We are in the middle of the calendar winter but we have already had both winter and spring
types of weather. There were even thunderstorms in some parts of Poland, which is quite unusual in this part of the year.
There are only a few holidays in Febryary but it is a month as crazy as this year’s weather. It brings us an opportunity to have a lot of fun during the end of carnival and a chance to show your love on the Valentine’s Day. On the other hand, the Lent begins and it is the time for us to think about our spiritual life.
Finally, this is also a leap-year so it means, that people who were borm on the 29th of February will celebrate their birthday.
On the 2nd of February we celebrate the Feast of Jesus Presentation at the Temple. It is celebrated 40 days after Christmas. It is a commemoration of the purification of the Virgin Mary and the presentation of Jesus at the Temple in Jerusalem. This is the day when we stop singing Christmas Carols and remove decorations connected with. We are getting ready for Easter time and the Lent. But before these, we have some opportunities to have fun and eat delicious things.
Beware new year’s resolutions! A horrible day for everybody on diet and those avoiding sweets is celebrated this month. And, believe me, it will be hard not to think about donuts, candies or biscuits because shops and media will remind about that day all the time. On the 4th of February we celebrate the Fat Thursday. It is the beginning of the last week of carnival and a good excuse to eat a lot.
To burn calories which were stored on thursday we have to to the disco on the 6th of the month. Why? Because it is the last Saturday of Carnival!
On the 10th of February we celebrate a very important holiday for Christians. It is the Ash Wednesday which is also the beginning of Lent. The following 40 days remind us about Jesus, who spent time praying on a desert. This period of the year gives us a chance to consider what is important or not. This is also the time of repentance and conversion. At churches priests put ash on our foreheads. Ash is the symbol of the fragility of life. It is important to forget for a while about what we have and concentrate on who we are.
If we think about the symbol of February it could be the Valentine’s day. This is the day which is loved by happy couples and corporations, and hated by those suffering from problems connected with love. However, its commercial aspect may put off even those who have partners.
Whatever one may think, this is a day devoted to love and friendship and it is good to put emphasis on those two beautiful values. Are there more important feelings in the world?
For sure, on Sunday we will be surrounded by hearts, red roses, teddy bears and sweets with writings ” I love you”. Couples won’t hestitate to show their emotions in the streets by kissing and hugging and TV will show romantic films and comedies. And we will spend time sending cards, letters and giving our beloved sweet gifts.
What are origins of this nice traditions? It is said that the day commemorates priest Valentine. During the times of Claudius II it was forbidden for soldiers to get married. The emperor needed warrioirs that’s why love was not to be accepted. But is it really possible to prohibit being together? Valentine helped young couples to get married and that’s why he was sentenced to death. While he was in prison he met a guard’s daughter. She tried to comfort him. Valentine was killed on the 14 of February 269 or 270. He was able to leave a card for the girl. It was in the shape of heart and it said ” From your Valentine”.
21st of February is the International Day of Native Languages. The language which we use is the symbol of our cultural heritage and identity. The day was estabilished in 1999 by UNESCO and it commemorates 5 students who died in Bangladesh during a demonstration. They wanted Bengali language to become the official one. It is the day when we pay attention to the fact that a lot of languages in the world are gradually disappearing and we should take care of the linguistic diversity.
As the native speaker of Polish I can say that I have this is pleasure to use one of the most difficult languages in the world. I love this complicated grammar, crazy spelling and pronunciation. Why don’t you try saying “Chrząszcz brzmi w trzcinie”, ” Szedł Sasza suchą szosą” or “Nielojalna Jola”.
It looks hard and it is much more challenging to read 🙂 Have fun!
Finally, it is a leap-year so we will have one day extra in Fabruary. Why does it happed? The Earth needs 356 days aand 6 hours to go around the Sun. These 6 hours give us an additional day every four years. Happy birthday to everybody born on the 29th of February!
So, spring is coming. Days are getting longer and warmer, the air smells differently. Let’s use this enery and make this month great!
