There are lots of fun idea to get your creative juices going in order to reach out to and have fun with people this month!!
Since February is National
Heart Month start an exercise program with your family or friends.
It’s American history and Black
history month. Re-enact some history with your children. Have them dress up in
costumes. Teach them some important lessons from the past. There are ideas for
a Soul Party (see below) and recipes for Soul Food.
Since it is Canned Food Month,
bring some canned food to a local food pantry or mission.
Make or buy some pies to give to neighbors or share with others.
Celebrate Chinese New Year on February 3. Go to a Chinese restaurant or take it out and bring some home. You could also make your own Chinese dinner. Recipes are in the recipe section.
Send a card to a friend on Friend Day, February 7 &/or make a new friend because it is international
Friendship Month.
On February 9, Hershey’s chocolate
was founded. Go somewhere and pass out Hershey’s chocolate bars or bring some
to give away at work or school.
Walk someone’s dog for them on February
22.
Of course, don’t forget February
17. It is Random Acts of Kindness Day.
MONTH LONG OBSERVANCES
February is:
American Heart Month
American History Month
Black History Month
International Friendship Month
National Cherry Month
National Embroidery Month
National Grapefruit Month
National Snack Food Month
National Wild Bird Feeding Month
Responsible Pet Owners’ Month
Creative Romance Month
Great American Pie Month
Canned Food Month
National Children's Dental Health Month
National Chocolate Lover’s Month
National Potato Lover’s Month
Return Shopping Carts to the Super Market Month
DAILY OBSERVANCES
February 1 :: National Freedom Day
National Dark Chocolate Day
National Baked Alaska Day
February 2 :: Groundhog Day
National Tater Tot Day
February 3 :: Elmo’s Birthday (Sesame Street Character)
National Carrot Day
February 4 :: Rosa Parks and Charles Lindbergh’s Birthday
Thank a
Mailman Day
National Homemade Soup Day
February 5 :: Hank Aaron’s Birthday
World Nutella Day
Super Bowl XLVI
February 6 :: Babe Ruth’s Birthday
Monopoly Game goes on sale in stores
National Chopsticks Day
February 7 :: Send a card to a Friend Day
Charles Dickens
& Laura Ingalls Wilder Birthday
National Fettuccine Alfredo Day
February 8 :: Boy Scouts’ Day
National Potato Lover's Day
February 9 :: Hershey’s Chocolate Founded
National Lox and Bagels Day
February 10 :: Umbrella Day
National Have a Brownie Day
February 11 :: National Inventor’s Day
White
T-Shirt Day
Make A Friend Day
National Peppermint Patty Day
February 12 :: Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday
National PB&J Day
February 13 :: National "Eat Italian Food" Day
February 14 :: Saint Valentine’s Day
National Organ Donor Day
National Cream-Filled Chocolate Day
February 15 :: National Flag Day in Canada
Single's Awareness Day
National Chewing Gum Day
February 16 :: National Almond Day
February 17 :: Random Acts of Kindness Day
National "Indian Pudding" Day
February 18 :: Pluto Discovered
February 19 :: Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood debuted
National
Chocolate Mint Day
February 20 :: John Glenn orbits the earth in 1962
Cherry
Pie Day
President's Day
February 21 :: Mardi Gras
Family Day in Canada
National "Biscuits & Gravy" Day
February 22 :: George Washington’s Birthday
Walking
the Dog Day
Be
Humble Day
Ash Wednesday
National "Cook A Sweet Potato" Day
National "Cherry Pie" Day
February 23 :: Tennis Day
Banana Bread Day
February 24 :: National "Tortilla Chip" Day
Flag
Day in Mexico
National "Trading Card" Day
February 26 :: Levi Strauss’ Birthday (wear jeans)
Tell a Fairy Tale Day
February 27 :: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's Birthday in 1807
Polar Bear Day
National "Chocolate Cake" Day
February 28 :: National "Chocolate Souffle" Day
February 29 :: Leap Year
Decorations:
•
You will need red, white, or pink ribbon, metal wire, and beads. Shape
a piece of metal into a heart. Tie the ribbon on. String the beads in a
pattern of your choice.
• Cut out red, pink, and white hearts of
different sizes. Tape, hang, and place them all over the house. Put
notes on them like you find on candy hearts – Be Mine; U R Sweet; I
Love You; U R 4 Me; I M 4 U; et cetera…
Games:
•
“Famous Couples Match Game” – Put the names of famous couples on a
sheet of paper. Put the men’s names on one side and the women’s names
on the other, but mix them up. Have a time limit. The person with the
most right answers wins. (Click here for sample.)
• Get a
large or life-sized picture of someone. Make lips for each player. Put
2-sided tape on the back of the lips. Blindfold each player and play
pin the lips on the picture. The person who gets closest to the lips
wins.
• Play “Name That Tune” using romantic love songs.
•
Break into groups. Have each group make up a love song to tunes most
everyone knows. It does not have to be a serious song. Each group
performs their song. You can vote to see whose song was best.
•
Break into teams. Pitch heart-shaped candy into a bowl from a
designated spot. The team or person with the most in the bowl wins.
• Play musical chairs to love songs.
•
Make or buy a Cupid’s bow and arrow. Make a heart-shaped bull’s eye.
See who gets the arrow closest to the center of the heart.
• Have people dress like famous couples.
Food:
• Make berry punch with vanilla ice cream. (Cranberry juice, 7-up, and vanilla ice cream)
• Make strawberry &/or raspberry smoothies
• Of course, red is the color for the day. Make red foods. There are so many to choose from. You can serve tomato sauce, salsa, tomato salad, beets, fresh or frozen strawberries and raspberries, watermelon, red velvet cake, red Jell-O, pomegranates, red potatoes, red apples….red food coloring can make what you like red.
• Make things in a heart shape – for example: cake, muffins, bread, meatloaf, eggs, potatoes, cookies, etc….
• Valentine's Cakes: Check out our Cake Clues in the Food section, along with many great cake recipes!
Since February is African-American history month, have a Soul Party! Celebrate the black culture. Serve soul food. (Look for recipes in our recipe section)
A
group of us got together a number of years ago and had a Soul Party. It
was so much fun – we all laughed most of the night! Our
African-American brothers and sisters brought the soul food. People
from the other races were our entertainment for the night. Someone
dressed up like Don Cornelius to be the moderator. The Supremes, Gladys
Knight and the Pips, Aretha Franklin, and M.C. Hammer with dancers
performed. Each performer lip synched to the music and did all of the
“moves.”
Games:
• Have a contest to see who can really sing and sound like some famous African-American singer.
• Play a trivia game concerning famous African-Americans. Click to see sample.
• You could have a contest to pick who makes the best sweet potato pie, macaroni and cheese, peach cobbler, or greens.
•
You must have card tables. Soul Parties love to play cards, dominoes,
and the badminton board game. The most preferred card game is SPADES.
• Pool is a favorite of some.
• Good food, good music, people dancing, and you got yourself a world class Soul Party!
Decorate:
• Decorate with pictures of famous African-Americans.
• Set up entertainment like we did.
• The best music is that of the 70’s and 80’s.
Food:
DeDe's Fried Catfish
Frappe, soul-style
Ruth's Cornbread Dressing
Macaroni and Cheese
Hot Watered Cornbread
Salmon Croquettes
Fried Green Tomatoes
Dressn'
Snookes
Tammi's Cornbread
Tammi's Cole Slaw
DeDe's Mac & Cheese
DeDe's Collard Greens
Lemonade
Old Fashioned Peach Cobbler
Grandma Vashti's Sweet Potato Pie
Diana's Mac & Cheese
Purim is one of the most joyous, fun holidays on the Jewish calendar. It commemorates
a time when the Jewish people living in Persia were saved from extermination.
The history of what occurred can be read in the bible book of Esther.
Traditionally the Jewish people re-enact the story with
their children. Anytime the wicked, Haman’s name is mentioned everyone boos,
hisses, stamps their feet or rattles noisemakers. It is customary to hold
carnival-like celebrations, perform plays and hold beauty pageants.
A cookie called, Hamentaschen is made. These are triangular
fruit-filled cookies, which are supposed to represent Haman’s three-cornered
hat.
Gifts of food, drink and donations to charity are encouraged
during this time.
So….have a little play. Boo the villain.
Make some cookies
and give to others. What a fun family activity!