Right off the bat, February seems to have more than its ‘special’ days and celebrations, both silly and serious. Maybe because in much of the country we’ve hit the proverbial winter wall and need something else to focus on. Or maybe with the holidays fading in the rearview mirror, we just need some reasons to celebrate. Either way, these designated days and events bring welcome distractions—and even some business opportunity.
First, a serious topic: February 1 is National Wear Red Day, to raise awareness of the #1 health threat to women—heart disease. Created in 2004 by the American Heart Association, this first Friday in February dedicated to wearing read has been instrumental in reducing heart disease-related deaths in women and raising awareness of the disease and symptoms, each by more than 20 percent.
If you’re out and about today, you’ll likely see a lot of red in cities all over the U.S., in businesses large and small. And you can find out more here. If you’re a small business owner, mark your calendar for next year.
Today is also National Freedom Day. The American Revolution got the freedom ball rolling. But it wasn’t until nearly 90 years later—February 1, 1865—that freedom was extended to all Americans, when President Abraham Lincoln signed the resolution to outlaw slavery in the U.S. This was the resolution that proposed the 13th amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Read more here.
Switching gears and veering off into silliness, February 1 is also Working Naked Day. Anyone who works from a home office is encouraged to work naked! If you decide to celebrate, you might want to reschedule any Skype meetings to next week.
Whew! Be sure to save some energy for the weekend, because this first weekend in February is a big one. You’ll want to get up early on Saturday to for your annual Groundhog Day breakfast—and of course, to see Punxsutawney Phil’s predictions for spring. By the way, the festivities in Punxsutawney, PA begin at 3:00 am (!) with food, music, entertainment and pre-dawn fireworks. The best news of all: The National Climatic Data Center says we’re already mid-way between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox.
Has it really been a whole year since Super Bowl XLVI? Apparently it has, and fans everywhere are gearing up not just for the game, commercials and half-time entertainment, but also for parties, with lots of great food and drink. This means spending, and businesses all over the U.S. benefit. In fact, data from a variety of sources, including the National Retail Federation (NRF), VISA and Sports Illustrated, indicates that as many as 34.9 million people will throw a Super Bowl party; 62.1 million will attend one; and more than 12.1 million will go out to celebrate in a pub/bar.
All kinds of businesses in the host city—this year, New Orleans—are caught up in Super Bowl fever, boosted by a ‘celebration of business,’ hosted by the National Football League (NFL) and local event organizers. This was part of the NFL’s Emerging Business Program, the league’s effort to educate and involve local businesses owned by women and minorities in landing work related to the Super Bowl and afterward. This helped match up NFL and its contractor needs with a database of almost 300 New Orleans area businesses. Among those local businesses that got Super Bowl work: a sign printer, a security guard firm, a cupcake baker, a jambalaya maker and a fruit drink mixer.
