In ancient Greece and Rome, the Dog Days were believed to be a time of drought, bad luck, and unrest, when dogs and men alike would be driven mad by the extreme heat! This period of sweltering weather coincides with the year’s heliacal (meaning “at sunrise�) rising of Sirius, the Dog Star, in the constellation Canis Majoris, which is where Sirius gets its canine nickname, as well as its official name, Alpha Canis Majoris. Virgil, the Roman poet, wrote in the Aeneid that “fiery Sirius, bringer of drought and plague to frail mortals, rises and saddens the sky with sinister light.� Is this just superstition? A 2009 Finnish study tested the traditional claim that the rate of infections is higher during Dog Days. The authors wrote, “This study was conducted in order to challenge the myth that the rate of infections is higher during the dog days. To our surprise, the myth was found to be true.� Not including our own Sun, Sirius is the brightest star in the sky. The ancient Egyptians, used the dawn rising of Sirius that also coincided with the Nile River’s flood season, as a “watchdog� for that event. Here at The Old Farmer’s Almanac, we consider the Dog Days to be the 40 days beginning July 3 and ending August 11. This is soon after the Summer Solstice in late June, which also tends to be the beginning of the worst of summer’s heat. In 1817, The Old Farmer’s Almanac wrote, “Dog Days are approaching; you must, therefore, make both hay and haste while the Sun shines, for when old Sirius takes command of the weather, he is such an unsteady, crazy dog, there is no dependence upon him.� —Catherine Boeckmann, June 10, 2003 The Farmers’ Almanac