Greatest Year Ever: February

This is the second of 12 posts on how to have the Greatest Year Ever. Everything listed here is from research that I have done. The sources are listed at the bottom.

Facts:

• Number of Days: 28 (leap years have 29)
• Birthstone: amethyst
• Flower: Viola (violet) and primula vulgaris (common primrose).
• Season: 3nd month of winter in the Northern Hemisphere, 3nd month of summer in the Southern Hemisphere
• Name: from the Latin term "februum" meaning purification.
  

Famous February events:

• February 2, 1943: The last German troops surrendered in Stalingrad to the Russians.
• February 3, 1913: The United States ratified the 16th amendment to the American constitution to start income tax.
• February 6, 1899: The treaty to end the Spanish-American war was passed in the United States Senate.
• February 6, 1952: George VI of Great Britain passed away and his daughter became Queen Elizabeth II.
• February 8, 1587: Mary, Queen of Scots, was executed.
• February 10, 1763: The Treaty of Paris ended the Seven Years War with the French surrendering to the British in Canada.
  
• February 11, 1942: Battle of Bukit Timah in Singapore.
• February 20, 1962: John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth.
• February 26, 1815: Napoleon escaped from Elba.
  

Housecleaning:

• Clean the entryway up from all of the winter rocks, water and mud that comes into the house. 
• Clean the salt off of the shoes to keep them in good order.
• Vaccuum the car from all of the rocks, silt and snow that gets in there. 
• Time to put the car through the car wash! It's probably coated in a thick white silt from the road.

Fruits and Vegetables in Season:

• Oranges and clementines (from warmer climates)
• Beets*
• Turnip*
• Potatoes*
• Cabbage*
• Apples*
• Sweet Potatoes*
• Squash*
• Parsnips*
• Onions*
• Mushrooms*
• Lettuce*
• Leeks*
• Garlic*
• Cucumber*
• Carrots*

* (from harvest or hot house)

February recipes:

• Stews like chicken fricot, beef stew or a pork stew
• Any roasted vegetables like roasted beets, carrots or cauliflower
• Any roasted meats: beef, pork, chicken, etc.
• Light salads using lettuce, field greens or spinach to accompany those roasts
• Vegetable soups like borscht, pasta e fagioli, chicken noodle soup, or pureed vegetable soups like squash, potato or carrot
• Any recipe that uses a slow cooker
• Chocolate truffles
• Chicken mole
• Chili

Holidays:

• Black History Month.
• February 2: Groundhog Day (United States and Canada).
• February 14: Valentine's Day.
• February 29 (if applicable): Leap Year.

Sports and activities to enjoy:

• Hockey
• Skiing
• Skating
• Tobogganing / sledding / coasting
• Snowball fights - with caution
• Making snow angels
• Making snowmen (snow women, children and animals too)
• Snowshoeing
• Snowboarding

February is a great month to:

• Sit in front of the fireplace with loved ones. 
• Try new restaurants for Valentine's Day.
• Buy chocolate, even if you don't eat it for Valentine's Day. It's all on sale this time of year so you'll get an excellent deal and you could probably freeze it. 
• Spend a weekend at a winter hotel, that is, one known for being a winter destination like Québec City or the Ice Hotel.
• Throw a Super Bowl party. This year is the 46th Super Bowl on February 5, 2012.
• Have your yearly physical. It's long enough after the Christmas holidays that your body has adjusted back to normal.
• Have an Oscars party and watch the show live. You can even create ballots before the event and put a prize on the person who wins the most predictions. Serve cocktails and appetizers and dress up like movie stars.
• Start a new exercise routine or get back into your existing one. January is a month of adjustment after the holidays so by the time February comes around you are usually itching to get started.

Things we all hate about February:

• It's still Winter. The roads are icy, it snows and the salt gets on our shoes. Plus this is usually the month that we have the coldest temperatures ever. 
• Valentine's Day - for those who are single it's like a smack in the face. 

Sources:

• Barbara's Entourages, "February Facts and Events," (c) 1998-2006 <http://www.entourages.com/barbs/february.htm> (visited 14 February 2012).
• Foodland Ontario, "Availability Guide," (c) 2010 <http://www.foodland.gov.on.ca/english/availability.html> (visited 2 January 2012).
• Wikipedia, "February," (c) 11 December 2011 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/February> (visited 12 December 2011).
• Also, Wikipedia in general. I really referred to it a lot.