February, the second month of the modern year, gets its name from Frebrua which was another name of the goddess Juno. The Saxons called it Sprout Kale because it was the month in which cabbages start to sprout. Unless Easter is late, it is usually the month in which Lent starts and the first lambs of the year are born.
Feast of St Brigid and Candlemas Celebrations
February 1st is the feast day for St Brigid of Kildare, Ireland who was said to be a disciple of St Patrick. Hold a St Brigid day dinner party celebrating all that is Irish. Get guests to dress in green, drink Guinness or Whiskey and eat Irish Stew or braise a ham in Guinness and finish with a dessert made using apples.
February 2nd is Candlemas day when a church’s candle stock is blessed. It also celebrates the old Jewish custom of purification where a woman was considered unclean for 40 days after giving birth to a baby boy as it is the 40th day after Christmas. Celebrate it by hosting a candle party (by candlelight of course!) for friends and work colleagues.
Host a Little House on the Prairie Party
February 7th is the birthday of Laura Ingalls Wilder, the writer of The Little House on the Prairie series of books which has been loved by young and old over many years so it’s an ideal excuse to hold a retro Midwest prairie party. This would be a particularly ideal day for a children’s party – but adults can have fun too.
For the kids, get them to dress in bonnets and long skirts, or caps and long shorts for the boys and give them a list of words to learn and hold a spelling bee, serving maple candy and Johnny cakes with cornbread on the side. Other child focussed activities could be stringing beads and buttons on a thread to make necklaces and making rag rugs and dolls as well as reading the books.
For an adult party, send the children to bed and indulge in hamburgers (one claim for its invention is that it was first made in Wisconsin in 1885 by flattening a meatball and putting it in between slices of bread) and serve with a salad to try and give it a healthy balance. Wash it down with wines from the Midwest.
Throw an Egyptian Party in February
Commemorate the opening of the sealed chamber of the tomb of King Tutankhamen by Howard Carter on February 16th 1923 by hosting an Egyptian themed party. Invite guests to dress up as Pharaohs and their wives. Serve kebabs and kofkas along with stuffed green peppers or a mezze. Wash it down with zibib, the Egyptian form of aniseed liqueur, or a light lager. For non-drinkers, serve coffee and fruit juices.
Sources:
- The Saturday Magazine, 1833
- The Times Digital Archive
- Tour Egypt Website
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