The DOG DAYS of SUMMER

The dog days of summer last from July 3 to August 11. What are the Dog Days of Summer exactly? What do they have to do with dogs? The ancient origins of this common phrase might surprise you.

 

The term “Dog Days” traditionally refers to a period of particularly hot and humid weather occurring during the summer months of July and August in the Northern Hemisphere. In ancient Greece and Rome, the Dog Days were believed to be a time of 1. ____________ (meaning a prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall, leading to a shortage of water), bad luck, unrest, when dogs and men alike would be driven mad by the extreme heat! Today, the phrase doesn’t conjure up such bad imagery. Instead, the Dog Days are associated purely the time of summer’s peak temperatures and humidity.

 

This period of sweltering weather coincide with the year’s 2. hel__________ (meaning “at sun rise) rising of Sirius, the Dog Star. Sirius is part of the constellation Canis Majoris – the “Greater Dog” – which is where Sirius gets its canine nickname, as well as its official name, Alpha Canis Majoris. Not including our own Sun, Sirius is the brightest star in the sky. Since Sirius is one star in a group of stars that form the constellation Canis Major, meaning “Great Dog”, it comes as no surprise that the nickname of this big, bold star became “the Dog Star.”

 

In ancient Greece, Egypt, and Rome, it was believed that the dawn rising of Sirius in mid-to-late summer contributed to the extreme weather of the season. In other words, the “combined heat” of super bright Sirius and our 3. _________ was thought to be the cause of summer’s sweltering temperatures. The name “Sirius” even stems from the Ancient Greek seirios, meaning 4. _______________.

 

For the ancient Egyptians, the dawn rising of Sirius also coincide with the

5. __________ River’s flood season. They used the star as a watchdog for that event.

 

The exact dates of the Dog Days can vary from source to source, and because they are traditionally tied to the dawn rising of Sirius, they have changed over time. However, most sources agree that the Dog Days occur in mid-to-late summer, which is considered to be the 40 days beginning July 3 and ending August 11. This is soon after the Summer 6. ____________ in late June, which also tends to be the beginning of the worst summer’s heat.

 

Old timers believed that rainfall on the Dog Days was a bad omen, as foretold in this verse:

Dog Days bright and clear

Indicate a happy year;

But when accompanied by rain,

For better times, our hope are vain.

 

*** Source from The Old Farmer's Almanac 2024

Answer Keys

    1.  drought

    2.  heliacal

    3.  Sun

    4.  scorching

    5.  Nile

    6.  Solstice