| How to Celebrate Groundhog Day Posted: 02 Feb 2020 12:00 AM PST Every February 2nd, the United States and Canada celebrate Groundhog Day to check up on Punxsutawney Phil and see whether he saw his shadow this year. Supposedly, if the Pennsylvanian groundhog sees his shadow, North America can expect six more weeks of winter. If he doesn't, spring is just around the corner. Learn how to observe Groundhog Day traditions, where to find Groundhog Day celebrations, and what to do if you want to host a Groundhog Day party. [Edit]Observing the Day - Read up on Groundhog Day history. Whether you research alone or with friends, learn about the origins of Groundhog Day. In medieval German culture, people believed that hedgehogs could predict winter if it saw its shadow. When some Germans immigrated to Pennsylvania, they brought this tradition with them but switched to groundhogs. The first recognized Groundhog Day celebration was February 2, 1887, when the town of Punxsutawney dubbed their groundhog Phil America's weather-forecasting animal.[1]
- Groundhog Day history can be intriguing, once you study it. For example: did you know that during the Prohibition, Punxsutawney Phil supposedly threatened to impose 60 weeks of winter if he didn't get a drink?[2]
- Watch Punxsutawney Phil emerge from his burrow on TV. At daybreak in Punxsutawney, reporters gather around the groundhog's den to watch him emerge from his burrow. Get up early in the morning to watch this momentous event on TV. Be prepared for a long winter if he sees his shadow!
- Call or email your local station if you're not sure what channel is broadcasting the event.
- If you live in the eastern US coast, you can travel to Punxsutawney to watch Phil in-person at his burrow in Gobber's Knob.[3]
- Go on a nature walk. If groundhogs are native to your environment, go on a hike or trail walk and look for groundhogs (also known as woodchucks).[4] Go with a group and make a game out of who can spot the most groundhogs. If you can't see any, enjoy the fresh air and see if there really will be six more weeks of winter.
- Visit your local zoo if groundhogs aren't native to your area. Call ahead to ask if your zoo has a groundhog exhibit.
- Play with shadow puppets. To celebrate the importance of Punxsutawney Phil's shadow, make your own shadow puppets out of paper. Outline your shadow puppet on a piece of paper, then cut it out and attach it to a popsicle stick. After you've created your puppets, put on a puppet show.
- You could even make a puppet show about the true meaning of Groundhog Day.
[Edit]Joining Celebrations - Ask your teacher if you can celebrate Groundhog Day in class. If you're still in secondary school, let your teacher know Groundhog Day is coming a few days in advance. Let them know how much you enjoy Groundhog Day, and ask them if you can learn about Groundhog Day as a class. Your teacher might even plan some fun Groundhog Day festivities, like making Groundhog Day crafts or watching Punxsutawney Phil on TV together.
- If you'd like, ask your teacher if you could bring a Groundhog Day-themed treat, like groundhog-shaped cookies or Groundhog Day cupcakes.[5]
- Look for local festivities happening in your city. Some cities in North America have their own Groundhog Day celebrations. Depending on the town, they might have a parade, town festival, or live animal shows celebrating Groundhog Day. Contact your city government to find out about Groundhog Day festivities for times and locations.
- All is not lost if your city doesn't celebrate Groundhog Day. Celebrate it with your loved ones or visit a city that has special events.
- Check out a groundhog lodge festival. Groundhog lodges are clubs in Pennsylvania that preserve German immigrant culture. Dozens of groundhog lodges across the state celebrate Groundhog Day with food, games, speech, and songs. Look for a lodge closest to you, and join in on their celebrations.[6]
- Because groundhog lodges seek to preserve the dying Pennsylvania German dialect, speeches will often be given in this language.[7]
- Visit Punxsutawney's annual celebration. Besides watching Phil leave his burrow, Punxsutawney also hosts an entire weekend of festivities. In the morning, town citizens gather for an annual breakfast. A celebration tent in the center of town hosts fun activities, like a cornhole tournament and top hat decorating contest. Then, in the evening, you can join the Groundhog Ball at the local country club.[8]
- In the off-season, Punxsutawney also hosts a wine festival where Punxsutawney Phil makes a special appearance.[9]
[Edit]Hosting a Party - Decorate your house in a forest theme. To set the mood for your party, make your home look like the Punxsutawney forest. Cut out pine trees from butcher paper and hang them up on the wall. Use flowers or pinecones as a table centerpiece. You could even have your party outdoors to really set the mood.
- Alternatively, you could separate a room into winter and spring decorations to represent Punxsutawney Phil's big moment.[10]
- Ask guests to come dressed in costume. Your guests don't necessarily have to come dressed up as groundhogs. Instead, ask them to come dressed as their favorite woodland animal. If your guests are not as passionate about groundhogs, they could come as a deer, bear, fox, wolf, or owl.
- Watch the 1993 film Groundhog Day. Bill Murray's Groundhog Day features a weatherman who must experience the same day over and over until he learns a valuable lesson. Since Groundhog Day thrust the holiday into popular culture, there's no better movie to show at your party. Snuggle up with your friends and a bowl of popcorn, and have a good laugh together.[11]
- If you do not want to watch Groundhog Day, you could watch a nature documentary on groundhogs instead.
- Create your own groundhog masks. For a fun party craft, make groundhog masks out of cardstock. Draw your outline on the cardstock, then cut it out with a sharp pair of scissors. Color your mask with markers, paints, or crayons, then attach ribbon to the sides. You and your guests can now celebrate Groundhog Day in style.[12]
- As an alternative, you could make animal masks to complement your guests' costumes.
- Bake Groundhog Day treats. No party is complete without treats. You could make traditional Groundhog Day cookies (popularized on the official Punxsutawney website), or you could make a festive cake.[13] Because groundhogs eat vegetation, you could also leave out a veggie tray or fruit bowl.
- Groundhogs are also known as whistling pigs, woodchucks, and thickwood badger. Its scientific name is marmota monax.
- Celebrating Groundhog Day is most fun with kids. Help your children or younger siblings with fun activities and teach them about the Groundhog Day tradition.
- If you want to visit Punxsutawney, you will need to make travel reservations in advance.
- Wear a light jacket if you go on a nature walk or watch Punxsutawney Phil outdoors. You don't want to catch a cold from the chilly winter weather if Phil does see his shadow this year!
[Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Make Lemongrass Spray Posted: 01 Feb 2020 04:00 PM PST Lemongrass essential oil is a popular scent for homemade sprays. Its grassy, citrusy flavor combines well with other essential oils, making it effective for insect repellent or room spray. Shake the lemongrass essential oil with other insect-repelling oils before going out in mosquito-infested areas. You can also make a room spray with refreshing lemongrass, spearmint, grapefruit, and rosemary essential oils. Spritz it in the air on or linen to neutralize odors. [Edit]Ingredients [Edit]Insect Repellant with Lemongrass - 20 drops of lavender essential oil
- 20 drops of tea tree essential oil
- 20 drops of citronella essential oil
- 15 drops of lemongrass essential oil
- 5 drops of geranium essential oil
- of neem oil
- of vodka or denatured alcohol
- of distilled water
Makes a bottle of spray [Edit]Lemongrass Room or Linen Spray - of witch hazel
- of distilled water
- 5 drops of lemongrass essential oil
- 10 drops of spearmint essential oil
- 10 drops of grapefruit essential oil
- 5 drops of rosemary essential oil
Makes a bottle of spray [Edit]Making Insect Repellant with Lemongrass - Pour neem oil, vodka, and distilled water into a bottle. Set a small funnel on a spray bottle and pour in of neem oil. Add of vodka or denatured alcohol and of distilled water.[1]
- It's important to use distilled water instead of tap water to prevent the spray from spoiling.
- If you don't like the strong scent of neem oil, you can leave it out. However, if you're specifically trying to repel mosquitos, consider adding it.
- Add lemongrass, lavender, tea tree, citronella, and geranium essential oils. Citronella and tea tree essential oils may have strong scents, but they're great at keeping insects away. Pair them with lemongrass, lavender, and geranium essential oils, which smell wonderful and can repel flies, mosquitos, and fleas. Put these oils into your bottle:[2]
- 20 drops of lavender essential oil
- 20 drops of tea tree essential oil
- 20 drops of citronella essential oil
- 15 drops of lemongrass essential oil
- 5 drops of geranium essential oil
- Screw the lid on the bottle and shake the spray for 10 seconds. Put the lid on the bottle and screw it on tightly so the bottle is completely sealed. Shake the spray for at least 10 seconds to help the oils combine with the vodka and water.[3]
- Spray the repellent before each use since the oils will separate as the spray is stored.
- Spray the lemongrass mixture on your skin before going outside. If you know you'll be going outside in insect or mosquito-infested areas, spritz your skin thoroughly. You might need to reapply the repellent if you'll be outside all day.[4]
- Store the repellent at room temperature for up to 3 years. Although you could keep using the spray, the oils will become less effective the longer they're stored.
[Edit]Mixing Lemongrass Room or Linen Spray - Pour witch hazel and distilled water into a spray bottle. Set a small funnel on your bottle and slowly pour in of witch hazel along with of distilled water.[5]
- If you don't have witch hazel, use vodka. Either of these help release the essential oils when you use the spray.
- Add lemongrass, spearmint, grapefruit, and rosemary essential oils. Put all of your essential oils into the small bottle. If you'd like to make an all-lemongrass spray, use only 30 drops of lemongrass essential oil. For a refreshing lemongrass room spray, add all of these to your bottle:[6]
- 5 drops of lemongrass essential oil
- 10 drops of spearmint essential oil
- 10 drops of grapefruit essential oil
- 5 drops of rosemary essential oil
- Close the bottle and shake the mixture for 10 seconds. Put the screw cap tightly on the bottle so the bottle is completely sealed. Then, shake the bottle to combine the witch hazel, water, and essential oils.[7]
- Shake the bottle before each use since the oils and water will separate a little.
- Spritz the lemongrass spray around your home or on linen. To remove unpleasant smells or to just make your room smell better, spray the mixture around the room. Keep spraying until you can smell the lemongrass. If you're ironing linen, spray the surface of the fabric with the mixture until it's wet. Then, iron the linen to remove wrinkles.[8]
- You can also spray your pillow or sheets before bed to enjoy a calming scent as you fall asleep.
- Use the lemongrass spray within 3 years. Store the spray at room temperature and shake it gently before using it. Since the essential oils will become rancid over time, discard the spray after 3 years or if it develops an unpleasant odor.[9]
- Try combining lemongrass essential oil with your favorite essential oil for a completely unique spray.
- Use a dark brown bottle to store your lemongrass spray. The dark glass prevents light from reaching the essential oils and degrading them.
[Edit]Warnings - Avoid using essential oil products around young children, because their skin and respiratory systems are more sensitive to them.[10]
[Edit]Things You'll Need [Edit]Making Insect Repellant with Lemongrass - Measuring spoons
- Small funnel
- spray bottle
[Edit]Mixing Lemongrass Room or Linen Spray - Measuring spoons
- Small funnel
- spray bottle
[Edit]References |
| How to Enjoy the Super Bowl when You're Not a Football Fan Posted: 01 Feb 2020 08:00 AM PST The Super Bowl, played between the top two NFL teams in the U.S., is held every February. Often it's the country's most-watched event of the year. If you're not a big American football fan, however, you may find yourself dreading the day as it approaches. Fortunately there's a solution to this problem. By learning to enjoy Super Bowl Sunday in your own way, you can look forward to the game just as much as the biggest fan. Here are some ideas that might help. [Edit]Enjoying the Food and Friends - Head to a party for the full Super Bowl experience. Just because you don't like football doesn't mean you should keep yourself from the festivities! If your friends or family are throwing a Super Bowl party, you can go just to talk to the other guests and eat some great snacks.
- If you don't know anyone throwing a party, host one yourself! Invite a few friends, and ask each person to bring some easy-to-share food for a low-key party.
- Bring food to the party. Easy finger foods like chips and dip or cookies are the best dishes to take along to a Super Bowl party. You could even take the ingredients to the party and make your dish there. That will diminish the time you have to spend in front of the TV. Some great snack options include:[1]
- Guacamole and a bag of tortilla chips.
- A veggie platter with carrots, celery, broccoli, cauliflower and dip.
- Hummus with baked pita chips.
- Football-shaped sugar cookies or cupcakes.
- Spend lots of time in front of the food spread. If you're not interested in the game, don't force yourself to crowd around the TV with the diehards--unless you're eager to learn! There will be plenty of people you can talk to in the back by the food and drinks.
- If there's no one else near you for a second, you can still look occupied by simply eating what's on your plate, or turning around for more food.
- Talk to other people who aren't into football. There will probably be other people at the party who don't care about the game either, whether they're not interested in the sport or simply aren't fans of the teams playing. They're likely to hang out near the back or around the food. You can chat with them about the game, the food, the commercials or anything that's going on in their life!
- For example, you can say something general like, "This game is crazy so far." Depending on their answer, you'll be able to tell if they're not a big football fan or just don't care about the teams.
- If you know they're not into football, make casual conversation about whatever you want. You could say something simple like, "How was your week?" or mention something about the party, like "These quesadillas are so good. Have you tried them?"
- Sit at the end of the couch to make a quick getaway. Try to pick a seat near the edge of the viewing area. This will make it easier to escape if you get bored. If you sit near the middle of the gathering, you might get caught up in conversation or feel stuck between others who are talking to each other through you. [2]
- If you do end up sitting in a good viewing spot, try to pay attention to the game. It could annoy other guests if you have a prime seat for watching the game but you're on your phone the whole time!
[Edit]Entertaining Yourself with Commercials and Games - Play "Pick a Player" to have someone to root for in the game. Write the names of the key players on both teams on small slips of paper, one player per slip. Mix them around in a bowl. Ask everyone to contribute a dollar (or more) to play, and pass the bowl around, asking each person to pick one slip of paper. The person who draws the MVP of the game (announced during the post-game celebration) wins the pot![3]
- Look up the key players online before the game, or ask a friend who is familiar with the teams.
- It's best to draw names before the game starts, but since your guests are picking at random, it's okay to get a late start, too.
- Have a game of "Pass the Cup" to get invested in each play. Ask one guest to start by putting a dollar (or any amount you want) into an empty cup and calling out a football play, such as "field goal." If the very next play is not a field goal, they pass the cup to the next person, who contributes the same amount of money and again passes it on if a field goal isn't attempted on the next play. The person holding the cup when the named play actually occurs gets the money! [4]
- The winner of that round gets to start the game again by choosing the next play, such as "touchdown," "interception," or "first down," and putting in the first dollar.
- Don't worry if you're not familiar with many football terms. Everyone else will be watching the game closely and will definitely let you know when the named play happens!
- If you don't want to play with money, you can use candy, chips, or cookies.
- Watch the commercial breaks for funny advertisements. For a lot of people Super Bowl ads are the best part of the day. If you just can't get into the game, relax and chat with other guests until the commercials come on. There are lots of time outs and breaks during football games, so you'll never have to wait long.
- Play Super Bowl ad bingo to make commercials even more interesting. Look online for a "Super Bowl ad bingo" card and print out one for each of the guests before the game. When a commercial comes on, watch closely and mark off any square that names the type of commercial that's played. Get a small prize, like a cupcake, or have each guest contribute a dollar for the winner. [5]
- You can also make your own bingo boards. Watch some Super Bowl ads from the last few years to get an idea of some popular themes. For example, there could be squares for "puppies," "car crashes," or "a character crying."
- Make sure that the squares are arranged differently on each board so that everyone doesn't hit bingo at the same time!
- Enjoy the halftime show for mid-game entertainment. The Super Bowl halftime show is a huge performance, usually starring pop and rock stars that everyone has heard of and can enjoy. Grab a snack as the first half winds down and get a good seat around the TV. Other guests often use this time for a bathroom break, so there should be plenty of room for you!
- Keep watching in case guest stars pay a surprise visit on stage (which sometimes happens!)
- Tune in for the Puppy Bowl before the game. If you're looking for something to do before the game, and if your host can get Animal Planet on TV, take a look at the Puppy Bowl. It features adorable puppies rolling around on a mini football field, as well as a "kitty halftime show" and a human "referee" to maintain a little order. The show is cute and funny, and a great way to perk up your mood before the game.[6]
- Look up basic football rules if you're unfamiliar with the game. If you don't know the rules of football but want to follow some of what's going on, look up a few basic points online. You won't be an expert right away, but at least you'll be able to understand some of the plays. This can also keep you entertained and focused on the game. Challenge yourself to understand the major rules before the game's over. [7]
- For example, you'll want to know that the most important player on a team is the quarterback, who throws passes down the field or hands the ball off to the running back.
- The aim of the game is to get the ball into the endzone to score a touchdown, earning 6 points. A team can also kick the ball between two upright posts, scoring a field goal and getting three points.
- Ask a good friend questions about the game. If you don't mind owning up to the fact that you don't know much about football, you can just ask a friend or another guest to explain a few key points to you. Ask someone who's not too invested in the game and who won't mind taking their eyes off the screen for a few minutes to explain different points to you.
- Don't be nervous or embarrassed to ask questions. Your friend will probably be happy to share their knowledge and help you get enthusiastic about the game.
- Watch how other people react, and copy them to blend in. If you don't want to learn the complicated rules but would rather not stick out at a party full of football fans, just pick a team to cheer for. Look around the party to see who's supporting that team, and copy their reactions to different plays.
- Avoid cheering too hard, or people might ask you questions about the game that you won't know how to answer. Keep your reactions relaxed and slightly indifferent, like you're just a casual fan.
- For example, if your team scores a touchdown, just smile and clap, but don't pretend more enthusiasm than you really feel.
- If someone does ask you why you're pulling for a certain team, just say, "I don't care much either way, but I just wanted to cheer for someone."
- Know a few key players from each team (and their jersey numbers). Listen to the announcers, and notice the players they talk about the most. They'll be the players on the screen most, too. You can also use your phone or computer to quickly look up the most important players on either team. You can focus on these players when they're on the field, giving you something to concentrate on when the rest of the field gets confusing. [8]
- You can also mention these players in conversation to show your working knowledge of the game. Keep your comments vague, like "Johnson is all over the field today," or "No one can catch Simmons!"
- The key offensive players will probably be the quarterbacks from both teams, the running backs, and a wide receiver or tight end.
- From the defensive side, key players are often linebackers, cornerbacks, or safeties.
- If you don't want to watch the game at all, invite other friends who aren't football fans to a non-Super Bowl party. If you aren't a big football fan, chances are that some of your friends aren't either. A few days before the game, tell them you're hosting a party for people who don't want to watch the Super Bowl, and invite them to bring over food or games to play. Getting together with friends will help you avoid feeling left out of Super Bowl celebrations, and you'll have a better time than you would at a Super Bowl party!
- If you really dislike football, preoccupy yourself with other things during the first three quarters of the game. Have someone call you in for the fourth quarter, and console yourself with the knowledge that you'll be wasting only about 30 or 45 minutes of your life. Maybe you'll see some good commercials.
[Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
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