February Holidays
- Jasmine Dorr
- Feb 21, 2019
- 2 min read
There are so many holidays in February, but I only have time to discuss a few. One of these popular holiday includes the Lantern Festival! It occurs in the first month of the Chinese calendar, or this year on February 19th. This holiday is thought to have started in the Han Dynasty, when Buddhists would light lanterns to honor Buddha. It later spread over all of China, and during the Song Dynasty, the tradition of adding riddles on the side of the lanterns came about. These traditions are still celebrated to this day, with fireworks and festivities. Another holiday that occurred earlier this month, personally what I’m looking forward to the most, is National Pizza Day on the 9th! This holiday celebrates the joy pizza gives to us. The first pizza was actually made by Romans; they used placenta bread and covered it with various herbs, sauce, and cheese. It was then perfected into what we know today in the 18th century by Italians. This holiday may not be considered a “real” holiday, but it’s a great excuse to get together with friends or family and enjoy some pizza. As most people know, February is African-American History Month; it’s dedicated to celebrating the achievements of African- Americans. Some famous individuals celebrated may include: Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Harriet Wilson, Booker T. Washington, Rosa Parks, George Washington Carver, Malcolm X, Miles Davis, Ray Charles, Martin Luther King Jr., and many more. Finally, the most famous February holiday: Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s Day was thought to be the date when St. Valentine died. St. Valentine is considered, “the patron saint of engaged couples, lovers, bee keepers, greetings, love, travelers and young people. He is also the patron saint against the plague, fainting and epilepsy”(Holidays Calendar). This holiday is thought to be a great way to give loved ones gifts and spend quality time with each other. There are so many more holidays coming up in February, I encourage everyone to enjoy their holidays and maybe even consider celebrating a new holiday this month. Until next time.
Sources:
http://www.holidayscalendar.com