Dog Days of Summer

Hi Puzzlers,
I have been hearing and reading a lot about the “Dog Days” of summer. Why is it called dog days? Are dogs really involved? Were they ever involved? What’s a dog got to do with a hot summer day? If this question has been burning in you, like it has been in me, read on for an answer.

As everyone knows, the dog days of summer revolve around the three H’s - hot, hazy and humid and usually occur between July and early August. The reference - association to the dog comes from astronomy. Because the star Sirius is in the sky at this time of year and is also the brightest star in the Canis Major (Large Dog) constellation it became known as the Dog Star. Sirius is only second in brightness to the sun. (This also answers another question I had, “Why does Sirius Radio have a dog as a mascot?”)

“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. In addition, Dog Days were popularly believed to be an evil time when the seas boiled, wine turned sour, dogs grew mad, and all creatures became languid, causing to man burning fevers, hysterics, and phrensies according to Brady’s Clavis Calendarium, 1813.”

“For the ancient Egyptians, Sirius appeared just before the season of the Nile's flooding, so they used the star as a "watchdog" for that event. Since its rising also coincided with a time of extreme heat, the connection with hot, sultry weather was made for all time: "Dog Days bright and clear / indicate a happy year. / But when accompanied by rain, / for better times our hopes are vain."

So puzzlers - if your region is being plagued by the dog days of summer I recommend staying inside, cranking up the A/C and start your favorite puzzle!

Happy Puzzling!