Dog Days

There’s no doubt that some days this summer get really hot.  Without much warning, the mercury rises, the clouds disappear and the summer sun and heat become oppressive.  I have to admit, we’re very lucky to be in Cleveland Ohio, next to Lake Erie and far from the real heat belt of the US (go visit Florida, Georgia, Texas or Arizona now that’s real heat!). I got to wondering where the expression “dog days” comes from. It’s true it refers to a period of hot days, but it also has its roots in ancient culture and astronomy.  So, here’s a bit of history and trivia on these “dog days” – thanks to historychannel.com, YouTube and allrecipes.com for the info. Enjoy!

Listen to a super fun tune here! 

The term “dog days of summer” refers to the hottest, most oppressive period of the summer season, typically occurring in July and August in the Northern Hemisphere. The phrase has its origins dating back to the time of the Greeks and Romans. 

The sultry “dog days” of summer might spark visions of listless canines baking in the oppressive heat, but the phrase has nothing to do with panting pooches. Instead, it’s a throwback to the time when ancient civilizations tracked the seasons by looking to the sky. 

The ancient Greeks noticed that summer’s most intense heat occurred during the approximate 40-day period in the early summer when Sirius, the brightest star in the sky, rose and set with the sun. To them it was simple math. The daytime addition of the warmth of Sirius—ancient Greek for “glowing” or “scorcher”—to the blaze of the sun equaled extreme heat.

According to Greek mythology, Sirius was the dog of the hunter Orion, and the ancient Romans placed the star in the constellation Canis Major (Latin for “Greater Dog”). The Romans thus referred to the sweltering period when the rising of the sun and Sirius converged as the “dies caniculares” or “days of the dog star.” By the 1500s, the English world began to call the same summertime point on the astronomical calendar as the “dog days.”

Due to a wobble in the Earth’s rotation that shifts the position of the stars in the night sky, the dates of the “dog days” now fall several weeks later on the calendar than they did thousands of years ago. The ancient Egyptians 5,000 years ago noticed Sirius’s heliacal rising, when it was visible just before sunrise.

Both Greeks and Romans believed that the “dog days” were an ill-omened time of heat, drought, sudden thunderstorms, lethargy, fever, mad dogs, and bad luck.

In astrology, the appearance of Sirius was seen as a potent time of the year. The star’s rising was associated with the flooding of the Nile in Egypt, which was vital for agriculture.

Farmers in ancient Egypt would look for the star as a sign to prepare for the rising waters.

Over the centuries, the “dog days” have been mentioned in various literary works, symbolizing the hottest and often most uncomfortable period of summer. For example, John Brady’s “Clavis Calendaria” (1813) describes the period and its various associated superstitions and beliefs.

Today, the precise dates vary by latitude, but the Old Farmer’s Almanac reports the traditional timing of the “dog days” in the United States is between July 3 and August 11. In approximately 10,000 years, the date of the heliacal rising of Sirius will fall back so late on the calendar that future civilizations in the northern hemisphere will experience the “dog days” of winter.  For all of you reading this,  you have nothing to worry about!!

Stay Cool with the best lemonade recipe (I think even I can make this!!)