Here is the list of February’s holidays, observances, food themes, awareness days , historic figures, composers and authors birthdays, science and historic based anniversaries, and more! Whether you’re looking for something special to study, trivia, a day to celebrate, or a food to add to the menu, this listing of special days gives you plenty to choose from.
Resources for teaching throughout the month, including a PDF of February’s Special Days, can be found at the end of this list.
February Awareness and Observation Themes
- African American History
- American History
- Bird Feeding
- Black History
- Boost Self Esteem
- Dental Health
- Dog Training/Education
- Expect Success
- Friendship
- Heart
- Haiku Writing
- Hoof Care
- Humpback Whale Awareness
- Laugh Friendly
- Library Lovers
- Love the Bus
- Low Vision
- Mend a Broken Heart
- Plant Seeds of Greatness
- Pull Your Sofa Off the Wall
- Responsible Pet Owner
- Spunky Old Broads Month
- Time Management
- Youth Leadership
February Food Themes
- Avocado
- Bake for Family Fun
- Banana
- Beans
- Berry Fresh
- Canned Food
- Celebration of Chocolate
- Cherry
- Chocolate Lovers
- Exotic Vegetables
- Great Pies
- Hot Breakfast
- Grapefruit
- Potato Lover’s
- Snack Food
- Star Fruit
- Strawberries
- Sweet Potato
Special Days Not Falling on the Same Date Each
Year
Blame Someone Else Day (1st Fri.)
Bubble Gum Day (1st Fri.)
Extraterrestrial Culture Day (2nd Thurs.)
Jello Week (2nd full week)
Clean Out Your Computer Day (2nd Mon.)
Family Day (2nd Mon.)
Oatmeal Day (2nd Mon.)
International Friendship Week (last full
week)
Brotherhood/Sisterhood Week (3rd Mon.)
Presidents’ Day (3rd Mon.)
World Whale Day (3rd Sat)
Pangolin Day (3rd Sat)
Inconvenience Yourself Day (4th Wed.)
Chili Day (last Thurs.)
French Fry Friday (4th Fri.)
Sword Swallowers Day (last Sat.)
February Special Days with Dates That Vary
Super Bowl
Chinese New Year
Engineers’ Week (sometimes March)
Great Backyard Bird Count
Homes for Birds Week
Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day
Academy Awards
Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras (sometimes
March)
Pancake Day (sometimes March)
Lent (sometimes March)
Daytona 500
Whooping Crane Festival
Justice for Animals Week
Invasive Species Awareness Week
February’s Special Days with Set Dates
Feb. 1
- Be an Encourager Day
- Bureau of Forestry created 1905 (US)
- Children’s Authors and Illustrators Week begins
- G.I. Joe Day
- Hula in the Coola Day
- Imbolc
- National Freedom Day
- Oxford English Dictionary published 1884
- Serpent Day
- 1st Single rpm Record released 1949
- Reader’s Digest 1st published 1922
- Robinson Crusoe Day
- Spunky Old Broads Day
- 1st US Supreme Court 1790
Feb. 2
- Candlemas
- Green Week begins
- Groundhog Day
- Hedgehog Day
- Kiwi Day
- Marmot Day
- Sled Dog Day
- World Wetlands Day
Feb.3
- Bean Toss Day/Risshun
- Carrot Cake Day
- The Communist Party of Vietnam established 1930
- The Day the Music Died (Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J.P. Richardson and their pilot died in an aviation accident 1959)
- Feed the Birds Day
- Artist Norman Rockwell born 1894
Feb. 4
- Apache Wars begin 1861
- Artist Appreciation Day
- Create a Vacuum Day
- Homemade Soup Day
- Income Tax established 1913 (US)
- Aviator Charles Lindbergh born 1902
- Civil Rights Activist Rosa Parks born 1913
- Sri Lanka Independence Day 1948
- Stuffed Mushroom Day
- Take Your Child to the Library Day
- Thank a Mailman Day
- USO Day
- Weatherman’s Day
- World Cancer Day
Feb. 5
- Baseball’s Hank Aaron born 1934
- Chocolate Fondue Day
- Loop-the-Loop Centrifugal Railway patented 1901
- Theologian Dwight L. Moody born 1837
- Nutella Day
- Robert Peel born 1788
- Weatherman’s Day
- Western Monarch Day
- Wildlife Federation founded 1936 (US)
Feb. 6
- Chopsticks Day
- Baseball’s Babe Ruth (George Herman) born 1895
- Digital Learning Day
- Frozen Yogurt Day
- Massachusetts Statehood 1788
- Monopoly Game introduced 1935
- Pay a Compliment Day
- President Ronald Reagan born 1911
- Sami National Day
- Waitangi Day (New Zealand)
Feb. 7
- Author Charles Dickens born 1812
- Fettuccine Alfredo Day
- Grenada Independence Day 1974
- Risk Awareness Week begins
- Safer Internet Day
- Send a Card to a Friend Day
- 1st Unattached Spacewalk 1984
- Wave All Your Fingers at Your Neighbor Day
- Author Laura Ingalls Wilder born 1867
Feb. 8
- Bake Pizza Week begins
- Boy Scouts (US) founded 1910
- Celebration of Love Week begins
- Hershey Chocolate Founded 1894
- Kite Flying Day
- Laugh and Get Rich Day
- Opera Day
- Propose Day
- Author Jules Verne born 1828
Feb. 9
- Bagels and Lox Day
- Happy Chocolate Day
- President William Harrison born 1773
- Pizza Pie Day
- Random Acts of Kindness Week begins
- Read in the Bathtub Day
- Stop Bullying Day
- Toothache Day
Feb. 10
- French and Indian War Ends 1763
- Reformer Samuel Plimsoll born 1824
- Umbrella Day
Feb. 11
- Be Electrific Day
- Don’t Cry Over Spilled Milk Day
- Inventor Thomas Edison born 1847
- Inventor’s Day
- Iran National Day
- Make a Friend Day
- Nelson Mandela released 1990
- Peppermint Patty Day
- Shut-in Visitation Day
- White Shirt Day
Feb. 12
- Paul Bunyan Day
- Scientist Charles Darwin born 1809
- President Abraham Lincoln born 1809
- Lost Penny Day
- Plum Pudding Day
- Safety Pup Day
Feb. 13
- Get a Different Name Day
- Lupercalia
- Pancake Day
- 1st Public School opened 1635 (US)
- Radio Day
- Stamp Collectors Day
- Tortellini Day
- Artist Grant Wood born 1892
- World Radio Day
Feb. 14
- Arizona Statehood 1912
- Comedian Jack Benny born 1894
- Creme Filled Chocolates Day
- Frederick Douglass Day
- Ferris Wheel Day (Inventor George Ferris born 1859)
- Have a Heart Day
- League of Women Voters Day
- Library Lovers Day
- Oregon Statehood 1859
- Nest Box Week
- Race Relations Day
- Quirkyalone Day
- Valentine’s Day
Feb. 15
- Susan B Anthony born 1820
- Author Norman Birdwell born 1928
- Decimal Day
- Flag Day – Canada
- Scientist Galileo Galilei born 1564
- Gum Drop Day
- Hippo Day
- Singles Awareness Day
- Total Defense Day (Singapore)
Feb. 16
- Almond Day
- Do a Grouch a Favor Day
- Lithuania Independence Reinstate 1918
- Nylon introduced 1937
- Read Aloud Day
- King Tutankhamen’s Tomb opened 1923
Feb. 17
- Human Spirit Day
- Athlete Michael Jordan born 1963
- My Way Day
- Newsweek Magazine 1st Published 1933
- Random Acts of Kindness Day
- World Cabbage Day
Feb. 18
- Battery Day (Inventor Volta born 1745)
- Hernando Cortes sets sail for Mexico 1519
- Gambia Independence Day 1965
- Kid Inventors Day
- Queen Mary I born 1516
- Pluto discovered 1930
Feb. 19
- Scientist Nicolaus Copernicus born 1473
- Chocolate Mint Day
- Iwo Jima Day (battle began 1945)
- Phonograph patented 1878
- Temporary Insanity Day
Feb. 20
- Photographer Ansel Adams born 1902
- Cherry Pie
- Hoodie Hoo Day (Northern Hemisphere)
- Love Your Pet Day
- Social Justice Day
- Student Volunteer Day
- Toothpick patented 1872 Women in Blue Jeans Day
Feb. 21
- Card Reading Day
- The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx first published 1848
- Confederate Constitution 1862
- Entrepreneurship Week begins
- Mother Language Day
- Polaroid Camera 1st demonstrated 1947
- Single Taking Day
- Sticky Bun Day
- Washington Monument dedicated 1885
Feb. 22
- Be Humble Day
- Cook a Sweet Potato Day
- Future Farmers of America Week begins
- Wildlife Expert Steve Irwin born 1962
- Saint Lucia Independence Day 1979
- Walking the Dog Day
- President George Washington born 1732
- World Thinking Day
Feb. 23
- Banana Bread Day
- Curling is Cool Day
- Diesel Engine Day
- Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day
- Dolly the Sheep Cloned 1997
- Composer George Frideric Handel born 1685
- Writer Samuel Pepys born 1633
- Play Tennis Day
- Polio Vaccine 1st used 1954
Feb. 24
- Missionary Gladys Aylward born 1902
- Dia de la Bandera (Mexico)
- Flying Scotsman begins service 1923
- Gregorian Calendar introduced 1582
- Author Wilhelm Grimm born 1786
- Artist Winslow Homer born 1836
- Mexican Independence 1821
- Tortilla Chip Day
Feb. 25
- 1st Anderson Shelter 1939
- Chocolate Covered Peanuts Day
- Clam Chowder Day
- Let’s All Eat Right Day
- Paper Currency introduced (US) 1862
- Peace Corp Week begins
- Pistol Patented 1836 (Samuel Colt)
- 1st Power Driven Vacuum Cleaner introduced 1902
- Artist Pierre Auguste Renoir born 1841
Feb. 26
- Buffalo Bill born 1846
- Carnival Day
- Communist Manifesto published 1848
- Grand Canyon National Park established 1919
- 1st Grand National Steeplechase 1839
- Author Victor Hugo born 1802
- For Pete’s Sake Day
- Pistachio Day
- Levi Strauss born 1829
- Tell a Fairy Tale Day
Feb. 27
- Dominican Republic Independence Day 1844
- Author Henry Wadsworth-Longfellow born 1807
- Polar Bear Day
- No Brainer Day
- Author John Steinbeck born 1902
- Strawberry Day
- Texas Cowboy Poetry Week begins
- World NGO Day
Feb. 28
- Chocolate Souffle Day
- DNA discovered 1953
- Floral Design Day
- Scientist Linus Pauling born 1901
- Public Sleeping Day
- Rare Disease Day
- Smokey the Bear introduced 1944
- Tooth Fairy Day
Free Printable – Special Days in February
Here’s my favorite resources for help with teaching special days each month https://stilllearningsomethingnew.com/2016/07/31/learning-resources-for-special-days/
How I use Special Days lists in our homeschool blog series :
Special Days and the Evolution of Morning Calendar Time
Special Days Archive – Direct links to the most recent Special Days and Resource lists for each month
I make my monthly special days calendars by using several sources including old calendars, holiday books, newspapers, and the web. These are the best sites for finding special days resources online.
http://food.unl.edu/fnh/february
https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/2018/02/
http://www.apples4theteacher.com/
http://www.holidayinsights.com/
http://www.projectbritain.com/calendar/
http://aglobalworld.com/international-independence-days/country-independence-day.php
If you know of a special day that I do not have listed, please comment and let me know what it is so I can add it to the list.
Happy February!
betty jo
Still Learning Something New 