Author: Lisa Mungovan

Poor little Pluto. It used to be one of the 9 planets in our solar system, until it got down-graded, because it can’t clear it’s neighborhood. It’s now classified as a dwarf planet, along with Ceres, Makemake, Haumea, and Eris. But at least Pluto gets its own day to celebrate. Happy Pluto Day!

Humans are on a short list of species, with opposable thumbs. Having a thumb that can touch the fingertips of the same hand, makes it easy to grip objects. Apes, chameleons, pandas, koalas, and possums, are some of the other animals with opposable thumbs. Today is Thumb Appreciation Day, so tell your thumbs thanks!

If you see someone with a dirt smudge on their forehead today, it’s probably not because they’re messy. Today is Ash Wednesday, the start of the Christian period of fasting before Easter, called Lent. Some people wear ashes as a sign of repentance. You still have to wash your face!

Today is Eat Ice Cream For Breakfast Day. Eating ice cream or other frozen foods in the morning, can have an awakening effect on the brain. A study found people were quicker and more alert, and less irritable, starting the day with an icy blast in their mouth. Maybe ice cream, should replace cereal!

One downside of electric vehicles, is that the batteries wear out. A company in California, is giving those batteries new life, by using them to store excess solar and wind energy. When the sun’s not shining, and the wind stops blowing, the batteries supply renewable energy back to the power grid.

Today is Cabbage Day. It’s a good day to try cabbage soup, fried cabbage, or coleslaw. Think about growing cabbage in your garden. You can start the seedlings inside, and plant after the last frost. Maybe your cabbage will beat the world record, held by Alaska’s Scott Robb. His green cabbage weighed 138 pounds!

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?