Dog Days

By the time this blog is finished and posted we will be in the month of August—the dog days of August. Ever wonder where that phrase came from, as I have?

As a child, I heard my mother, and other adults, speak of dog days. I never asked about it, but I gathered it had something to do with the heat, since it was most often during July and August, the hottest months of the year. But what did it have to do with dogs?

According to resources, the ancient Greeks originated the name dog days. They connected the hot, sticky days during July and August with the forty-day period when the dog star Sirius rises with the sun. This period begins early in July and ends mid-August. However, the rising of the dog star Sirius, scientists say, does not affect the weather, but the middle of the forty-day period is usually when the hot, sticky days occur. (We’ve definitely been experiencing those!)

So, now, we know. . . Our beloved canine pets have nothing to do with all this 90-degree weather we’ve had recently! And, we can be thankful. We have our air-conditioners, while the ancient Greeks had none. Makes you wonder what they did to keep cool!

Enjoy the remaining dog days of summer. And, if you’re curious, you might even try to spot the dog star Sirius, rising with the sun!

Grace and peace to you,

Mary Emma