Bizarre and Unique February Holidays

February may be a short month, but it certainly is not short on the bizarre, unique, and weird when it comes to holidays—celebrations above and beyond the legal holidays where government offices, banks, and schools are closed for the day.

There are several month long designations in February:  American Heart Month, An Affair To Remember Month, Black History Month, Canned Food Month, Creative Romance Month, Great American Pie Month, National Cherry Month, National Children's Dental Health Month, National Grapefruit Month, and National Wedding Month.

February also has a week long celebration: the third week is International Flirting Week.

Hmmm…American Heart Month, An Affair To Remember Month, Creative Romance Month, National Wedding Month, and International Flirting Week.  How appropriate that they should all be in the month that gives us Valentine's Day.  :)

Feb. 1              National Freedom Day

Feb. 2              Ground Hog Day

Always celebrated on February 2.  On this day, the groundhog awakens from a long winter's nap and goes outside of his den.  If he sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter.  If he does not see his shadow, Spring is rapidly approaching.  The tradition comes from the German roots of Candlemas which is the midpoint between Winter and Spring.

Feb. 2              Candlemas

Feb. 3              The Day The Music Died

Always celebrated on February 3. On this date in 1959 singers Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and the Big Bopper died in a plane crash.  The event was immortalized in the popular song, American Pie, written and recorded by Don McLean.

Feb. 4              Create A Vacuum Day

Feb. 4              Thank A Mailman Day

Feb. 5              National Weatherman's Day

Always celebrated on February 5.  According to the Air Force News, this holiday "commemorates the birth of John Jeffries, one of America's first weathermen."  He was born on February 5, 1744, and kept weather records from 1774 to 1816.  This holiday honors the men and women who work hard to accurately predict the often fickle weather.  Even with the major technological advances including super computers and satellites, forecasting weather is still a tricky, ever changing, and always challenging task.

Feb. 6              Lame Duck Day

Feb. 7              Wave All Your Fingers At Your Neighbor Day

Feb. 7              Send A Card To A Friend Day (a holiday created by Hallmark?)

Feb. 8              Boy Scout Day

Feb. 8              Kite Flying Day

Always celebrated on February 8 (but why in the middle of winter?).  People have enjoyed flying kites for thousands of years, both children and adults.  The most well-known kite flyer is undoubtedly Benjamin Franklin with his key and lightning experiment.  Kites were first used by the military in ancient China over 3,000 years ago.

Feb. 9              Toothache Day

Feb. 10            Umbrella Day

Feb. 11            Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk Day

Feb. 11            Make A Friend Day

Feb. 11            White T-Shirt Day

Feb. 12            Plum Pudding Day

Feb. 12            Abraham Lincoln's Birthday (combined with George Washington's birthday, it's legally celebrated as President's Day the third Monday of February, on the 20th this year)

Feb. 13            Clean Out Your Computer Day (the 2nd Monday of the month)

Feb. 13            Get A Different Name Day

Always celebrated on February 13.  This day is for those who are not fond of their given name.  It's the day to take steps to change your name (and don't forget to notify those who need to know about your new name).

Feb. 14            Ferris Wheel Day

Feb. 14            National Organ Donor Day

Feb. 14            Valentine's Day

Feb. 15            Candlemas (on the old Julian Calendar)

Feb. 15            National Gum Drop Day

Feb. 15            Singles Awareness Day

Feb. 16            Do A Grouch A Favor Day

Feb. 17            Random Acts of Kindness Day

Always celebrated on February 17.  You know what to do…perform a few random acts of kindness.  Almost any kind deed will do.  And remember—Random Acts of Kindness is highly contagious.

Feb. 18            National Battery Day

Feb. 19            National Chocolate Mint Day

Feb. 20            President's Day

A combination of Lincoln's birthday and Washington's birthday always celebrated on the third Monday of the month.

Feb. 20            Cherry Pie Day

Feb. 20            Hoodie Hoo Day

Always celebrated on February 20.  On this winter day, people go out at noon, wave their hands over their heads and chant "Hoodie-Hoo."  This is the day to chase away the winter blahs (in the Northern Hemisphere).

Feb. 20            Love Your Pet Day

Feb. 21            Card Reader Day (another Hallmark creation or a computer port for SD cards?)

Feb. 22            George Washington's Birthday (combined with Abraham Lincoln's Birthday, it's celebrated as the legal holiday of President's Day on the third Monday of February, on the 20th this year).

Feb. 22            Be Humble Day

Feb. 22            Walking The Dog Day

Feb. 22            International World Thinking Day

Feb. 23            International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day

Feb. 23            Tennis Day

Feb. 24            National Tortilla Chip Day

Always celebrated on February 24.  The corn chip recipe was brought to the U.S. from Mexico by a Texas businessman.  Just a few decades ago, Americans seldom ate corn chips and salsa.  Today it's wildly popular.

Feb. 25            Pistol Patent Day

Feb. 26            National Pistachio Day

Feb. 26            Tell A Fairy Tale Day

Feb. 27            Polar Bear Day

Feb. 27            No Brainer Day

Always celebrated on February 27th.  By definition, a no brainer is doing something simple, easy, obvious, and/or totally logical.  If a project requires thinking, study, or analysis of any kind, then this is not the day for it.

Feb. 28            Floral Design Day

Feb. 28            Public Sleeping Day

Feb. 28            National Tooth Fairy Day (sometimes celebrated on August 22)

So…enjoy your favorite bizarre, weird, and unique celebration/holiday.

Mysterious Cold Cases That Are Still Unsolved part 2 of 2

This week in part 2 of my blog about cold cases. I'm continuing with a brief look at more baffling unsolved police cases and mysteries. Not only are they unsolved after many decades, there's a good chance that they never will be solved.

LIZZIE BORDEN

Lizzie Borden took an axe and gave her mother forty whacks. When she saw what she had done, She gave her father forty-one. A popular children's rhyme from days gone by. But do we know what event it actually refers to? The oldest of the cold cases covered in parts 1 and 2 of my blog—on August 4, 1892, Lizzie Borden's step-mother was murdered with several blows from an axe (but not anything near forty whacks) then shortly afterward her father came home from his office at lunch time, stretched out on the couch to take a nap, and was subsequently also murdered with an axe. Lizzie was arrested for the crime but acquitted by a male jury who believed that a woman couldn't have committed such a crime. No one else was arrested.

THE TORSO MURDERS

A serial killer committed brutal murders in Cleveland, Ohio, between September 5, 1934, and August 16, 1938. They were dubbed Torso Murders because the victims were decapitated, some of them while still alive. Eliot Ness of prohibition's Untouchables fame was Safety Director of Cleveland at the time. For five decades the murders remained unsolved. On December 5, 2022, a man already in prison for similar murders in New York and New Jersey claimed responsibility for the Cleveland murders but so far it's unproven.

THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER

Elizabeth Short has become one of the most investigated murder victims in history. The aspiring actress' brutal murder has had Hollywood's attention for decades. Her nude and dismembered body was discovered in a vacant lot in Los Angeles on January 15, 1947. There were many suspects, arrests were made but never went to trial, many books written, movies made, many theories about the identity of the killer, one put forth by a retired Los Angeles police detective who believed his father was the killer, but none of the accusations were ever proven.

JIMMY HOFFA

A name certainly representative of 'unsolved crime.' The former Teamster's Union president disappeared on July 30, 1975, from Bloomfield, a suburb of Detroit, Michigan. He disappeared and his body was never found. The prevailing theory is that he was murdered by the Mafia with a long list of possible sites where they allegedly disposed of his body. He was declared legally dead in 1982.

DIAN FOSSEY

The anthropologist studying gorillas in Rwanda was hacked to death with a machete. Her body was discovered December 26, 1985, in her cabin. It is commonly believed that she was murdered by poachers although no one has ever been arrested.

BOB CRANE MURDER

The star of Hogan's Heroes was found bludgeoned and strangled in his apartment in Scottsdale, Arizona, on June 29, 1978. He was appearing in a dinner theater production of Beginner's Luck. Following his death, many accusations and theories appeared about his sex addition which was placed at the cause for his murder. Many years later John Henry Carpenter, Crane's longtime friend and sometimes business partner, was arrested for the crime. He was acquitted after a trial in 1994. No one else has ever been accused.

JONBENET RAMSEY

The 6 year old child beauty contest participant was discovered murdered in the basement of the family home in Boulder, Colorado, on December 26, 1996. Her parents and a 9 year old brother were the only people in the house at the time. Lots of speculation and accusations, even a public conflict between the District Attorney's office and the Police Department on how the case was handled. No suspects have ever been arrested.

This is only a sampling of the many unsolved cases on record.

Mysterious Cold Cases That Are Still Unsolved, part 1 of 2

The Zodiac Killer coded message

Everybody loves a good mystery, but what happens when there isn't a satisfying ending? The moment where those meddling kids of the Scooby Do gang reveal who the culprit is? Probably the most famous cold case is Jack The Ripper, but through modern DNA testing, he was finally identified a few years ago. The following unsolved police cases are strange, creepy, and without a conclusion. There are lists of more famous unsolved cases, some of which I'll look at next week in part 2 of 2, but these are some of the most baffling unsolved police cases and mysteries of our time.

1. THE ZODIAC KILLER

Most people are usually quiet about their crimes, but "Zodiac", as he dubbed himself, was anything but. In 1968-1969, he terrorized San Francisco with his murder spree, taunting the police with coded letters he sent to the local newspaper. He had at least five killings directly connected to him, although he claims to have killed 37 people. The Zodiac Killer continued killing and leaving frustrating evidence for the police—coded letters, anonymous phone calls, the crossed-circle—but the police never found him.

2. THE TARA CALICO CASE

On the morning of September 20th, 1988 in Belen, New Mexico, Tara Calico borrowed her mother's bike to go out for a spin. She never returned. Every lead went to a dead end until a year later, when a photo was found depicting a young woman her age and a missing boy, both gagged. The Polaroid photograph was found in a parking lot outside a Junior Food Store in Florida. The nine-year-old, Michael Henley, went missing in the same area as Calico in April of 1988. In 1990, the boy's body was found in Zuni Mountains where he was last seen, which strongly disconnects the one time theory that the two were abducted and taken to Florida. Calico's parents would eventually die, never finding out who took their daughter.

3. THE SEVERED FEET MYSTERY

In 2007, a girl was roaming a beach in British Columbia when she found a sneaker. To her horror, as she opened up the sock, she found that a human foot was inside. Since then, a number of severed feet had washed ashore. The feet have been connected to five men, one a woman, and three of unknown sex. The Vancouver police managed to identify one foot in 2008, matching its DNA to a man who was described as suicidal. They later were able to match two other feet to a woman who was also believed to have committed suicide. Because of these findings, many speculate that the feet belong to those who jumped off a bridge to their deaths. However, because of the rarity of only feet and no other body parts showing up, some believe that the feet were connected to a plane crash by a nearby island. Other suggest they were those of the victims of the Asian Tsunami in 2004, since the make of the shoes were all manufactured before 2004. Whatever sources these feet are coming from, they have left the world baffled for years.

4. THE DEAD WOMAN WHO NAMED HER KILLER

Although this case has been solved, how it was solved remains a mystery. In 1977, a respiratory therapist in Chicago was murdered in her apartment. Teresita Basa was found under a flaming mattress, a butcher knife buried in her chest. Police attempted to track her stolen jewelry with no luck. They also failed in trying to link any of the suspects to the crime. It seemed impossible to find the perpetrator, that is, until Remy Chua, a co-worker who barely knew the victim, involuntarily became a leading source of information. She began having frequent visions and nightmares about Basa and eventually revealed the solution. Was it really Basa's ghost who named her killer? Whatever led police to the killer remains a mystery.

5. THE BOY IN THE BOX

It was the year 1957 in Philadelphia when a hunter found the bruised body of a boy in a JC Penney box. The boy, around four to six years-old, was nude and wrapped in flannel. He seemed to have died from blows to the head. Fearing his muskrat traps would be confiscated by police, the hunter didn't report the body. It was two days later when a college student found the body, that the police started on the case of "America's Unknown Child." It immediately attracted the media's attention, and flyers of the boy were seen throughout Pennsylvania. Although police received thousands of leads, they were never able to uncover the identity of the young boy. They tried tracing back the JC Penney box and checking the boy's fingerprints, but everything led to a dead end. A medical examiner, who pursued the case until his death, had a psychic lead him to a foster home, where he found a bassinet similar to the one that was sold in the box. Hanging on the clothesline were blankets much like the one wrapped around the boy. He believed the boy belonged to the stepdaughter of the man who ran the home, and she didn't want to be found as an unwed mother. Police interviewed the couple, but closed the investigation. In 2003, they opened the case again when interviewing a woman identified as "M" who claimed her abusive mother bought the child back in 1954. According to "M", her mother killed the boy in a fit of rage. Because "M" was mentally unstable, the investigation was closed, leaving the boy to remain "America's Unknown Child."

6. THE JEANETTE DEPALMA CASE

Usually people connect witches to Salem, MA, but for this particular case, the witches were in Springfield, New Jersey. It all started in 1972 when a dog brought home a decomposed forearm. This prompted a police search and a body was soon found afterwards atop a cliff in Springfield. The body was identified to be that of Jeanette DePalmer, a 16-year-old who had gone missing six weeks earlier. Immediately, rumors began spreading as to the cause of her death. The hill where she was discovered was covered with occult symbols and many believed her body was placed on a makeshift altar. Many locals, even some police members, blame a coven of witches, otherwise known as Satanists, who used DePalma for a human sacrifice. Much of the case details have been destroyed by a flood. However, some reports from local papers mention that police couldn't determine the cause of death due to her badly decomposed body. They had also investigated a local homeless man who was a prime suspect, only to find no connection with the killing. As for the occult theory, many believe that DePalma may have provoked a group of Satan worshipping teens at her high school when she was trying to evangelize them. She was involved with a group who helped drug addicts by finding faith in Christ. The reverend who ran the group theorized that she was selected as a sacrifice to the group because of this. Was she a human sacrifice? Or did these suspicions help hide the real killer? Perhaps no one will ever know

7. THE SS OURANG MEDAN

Ghost ships aren't just portrayed in legends and movies such as The Pirates of the Caribbean. In this true story, the entire crew mysteriously perished. It all started in 1947, when ships traveling the straits of Malacca (located between Sumatra and Malaysia) heard a troubling distress call. An American ship, Silver Star, answered the distress call and found the Ourang Medan, but there were no signs of the crew on the deck, even when they tried to call to them. And so they boarded the ship, only to find themselves in a horror scene. Scattered across the deck were the corpses of the Dutchmen, their faces construed in such a way one would think they had witnessed something ghastly before their demise. The captain's body was found on the bridge, while the communication officer was still at his post. Retreating to their ship again, they decided to tow the Ourang Medan to port. But as soon as they attached the tow line, smoke began billowing out of the ship, it exploded, and sank into a watery grave. Some believe it was the work of the paranormal. Others, have more scientific explanations. Many theorize that the Dutch ship was smuggling hazardous materials such as potassium cyanide and nitroglycerin. Sea water may have interacted with the cargo, causing the toxic gases to be released and poison the crew. The nitroglycerin would later cause the explosion.

This Week Is Friday the 13th —Does it make you stop and think?

Triskaidekaphobia:  Fear of the number thirteen.

Paraskevidekatriaphobia:  Fear of Friday the 13^th.

An obviously irrational concept that a mere number can bring bad luck to someone.  Or that a specific day of the week can be unlucky.  But that doesn't stop us from dwelling on the possibility.

Today is Saturday. This Friday is the dreaded Friday the 13^th.  The tradition of Friday being a day of bad luck dates back centuries with some of the more common theories linking it to significant events in the Bible believed to have taken place on Friday such as the Crucifixion of Christ, Eve offering Adam the apple in the Garden of Eden, the beginning of the great flood.

Many sources for the superstition surrounding the number thirteen and its association with bad luck also derive from Christianity with the Last Supper being cited as the origin.  Judas was the thirteenth person to be seated at the table.

And when you put the two bad luck symbols together you get Friday the 13^th—the day associated with misfortune.

One legend of the origin of Friday the 13^th as unlucky comes from the persecution of the Knights Templar. Philip IV of France borrowed enormous sums of money from the very wealthy Templars to finance a war with England. An ineffectual king and an even worse military commander, Philip was easily defeated. He saw a way of both currying favor with the Pope and eliminating his huge debt. On that fateful day of Friday, October 13, 1307, he ordered all Templars arrested and their property seized. Jacques DeMolay, the Grandmaster of the order, was thrown in prison along with several other high-ranking members of the order. The Knights Templar, which had dominated medieval life for two centuries, were no more. Unfortunately for Philip, the Templars had learned of his planned treachery beforehand. Many of them escaped and their vast stores of treasure were hidden from the King's soldiers. Jacques DeMolay was burned alive after being tortured when he refused to admit to any wrongdoing. Another legend that has also persisted is that Jacques DeMolay cursed both Philip IV and Pope Clement V, as he died. Philip and Clement died within months of DeMolay's death.

Superstition is a belief or notion not based on reason or knowledge.  An irrational belief.  Lots of superstitions came into being during the Dark Ages, a time when living conditions were so severe that people reached out to anything that might bring them help and solace with the results being explanations for what seemed unexplainable at the time.  Religious beliefs and lack of scientific knowledge helped to spawn many superstitions.

Superstitions differ from culture to culture, but we all have them even if it's only paying surface homage to the concept.  We don't believe in the good luck vs. bad luck of chain letters/chain e-mails/chain texts, yet it often comes down to saying what's the harm, then sending them on to avoid breaking the chain.

We often follow the tradition of the superstition without really knowing why it's the traditional thing to do.  If we blow out all the candles on our birthday cake with one breath while making a silent wish, then the wish will come true.  When expressing a desire for good luck (we'll be able to go on the picnic if it doesn't rain), we grin, then we knock on wood as we emit an embarrassed chuckle.

In Western folklore, many superstitions are associated with bad luck.  In addition to Friday the 13^th, there's walking under a ladder, having a black cat cross your path, spilling salt, stepping on a crack, and breaking a mirror among others.

In addition to cultural superstitions, there's also certain occupations that evoke various rituals to bring on good luck.  It seems to me that gamblers and sports figures have the most superstitions and rituals to insure good luck.

Do you have any superstitions that you hold dear?  Are they more of a traditional situation handed down through your family or are they superstitions that have come down through history?

And I'm sure there won't be any unpleasantries or bizarre accidents on Friday the 13^th this month. (knock on wood).