Read by Matilda Longbottom

II have always found the expression “The Dog Days of Summer” to be amusing. As a child, Summer was just Summer. I didn’t care how hot it was. I don’t remember ever noticing the humidity. We didn’t even mind when it rained. The only time we were indoors was if there was lightning. Besides that, I was outside all day long, taking advantage of the carefree days as much as possible. I remember my grandfather commenting about feeling the Dog Days of Summer all the way to his bones, and I would laugh at the silly expression.

I am older now and am not quite as immune to the heat and humidity as I was as a child. I feel every single one of the Dog Days of Summer. Those mornings when you are outside at 6 a.m., it already feels hot and sticky. I had kind of forgotten the expression until one of my kids commented on the heat, and I responded with, “What do you expect? It is the Dog Days of Summer.” They gave me the same peculiar look that I probably gave my grandfather so many years ago.

I started wondering more about where the expression came from and what it means, so I decided to do some research. The Dog Days of Summer occur in July and August when it tends to be hot and humid in the northern hemisphere. The dates are not set because of the weather pattern that is typical this time of year; it is actually based on the rising of Sirius, known as the Dog Star. Part of the constellation Canis Major, Sirius’s official name is Alpha Canis Majoris (hence the nickname Dog Star). Because this is based on the rising of a star, the timing changes a bit from year to year, typically from about the second week of July through mid-August.

Sirius is an extremely bright star (second only to the sun). In ancient times, it was believed that the combined heat of the bright Dog Star and the sun is what caused the hot and humid temperatures. This, of course, is not the case! It is mere coincidence that the Dog Star rises during the hottest time of the year. Well, and the fact that astronomers named the star “Sirius” from the Ancient Greek word for scorching (seírios).

I’m not sure if my grandfather knew the entire history and meaning behind the Dog Days of Summer, but he definitely knew how to handle them. He would make sure that his garden duties were done early in the morning. Afternoons were spent in the shade with a cool drink and an ice-cream cone. I think that is how I will spend my upcoming afternoons, enjoying the shade, a nice breeze, and something to help me cool down.

Do you have any tips for dealing with the Dog Days of Summer? If so, I would love to hear them.