So is Feb 28th National Tooth Fairy Day or Aug 22nd? It seems odd that there would be any conflict over when this day is celebrated. But, I think that Feb 28th is a good day for it (although, this is not an actual national holiday). But if you prefer to celebrate it in August, you won’t get any arguments from me.

Pictures of the tooth fairy have been captured in many storybooks and art. The painter Maxfield Parrish is said to have depicted her once in the corner of a painting. Fairies in general are generally considered to be great influences in art, and folklore and legend surround each fairy tale.

The Tooth Fairy is actually one of America’s “original” fables. Part of this tale suggests that the Tooth Fairy places all the teeth in the sky and they become glimmering stars.

Many cultures have marked the loss of a child’s baby or milk teeth in various ways. Some cultures placed the tooth in a tree or threw it to the sun. Other rituals involved having an adult swallow the tooth or burn it.

Even the Vikings had their own ritual called “tooth fee” whereby a small gift was given to a child. The teeth were then strung onto necklaces and other jewelery. The Vikings believed that the power of the children’s teeth would aid them in battle.

Centuries ago, in Europe it was a common practice when a child’s baby tooth fell out to bury it in the ground. One reason for this ritual was because it was thout that if a witch got a hold of the tooth, a curse could be placed on the child. Later, teeth were placed in small flowerpots or planter boxes. I am not sure how we began the practice of placing the tooth under the child’s pillow. But the tradition of small gift or coin was left for the child has always been part of this tradition.

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Polar Bear Day (Feb 27) celebrates the world’s largest carnivore. A polar bear can grow up to nine feet tall(when standing) and 1400 pounds. Polar bears are native to Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Norway, and Russia.

Around the age of four or five the female polar bear can start having babies.

In April and May, polar bears gather on sea ice to meet and court, generally staying together to mate several times over the course of about a week. The female bear then devotes herself to eating, often gaining as much as 400 pounds during her pregnancy.

Normally, they have two cubs and they stay with these babies in a cave they’ve dug in a large snow drift until spring.

Polar bear babies are much smaller than human babies when they’re born.  They are about the size of a rat and weigh little more than a pound.  They can grow to full man size in a year.

A polar bear’s fur really is not white.  Each hair is clear hollow tube.  Polar bears look white because each hollow hair reflects the light. On sunny days, it traps the sun’s infrared heat and keeps the bear warm.

Polar bear fur is oily and water repellent. The hairs don’t mat when wet, allowing the polar bears to easily shake free of water and any ice that may form after swimming.

We are the polar bears only predator.  Baby polar bears often starve. About 70 percent do not live to their third birthday. You can help these magnificent animals by supporting the National Wildlife Federation (NWF).

Here more polar bear fun facts:

• Females with cubs don’t mate again until their cubs are grown, at about three years, and won’t mate at all if conditions are unfavorable.
• Though the breeding season runs through mid-spring, females may not give birth until they are in their winter dens.
• Newborns are blind weigh only about 1.5 pounds.
• It is believed that all polar bears are left handed.

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Leprecon Delight by PeppersPolishMafia

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Circus and Characters Mouse Pad
by ChiaPetRescue

Carnival Day. Now that’s a celebration! I didn’t find any information on the origins of this day. But people around the world love carnivals and celebrations.

I found a great sites about carnivals where they define the carnival as an annual celebration of life found in many countries of the world. There is a lot of good information here about carnivals, so make sure to check out CarnivalPower.com.

Cultures all over the world celebrate with carnivals, so I thought I would compile a list of some of the most interesting sites I found on carnivals.

A Short History of Venetian Carnival Masks presents a great history of the Venetian Carnival.
Of course, this list wouldn’t be complete without information on Mardi Gras! Check out this history of Mardi Gras.
The Brazil Carnival is a very interesting read. I found a lot of stuff here that I didn’t know.

Also, check out this video:

Many sites reference the influence that Africa has had on carnivals. I thought this the Short History of Carnival with a Touch of Africa was also very interesting.
The Welcome Argentina site has some good information on the Gualeguaychu Carnival. There are also some really nice and colorful photos out here.
And I thought I would also include a site that has a list of traveling carnival shows. These carnivals are probably the type that many of us are familiar with. I think it would be fun to take a vacation just to visit some of these shows. My family would definitely enjoy a road trip like that this year!

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Since it is Tortilla Chip Day, I thought I would share another one of my recipes!

1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 lb shredded cheeses (I use monterey pepper jack and cheddar cheeses)
1/2 bag corn tortilla chips
1 can diced chilies
1/2 onion (or, to taste)
Garlic
Green enchilada sauce or other verde sauce
Cilantro

Brown all the hamburger meat in skillet with onion and minced garlic. Meanwhile in a large bowl, combine canned soups, sauce, and chilies.

When the meat is cooked and drained, add the soup and sauce mixture and allow to simmer for a few minutes.

In a large casserole dish sprayed with non-stick spray, spread about half of a bag of corn tortilla chips around the bottom. Pour 1/2 of the meat mixure on top, and about 1/2 the cheese. Repeat layers.

Bake for 30-45 minutes at 350°F.

This is very good served with guacamole and sour cream and use rest of the bag of chips for dipping.

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