Author: Lisa Mungovan

Get your smiles ready, because it’s Random Acts Of Kindness Day. Give someone a flower or a compliment, or help out around the house without being asked. Write a nice note to a friend, or hold the door open for a stranger. It’s so easy to be kind. Let’s just do it every day!

You can call today Shrove Tuesday, Carnival, Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday. The day before Ash Wednesday, the start of a Christian period of fasting called Lent, is a good excuse for parties and overindulgence. Huge parades and celebrations, occur in New Orleans, Rio de Janeiro, Venice, Nice France, or Goa India.

Xīn nián kuài lè! That means “Happy new year” in Chinese. The Chinese Lunar New Year starts today, and it’s the Year of the Horse. The Spring Festival begins 15 days of parties, fireworks, feasts and parades. It’s traditional to wear red and avoid sweeping. You’d sweep out good luck that the new year brought!

Today is Innovation Day, so make an effort to do something inventive. Create an interesting recipe, figure out a new way to do something, or just rearrange the furniture. You’ll have a new and improved bedroom! It’s also Almond Day. What innovative ways can you think of, to eat this delicious nut?

Do you know someone that’s always kind of grumpy? Do something nice for them, because it’s Do A Grouch A Favor Day. Maybe it’ll make them less grouchy! It’s also Tim Tam Day. The biscuits covered in chocolate are a favorite in Australia, but the rest of us might have to buy them online.

In the United States, today is Presidents Day. It honors the first president, George Washington, and the 16th president, Abraham Lincoln. They were both born in February, so their birthdays are celebrated right between the 2. Is your birthday in February? If you become president, we’ll celebrate you on Presidents Day also.

Have you been watching the Winter Olympics? More than 3,500 athletes from 95 countries are competing for 195 medals, in events like skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, hockey, curling, bobsleighing, and luging. Which sports are your favorites? Every athlete has trained for years to reach the top, so cheer them all on!

Eagles all over North America are busy fixing their nests, and starting to lay eggs. Eagle pairs add to the same nest year after year, building them up to 8 feet deep and 9 feet wide! Online sites like outdoorchannel.com, have eaglecams so you can watch eggs hatch, and parents feed their growing eaglets.

Hippo Happy Day. I mean, Happy Hippo Day! Did you know, hippopotamuses give pink milk? Another crazy fact is, they can’t swim! They just walk underwater. They might look slow and harmless, but be careful; they kill around 3000 people a year. Also, they fling poop with their tails, to mark their territory!

Happy World Whale Day! Whales are mammals that live in the ocean. They range in size from the 8-foot dwarf sperm whale, to the 98-foot blue whale, the largest creature that ever lived! Whales are endangered, after some species were nearly hunted to extinction. Whale songs can travel thousands of miles through the water!