This article will focus on bringing some of the more interesting February holidays to life. These celebrations can be found on www.butlerwebs.com.

Did you know that February is National Bird Feeding Month? According to the National Bird Feeding Society, February was chosen because it’s one of the most difficult months for birds to survive in the wild.

Imagine if your child’s birthday party had a bird-feeding theme. Guests can make their own birdfeeders to take home and hang in their backyards. Luckily, making birdfeeders is incredibly easy and fun! Science for Families has a great birdfeeder craft using pinecones and peanut butter. It may turn out a little messy, but that’s part of what makes it so engaging.

Other birdfeeder projects—like this one from Parents Talk--call upon cutting up a large milk jug to form the bulk of the feeder, then decorating it with markers, construction paper, glitter, etc. The resulting party favor will not only be fun to make, but also become a memorable gift which can help the environment.

February is National Produce Month. To celebrate, see The Produce Bin. Their website tells us that February is National Cherry Month, National Grapefruit Month, and National Potato Lovers Month.

Are you stuck on what sort of birthday cake to serve? February 3rd is National Carrot Cake Day, and February 23rd is National Banana Bread Day. And if you’re stuck on appetizers, don’t forget that February 4th is National Stuffed Mushroom Day.

If you’re thinking about sweets, then the National Confectioners Association may give your some ideas. February 15th is National Gumdrop Day and February 19th is National Chocolate Mint Day.

If you’re still looking for something different to serve the kids, consider pancakes. Shrove Tuesday falls on February 28th this year (2006). In addition to Mardi Gras, this day is also known in many countries as Pancake Day. Chiff.com has a fine selection of pancake recipes as well as some history on the holiday, and why people eat pancakes to celebrate this day.

There are some offbeat holidays celebrated in February that can help decide on various games and activities. Holiday Insights shares some of these days, including Compliments Day (February 6th), Wave Your Fingers at Your Neighbors Day (February 7th), and Get a Different Name Day (February 13th). Get a Different Name Day may be fun to celebrate at a party. Have guests wear nametags with names of their own choosing, and encourage everyone to call the others by their new names. One can only imagine the confusion that Get a Different Name Day causes since it falls right before Valentine’s Day! I’m hoping everyone will be allowed to change his or her names back afterwards!

Finally, according to the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, February 19-26 is this year’s Random Acts of Kindness Week. Perhaps you could encourage guests to bring along a can of food or some clothes to donate to a local charity. Although we tend to play up the idea of giving to others less fortunate than us during the holiday season, that feeling of generosity is sometimes forgotten by the time the new year rolls around. It might be a good idea to make sure everyone is reminded of it all year around. The random acts of kindness don’t even have to be as big as donating to a charity. Some great ideas can be found on the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation website.

As you can see, February is filled with great reasons to celebrate. Let’s not forget the fact that Valentine’s Day and Mardi Gras also take place in February. Check back here for some ideas on these celebrations in the coming weeks. Until next time, have a great February, and Happy Potato Lovers Month!