According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, today is the end of the Dog Days of Summer, which runs from July 3 to August 11. The ancient Romans named “Caniculares dies,” or days of the dogs, the 20 days before the conjunction of the dog star (Sirius in the Canis Major constellation) with the sun, to 20 days after.  With the exception of our sun, Sirius is the brightest star visible from Earth so the Romans believed when Sirius rose and set with the sun, it added to the heat to produce the hottest days of the year. But since the summer heat is a direct results of the earth’s tilt, the ancients were barking up the wrong tree blaming the ‘Dog Star’ for boosting the summer heat.

Dog Days of Summer

It appear this is the ‘dog days of summer’. The Old Farmer’s Almanac lists the traditional period of the Dog Days as the 40 days beginning July 3rd and ending August 11th, coinciding with the ancient heliacal (at sunrise) rising of the Dog Star, Sirius. These are the days of the year with the least rainfall in the Northern Hemisphere. And it is definitely hot here this week.

Dog Days were popularly believed to be an evil time “the Sea boiled, the Wine turned sour, Dogs grew mad, and all other creatures became languid; causing to man, among other diseases, burning fevers, hysterics, and phrensies.” according to Brady’s Clavis Calendaria, 1813.

The Romans sacrificed a brown dog at the beginning of the Dog Days to appease the rage of Sirius, believing that the star was the cause of the hot, sultry weather. So it is a good thing this dog is black and white!

Dog Days of Summer