Oh, February-How I Love You

February just might be one of my favorite months.  You may think it has something to do with Valentine's day, but you are wrong.  I'm not really a fan of Valentine's Day, actually.  Pink and purple hearts?  Yuck.  Frills and lace?  Yuck.  And I'm not the biggest fan of Valentine's Day candy.  Don't get me wrong, some of it is good.  I do appreciate the chocolate and the marshmallows covered in chocolate.  And I'll eat the Sweethearts if they're in front of me, but I never buy any for myself.  And boxes of chocolate always include a lot of fillings I don't like or dark chocolate.  Bleh.

There is something exciting about every month, but February is probably the most unique month for my family.  It brings me good memories of traditions that very few other people I know celebrate.

1. Pancake Day: Usually in February, though occasionally in March...it's the day before Lent begins, Shrove Tuesday.  Flour, sugar and eggs were often off limits during Lent, so families would use all of those ingredients to make pancakes (more like crepes) the day before Lent began.  Thank goodness my mother was born and raised in England.  We get extravagant crepes for dinner every Shrove Tuesday.

2. The Academy Awards: My family is awards show junkies.  We usually watch the Golden Globes and the SAGs, but we always watch the Academy Awards.  We make ballots, everyone puts a dollar in the pot and fills out a ballot of who they think will win.  Whoever gets the most awards correct on their ballot wins the pot.  The key?  You gotta do your research.

3. Beaver Mountain: Every year during the last weekend of February, my family takes a ski trip together.  Our whole neighborhood used to go, and it was a big deal.  It's less of a big deal to our neighborhood now, but our family still goes every year.  It's where I learned to ski, and it's the whole family together.  I know that resort like the back of my hand.  I've only missed one year in my entire life.  And their tots are amazing!!!  Napolean Dynamite should check them out.

4. Easter candy gets put on the shelf: St. Patrick's Day isn't known for it's candy, so what crazy items are the grocery stores going to sell after Valentine's Day passes?  That's right.  Easter candy.  Cadbury's Mini Eggs?  My. Heavens. I NEED them.  I usually stock up a little.  Buy bags in twos.  And then when Easter is over and they're gone, I get really sad.  :(  Usually a Facebook status update about the lack of Cadbury eggs follows, and my wonderful aunts in England send me some.  I could live on those things.  Not to mention the Peeps, the continuation of chocolate-covered marshmallows, Sweetarts in Easter shapes, etc.  Easter candy is the best!

And Feburary always has snow.  It's not too early in the season, and there's still time left before it really gets warm, so it hasn't melted yet.