It’s almost over. The end is near.
I am not predicting armageddon or the rapture. I’m talking about February. That’s right, the shortest month of the year is finally coming to an end. How is it, then, that February can feel like the longest month I have ever had to endure?
You may think that I am being a bit of a Drama Queen here but I am not alone on this one. In fact, here in Canada a few years back it was decided that there should be a long weekend somewhere in the middle of February. I say “somewhere”, because just like February gets confused about how many days it should have (28 or 29), Canadians can’t figure out which Monday should be a Holiday. Most provinces, including my own (Ontario), take the third Monday off. Others take the second Monday. Now, for my American friends, this meant that my February Holiday fell on your Presidents Day. Happy Birthday Mr. Washington. Our Holiday is called Family Day. I kid you not. Someone who was probably suffering from cabin fever and the winter blues combined, thought it would be a good idea to guilt people into spending time together as a family and give them a day to do it. I have always resented this Holiday. I don’t have kids and have always considered it as yet another slap in the face for being barren. I’m not alone in this one either folks. There are a lot of people out there that are childless and single. Speaking of single, guess what else happened on this long weekend? Think about it…you’re almost there…yep, you’ve got it. Valentine’s Day was on the Saturday.
Talk about adding insult to injury. Seriously, I know people who just wanted to stay in bed all weekend with a pillow over their head. Fortunately, I have He-Who and we had a lovely evening out listening to Frank Sinatra Jr. (he said it was the longest two hours of his life but that’s another story). Quite frankly, I don’t know why a family, any family for that matter, has to be given a Holiday to spend time with each other and why any couple needs the pressure of a specific day to be “romantic”. I think the writing was on the wall for this long weekend when it started on Friday the 13th. Unless you are this guy, that’s not the luckiest day.
It didn’t stop there. Saturday, February 14th was International Book Giving Day and it also happened to be Hockey Day In Canada. As a people we Canadians tend to take our hockey pretty seriously (except in this house) but can you imagine some of the conversations between couples about how to spend Valentine’s Day when there were hockey games playing back to back to back all day long?
Sunday, February 15th was the 50th Anniversary of our Canadian Flag. That’s right 50 years ago we said good bye to the Union Jack and welcomed home the Maple Leaf Forever.
Tuesday, February 17th…Pancake Tuesday. OK, so it’s really called Shrove Tuesday and if you are Christian it is the last day before the long fast for lent. It doesn’t matter if you are Christian or not, if pancakes are being served Canadian’s will be there and they’ll bring the maple syrup. It’s a tradition! This is also the day that kicks off most Winter Carnivals, our version of Mardi Gras.
Wednesday, February 18th is Ash Wednesday. Not being a Catholic, I can remember as a little kid telling all my little Catholic friends that they had dirt on their foreheads.
Thursday, February 19th. Happy Ewe Year!!! It’s the year of the sheep. Everyone celebrates Chinese New Year, usually by overeating at a buffet and figuring out what animal they are in the Chinese horoscopes.
On Friday, February 20th you can celebrate Yukon Heritage Day. You get a day off work and you can join in on the annual winter celebration known as the Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous.
Are you exhausted yet? I haven’t even mentioned that we started out on February 1st with Superbowl Sunday (congratulations to the New England Patriots) followed by February 2nd, Groundhog Day. If I were a groundhog I would never come out. If you happen to be Jewish you may also have celebrated Tu B’Shevat which is known as the “New Year for Trees”, on February 4th. Have I mentioned that the entire month of February is Black History Month?
Now let’s talk about the iceberg in the room. Quite literally. Almost daily, for the entire month of February we have woken up and gone to sleep under extreme cold weather alerts and record breaking below normal temperatures. Blinding snow, gale force winds and bitter cold have been never ending. I know we are Canadian and supposed to be used to this weather, but enough is enough!
I can’t tell you how grateful I am that this is not a leap year. I don’t think I would make it through another day of February. Now excuse me, I have to go find something pink to wear because today is National Pink Shirt Day.
Michelle I loved this blog…I burst out laughing at the point of He Who saying it was the longest 2 hours of his life(happy Valentine’s Day I guess) only because I heard him say it out loud in my head with visions of facial expression as well!! Anyway great article…helped make me feel like although I’m in agreement with the not another day thing, I feel like February really accomplished a lot all in all…I say MONTH CONQUERED ALREADY!! On with it & hello March😊
Oh, there were lots of facial expressions. I could have done a stop motion video.
Of course Canadians would have a day for pancakes. I believe there is also Slurpee Day, though that one hasn’t quite made it to holiday status…yet.
If He-Who had his way Slurpee Day would be a national holiday. Of course he is biased because he is the “Slurpee King of Winnipeg”.
Tell He-Who that Valentine’s Day might have been worse — he could have had to listen to Nancy Sinatra … but it would have been appropriate for February, I guess — these boots are made for walkin’ ….
Love the post. Love the new masthead!
Looking forward to spring too.
Thanks, Elyse. I’m pretty sure He Who would have preferred Nancy Sinatra.
I’m exhausted just thinking about all these holidays, Michelle, and I didn’t have to deal with snow or freezing temps. Yikes! February is a confusing month for schools here. Districts have different holidays. My kids are in different districts now and it was wacky with the days off. It’s like the slacker month for catching up and throwing in lost holidays. I didn’t have a Valentine’s Day celebration. We hardly do it anymore since everywhere is so crowded and they up the prices of everything. I agree. We shouldn’t need a special day for love or family, either. I’m ready for March. Hope you’re staying warm.
P.S. I like your new banner!
Thanks, Amy.
That would be crazy having the kids in different districts with different days off. How could you make any kind of plan?
We got the tickets for free to see Jr. and I had met him a few years ago. I quite liked him but I talked to him and never heard him sing. He did give me a DVD and when I watched it at home I quite enjoyed him.
It’s funny, people noticing the banner. It was there last post and not one person said a word.
It is mostly annoying. We haven’t made too many plans, lately. I’ll just say that. I don’t know how I didn’t notice the banner last time. I love it!! It looks great. I love your quote. It’s so you.
I don’t even know where that quote came from. Someone sent it to me because it reminded them of me and I had to agree. 😉
It is mostly annoying. We haven’t made too many plans, lately. I’ll just say that. I don’t know how I didn’t notice the banner last time. I love it!! It looks great. I love your quote. It’s so you.
Get ready for tomorrow…the fourth Tuesday of February is National Chili Day. Feel free to wear that pink shirt again. I commend you on your ability to not only survive, but thrive, in light of this brutal winter…and make me laugh! Your new header? Block-Rockin’ Fantastic! Toni
I like chili, Toni. It has a way of keeping you warm and I will take any warmth I can get these days. I have a plethora of pink shirts but they are all “survivor” shirts and today was all about stopping bullies.
Bock-Rocking Fantastic! I like that. 😉
In like a lion, out like a lamb, blah blah blah – the only true value of March is that it’s not February anymore.
Exactly, 1Point! My sentiments exactly. Oh, and maybe St. Patrick’s Day. I like a nice Guinness.
This is a funny way to look at February. Most holidays are just an excuse to get take out in this household. I have to say, I have loved all the cold weather. Super glad I don’t live in the Maritimes. Now they have something to complain about … storm after storm.
As you know, He-Who doesn’t need any excuse for take out. He lives off the stuff. February also brought us Jane, Andrew and my Cutes. So I guess it all balances out.
Oh I thought we in the UK were the only ones to do pancake day, I mean I know of course we didn’t invent shrove Tuesday, but I just didn’t know you guys do the whole pancake thing on that day too! Funny post, left me quite out of breath! 🙂
Considering a lot of our traditions were started by our forefathers, while we were still under the Union Jack, I’m not surprised we would both have pancake Tuesday.
I’m just waiting for the 1st of March to catch my breath.
Tremendous! Sign me up for pancake day.
Too late, Bumba, but around here you can get pancakes any time. With Maple Syrup. If the thaw ever comes the trees will be running and we’ll be having our Maple Syrup Festivals. You should send one of your roving reporters to cover it.
George Packard is on the way!
I’ll keep an eye out for him.
Ha! I’m from Canada too born an raised in Ont. I now live in Northern BF nowhere Alberta Canada. What part of Ont. are you from?
Well, it has been awhile since I’ve been to Northern BF Alberta but I use to spend a good deal of time there.
I was born and raised in Niagara. I’m living in Pickering now just east of Toronto. Niagara is still home to me and I day trip there at least once a week. I have family on both sides of the border so I’m in the US a lot as well.
Ha! Why would you come to Northern BF Alberta? We so want out of here. We were from KW, lived in amazing Penticton BC for two years and now we’ve been in NA for I think three..
Back in ’93 (how old does that make me sound?) I was sent there to do some shooting (photography not guns). The last time I was in Alberta it was 8 years ago to launch a couple of TV Stations and the furthest North I got then was Edmonton.
Kitchener/Waterloo is one of my favourite areas. I bet you miss the “Market”.
Not old at all. 😉
Oh wow sounds exciting. Was it as nasty back then as it is here now? We’re about 5 hours from Edmonton just outside of Grande Prairie.
I do miss the market. KW definitely isn’t a bad place to live. I love the St. Jacobs/St. Clements areas.
I thought every day was Hockey Day in Canada.
As for pancake day, I want in. Do you fine folks also have a Waffle Day? Or a French Toast Day in Quebec?
Apparently it is you folks who celebrate these.
Waffle Day is March 25th so you haven’t missed it yet (sorry pancake day is done).
https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/waffle-day/
You have to wait until November for National French Toast Day. Put it on your calendar now. Our French are pretend french, just ask any Parisian. That must be why it isn’t celebrated in Quebec.
http://nationaldaycalendar.com/national-french-toast-day-november-28/
I didn’t miss waffles! I’m going to have to have a celebration on the ol’ blog.
I will look forward to that.
Isn’t winter a misery? I don’t care how many holidays and occasions they pack into it, winter is a freaking drag.
Just think: a few more weeks and it’s adios to the big coats and hats and gloves and scarves and boots and …
I think it will be more than a few weeks for us. We might be thawed by August. This whole “Winter Wonderland” wears thin quickly.
Winter Wonderland my eye. It’s a five-month long disaster, nothing more, nothing less. By the way, are you Celsius or Fahrenheit?
Celsius, although I confess to still thinking in Fahrenheit.
Seems like a nightmarish February for you. Maybe you should just hide away, like hibernating and not come out till March is over us again. At least it’s literally the last day today, so congratulations you have almost made it. May I add that my birthday is in February as is my daughter’s, so I can’t quite agree with you that February is a bad month. 🙂
Otto, some of the people I love most in the world were born in February so there is no way I could hibernate or I would miss their birthdays. The real problem with February is all the made up stuff that the powers that be make up to supposedly help us get through it.
It’s officially March now and it’s still freezing here. Oh, well.
Happy Belated Birthday to You and Your Daughter.
Thank you, Michelle. 🙂 You could send over some of the cold to where I am. I am still waiting for the winter…
We’re having pancake night once a week with our son and his new wife. They love my pancakes and I never have them for breakfast — too many carbs! At least it’s March now and February is in the past!!
Sorry to have been so long in coming around Michelle, had a bit of a frozen February myself and felt buried under long blankets of snow and ice. I finally dug out. Holidays holidays – I just want February to end. And fortunately it has, and I feel better – today we were out playing in the snow, which was awesome. I don’t get Family Day either, by the way, but I’ll take the February holiday no problem. Hope you’re well and enjoying some March sunshine.
Yes! March sunshine! It really did show up. As soon as we “sprang forward” out came the sun! If I’d known all it would take was losing an hours sleep I would have changed the clocks in February…or maybe January. Let’s hope we can put this winter behind us now.
I went for a walk today with the family! Can you believe it???
The whole Family Day and long weekends in February starts with Canadian Partisan politics and Unions. First off is the elephant in the room, Sir. John A. Macdonald’s birthday in January. No one would agree to that because, well Conservatives & Liberals. No one saw past the party affiliation to honour the man for his contribution, warts and all.
The Big Unions were trying to convince provincial powers to declare a long weekend either in January or February. At one point, they thought they had an agreement – so did the Big Businesses, so their was an agreement in the contracts for such a day. Business & Labour did not know what the government of the day would call it, so for contract convenience they called it a Family Day. The government dithered and called it – we changed our minds and are not doing it. I remember the kerfuffle here in Elliot Lake when the Mines had Family Day and the kids had to go to school and if the moms had employment beyond the non-pay housewife variety, they had to go to work.
Dads went ice fishing or off on the skidoo – to celebrate Family Day. 😀
If they parents could swing it they either sent the kids to school and did couple stuff together, which either improved their relationship or not.
A few families said “yah lets do this” and kept the kids home for family outing, ice fishing. 😀
Once enough people had time off, the governments agreed. Some tried to line things up with American holiday to take any tourism dollars that might be available. Oh, and we got stuck with Family Day name because no one wanted to choose a partisan/political name.
I recommend we have a National Snow Shovel Day and a “Damn! Frostbite Again !” Day. We should also shift time zones on a diagonal . 🙂
My perspective is a little different. When this started the place I worked had us vote on having this “family day” in February or November 11th. I voted November 11th. Up to that point I always used a vacation day to spend the day with my Dad & what was left of his cronies in honour of those who served/serve. After the vote I continued to do so as I think there were only two of us who had strong views in favour of Nov. 11th.
Busy month! I’m glad you were only referring to the end of Feb when you said that, and not to something bad. 🙂
You know what some people do on Ash Wednesday? They use it as the end of Carnival, and eat sardines! Don’t ask me why, but I think it’s a weirdly yummy tradition. 🙂
Sardines? That would not be my favourite tradition. February is long gone and now so is March and I just realized I didn’t get a post up. I am so far behind. Thanks for sticking with me.
My pleasure. It’s April now. Where’s the year gone?
You know Michelle – February ended a long time ago! Hope you’re doing well. And hope to see some writing from you. Hey, I was in Whitby today! Made me think of you.
Trent, you are the best. It brings a tear to my eye that you thought of me. You’re a great motivator for me. Thanks for not giving up.
I never give up on my friends, Michelle. Hope to see you back and writing.
Too good! February is the worst month and even though it’s short, it’s not short enough. Three days would be a good length.
Yeah, not my favourite month.
Do you guys have Harmony Day in Ontario? We celebrate it on the 17th of February and we stole it from Australia. “It is a day to understand and commit to the benefits of living in a country that embraces common values of respect, fairness, participation, acceptance and a fair go for all,” says our school district web site. This is different than Pink Shirt Day, although anti-bullying would seem to fit into Harmony Day quite nicely…
I’ve never heard of harmony day. It sounds a lot better than Family Day to me.