James Baquet

    Here are some of the more lighthearted (but sometimes serious in intention) celebrations in February.

    First up is “National Wear Red Day,” held on the first Friday in February in the United States. It’s intended to call attention to the fact that heart disease — sometimes thought of as a “men’s ailment” — is the No. 1 killer of women in America.

    Two days later (usually, depending on what day of the week the month starts) on the first Sunday of the month is one of the biggest celebrations for sports fans: Super Bowl Sunday, when the championship teams from the National Football League’s two “conferences” (main divisions) play each other to determine the overall champions. Family and friends gather to eat and drink while watching the game on TV.

    Similar in the observance to “National Wear Red Day,” and equally as serious, is International Purple Hijab Day in remembrance of those who have experienced domestic violence. Held on the second Saturday of February, it is mainly observed by Muslim women, but others can join in by wearing any purple item of clothing on that day.

    Here’s some pure tomfoolery: The first week of February (Monday through Sunday) is Doppelganger Week. At this time, people are encouraged to change the profile pictures on their social media accounts to that of a famous person they look like. For example, since I’ve grown my beard out, people often say, “James, you look like Santa Claus!” So I would change my profile pics to look like Saint Nick.

    As in any month, there are plenty of food and drink days in the United States: National Tater Tot Day (Feb. 2) celebrating small, deep-fried balls of grated potatoes; National Pizza Day (Feb. 9); National I Want Butterscotch Day (Feb. 15) honoring a confection made of brown sugar and butter; National Margarita Day (Feb. 11) in honor of the popular Mexican cocktail; National Banana Bread Day (Feb. 23); and once every four years, on Feb. 29, National Frog Legs Day. Also, the first Saturday celebrates “Ice Cream for Breakfast,” and the first Monday is “National Frozen Yogurt Day.”

    Vocabulary:

    Which word above means:

    1. physical abuse against someone in the family

    2. made into very small pieces on a special kitchen tool

    3. mixed alcoholic drink

    4. illness, disease

    5. look-alike, unrelated “twin”

    6. fun

    7. websites used by friends, like WeChat

    8. head covering for Muslim women

    9. silly behavior

    10. candy