celebrating Tell a Fairy Tale Day is sharing stories!
Celebrate with Reader’s Theater
We have a collection of classic stories we curated into our Fairy Tale Reader’s Theater collection to help you have some amazing stories for today! Each story is a Happy Hive Homeschooling original script, based on the original Fairy Tale, or Fable.
Full instructions and ideas for implementation for use in your home (OR CLASSROOM) are included. Tips for non, or struggling readers too!
If you would like to read more about using Reader’s Theater I encourage you to check out this post: USING READER’S THEATER SCRIPTS
If you want them ALL you can get the BUNDLE. The bundle contains our BONUS script – Little Red Riding Hood, which is NOT SOLD SEPERATELY.
Leap Year Day – February 29
Julius Caesar introduced the Jullian Calendar (clever name right?) and with it the concept of Leap Years. The Romans were using a calendar that contained only 355 days. They added a 22 or 23 day month every 2 or 3 years to keep everything aligned. Caesar decided to simplify things so he had his astronomer do some calculations. Days were added, spread out across the year, and a 365 day year, with a leap year every 4th year was the new Jullian Calendar!
While these calculations were revolutionary, they still were not quite right and when the calendar was reformed again by Pope Gregory (The Gregorian Calendar) the Leap year was refined yet again to be every four years, but only in years divisible by four.
The next 10 Leap years will be:
2024, 2028, 2032, 2036, 2040, 2044, 2048, 2052. 2056 and 2060
While you wait for Leap year to arrive, or to celebrate Leap year take a deep dive into Calendar history with our Seasons, Months, and Days of the year Lapbook. This year-long project contains:
- Instructions for use and printing suggestions – printing on colored vs plain white paper.
- Step by Step photo assembly instructions where needed.
- Pacing Guide so you know what to teach, and when – regardless of the month you start!
- Over 60 printable pages covering seasons, months, and days of the week
More holidays for February!
If you are looking for more February Fun I have just the thing! My friend Suzanne over at Teacher Writer has curated a fantastic set of writing prompts and activities for February surrounding the National Holidays!
These daily writing prompts can be used for morning work, station work, or as daily writing warm-ups. Use it every day or pick and choose the topics you want to use.
Some of the February daily prompts:
- National Texas Day. (Learn about the great state of Texas.)
- Groundhog Day. (Learn how and why this tradition began.)
- Rosa Parks Day. (Learn more about Rosa Parks.)
- Safer Internet Day. (Learn five online safety tips for kids.)
- Chinese New Year Begins. (Learn about the Chinese calendar and traditions of this celebration.)
- Presidents Day
Thanks for checking out the many holidays for february!
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This site is a labor of love and will grow and grow. Is there a Holiday of the Day you would like to see featured? Contact Us and we will do our best to make it happen! We are glad you are here and hope you enjoy learning and celebrating in your HAPPY HIVE!
