The Squid Calendar

The Jewish holiday of Purim begins tonight at sunset and extents to tomorrow at nightfall.  Purim commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people in Persia from a plot to annihilate them. The story can be found in the Book of Esther.

Learn more about Purim: The Jewish Holiday of Purim Begins February 27, 2010 by lakeerieartists.

Also, take a look at ChapelHillFiddler’s Michel Nedjar and his Purim Puppets for a look at some interesting and artistic puppets.

Levi Strauss was born on February 26, 1829. Strauss founded the first company to manufacture blue jeans. (He was NOT the inventor of blue jeans).

The world loves its blue jeans, and so do I.

Levis Jeans: Some of the BEST Ads On TV by EuroSquid

Don’t let your old jeans go to waste:
Make Stuff with Jeans by Skeeeeeetz

February 21, 2010 is International Mother Language Day celebrating linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism. It is an annual day that was proclaimed by the UN in 1999, because “languages are the most powerful instruments of preserving and developing our tangible and intangible heritage”.

Raising Multilingual Children – Advantages & Disadvantages

Today is Clam Chowder Day. What a great dinner to warm you up on this chilly February day! Here are some Delicious Chowder Recipes from New England and Beyond by from southpaw23

February is Pet Dental Month! You brush your teeth, and don’t think for a minute your pets wouldn’t brush their – you know, if they had opposable thumbs. So help them out. Help them brush their teeth. Give them the chews/treats that will help them maintain good dental hygiene.

Here are some tips for Brushing your dogs teeth from JohannTheDog.

(Photo by coral11)

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. Lent, of course, being the forty days preceding Easter which is celebrated in the Christian faith as a time of prayer, preparation and self-denial.

Aaimeep invites you to join her for a Lenten journey at: Join me for Lent 2010 – in your own way!

Today is Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday.  It is the day before Lent begins (which is tomorrow, Ash Wednesday).  The day is marked with celebration, much like Carnival, before the more somber season of Lent.

Costumes, masks, coins, King Cakes, beads, purple, gold, green, …

Of course New Orleans comes to mind with its great festivities, but Mardi Gras is celebrated worldwide.

Mardi Gras Posters Gallery by TylaMac
Crafts for Kids – Mardi Gras Crafts by Pastiche

(Photo by redfilter25)

On February 15-16, 2010, the Westminster Dog Show is being held at Madison Square Garden. This year will be the 134th for this annual event, and over 150 breeds will appear for judging in hopes of being recognized by one of the largest and most prestigious shows in the world.

Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show by happynutritionist

It seems to me that Valentine’s Day very precisely divides the general population into four distinct groups:

Group 1 – The couples – happily enjoying this day of love.

Group 2 – The seekers – out at a singles bar, looking to become a member of group 1 by the end of the night, if only just for tonight.

Group 3 – The babysitters – caring for the children of group 1 in an effort to forget that they are not in group 1 and have given up being in group 2.

Group 4 – The wallowers – home alone or at work, denying the holiday exists or rationalizing it as a ploy by Hallmark and the candy makers.

Which group are YOU in?

The True Story of Valentine’s Day by unique_freak77

(Photo by robbie1 used under CC 2.0)

Happy Chinese New Year! 2010 is the Year of the Tiger.

Today begins the Chinese New Year celebration, which marks the change of the lunar year.

Learn more:
Chinese New Year by Jimmie