Chinese New Year
On February 17, 2026, we entered the year of this animal.
What is the Horse (or Fire Horse)?
The Year of the Fire Horse only occurs every 60 years. Blending the Horse's traits of strength and independence with the passionate element of fire, this is considered to be a period of intense energy and transformation.
This color is worn on the first Friday of February to show support and raise awareness for Heart Health.
What is red?
First proclaimed in 1964 by President Lyndon B. Johnson, American Heart Month began as a national call to take charge of your heart health—a mission that continues today.
On February 19, she won hearts around the world and a gold medal with her joyous routine in the women's free skate competition at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Who is Alysa Liu?
After the 2022 Beijing Olympics, a burned-out Liu retired at the age of 16, wanting to be a normal teenager. The hiatus helped her rediscover her passion for competitive figure skating, which she returned to in 2024.
This 2026 Netflix original movie has been called a modern-day When Harry Met Sally, as it follows a years-long "will they/won't they" relationship between best friends Alex and Poppy.
What is People We Meet on Vacation?
Based on a 2021 novel by Emily Henry, the movie has a Certified Fresh rating of 76% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The "smiley" got its start at this Pittsburgh university in 1982, when Professor Scott Fahlman proposed using it to convey emotion in message board posts. :-)
What is Carnegie Mellon University?
Fahlman is a Professor Emeritus in CMU's School of Computer Science.
The five elements in the Chinese zodiac system are: Fire, Earth, Water, _____&_____.
What are Wood and Metal?
These five elements are believed to be the fundamental substances of everything in the universe. Each element has its own characteristics and affects the personality of the zodiac animals in different ways.
Mardi Gras is a French term that directly translates to this in English.
What is Fat Tuesday?
It refers to the day before Ash Wednesday, when people traditionally eat rich, fatty foods to prepare for the Christian fasting season of Lent.
These two teams faced off at Super Bowl LX, held at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara, CA on February 8.
Who are the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots?
The Seahawks took home the Lombardi Trophy, and Bad Bunny rose above the pre-game controversy to perform a memorable halftime show.
In Legally Blonde, Elle (Reese Witherspoon) teaches her friend Paulette (Jennifer Coolidge) this flirty move to help her attract the guy she has a crush on.
What is the bend and snap?
This attention-getting maneuver with a "98% success rate" is simply pretending to drop something, bending at the waist to pick it up, and then snapping back up with attitude and a smile.
Downtown Pittsburgh is situated at the point where the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers converge, forming this third river.
What is the Ohio?
The Ohio River is 981 miles long and flows southwest from Pittsburgh to Cairo, Illinois, where it meets the Mississippi River.
This mythical emperor established the "Great Race" that determined the order of the animals in the zodiac cycle.
Who is the Jade Emperor?
Also known as Yudi or Heavenly Grandfather, this supreme deity created the 12-year Chinese zodiac by hosting a race across a river for all the kingdom's animals.
Galentine's Day, now widely celebrated among groups of gal-pals on February 13, originated from this TV show.
What is Parks and Recreation?
Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) introduced us to this day dedicated to "ladies celebrating ladies" on Season 2, Episode 16 of the NBC sitcom.
Rejected by his mother, this adorable baby monkey went viral after videos of him carrying around and cuddling a plush orangutan touched hearts around the world.
Who is Punch (or Panchi-kun)?
The now-famous baby macaque at the Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan has inspired many memes and reels, especially after he was the target of bullying. However, it's recently been reported that Punch has made some friends and is slowly being accepted by his group.
1999's 10 Things I Hate About You is based on this Shakespeare comedy.
What is The Taming of the Shrew?
10 Things was Heath Ledger's breakthrough film, starting him on a path to becoming one of the most admired actors of the 2000s, until his untimely death in early 2008.
This quirky actor, known for memorable roles in The Fly, Jurassic Park, and Wicked, grew up in Pittsburgh's West Homestead neighborhood.
Who is Jeff Goldblum?
Goldblum is also a jazz pianist, who performed with his band at the private gala celebrating the opening of the new Pittsburgh International Airport terminal in late 2025.
This animal, heavily favored to win the Great Race, only finished fifth because he stopped to perform acts of kindness for others.
What is the Dragon?
The only mythical animal in the Chinese zodiac, the Dragon is revered as an extraordinary creature, unparalleled in talent and excellence. It symbolizes success, power, honor and luck.
Nominated by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1967, he was the first African American to serve in the U.S. Supreme Court—an important "first" to remember during Black History Month and beyond.
Who is Thurgood Marshall?
Marshall retired from the bench in 1991 and passed away in 1993.
This actor was arrested in New Orleans during Mardi Gras for allegedly assaulting two people.
Who is Shia LaBeouf?
The Transformers star has a history of legal issues, including charges of disorderly conduct, battery, and public intoxication.
The Ali Wong/Randall Park rom-com Always Be My Maybe features a funny cameo by this famous actor, who plays a fictionalized version of himself.
Who is Keanu Reeves?
The movie's end credits feature the song "I Punched Keanu Reeves," based on the scene where Park's character gets into a jealous fight with the John Wick star.
The hit HBO Max show, The Pitt, is set at the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center, but is partially filmed at and inspired by the ER of this local hospital.
What is Allegheny General Hospital (AGH)?
The Pitt features many references to delight local fans, including Frick Park and Primanti Bros. One character even mentions using a Shadyside address so she can send her kids to a good school!
The customs of hanging red lanterns and couplets, keeping house lights on, and setting off firecrackers stem from the belief that these will drive away this mythological beast.
What is Nian?
Ancient legend tells of this fierce monster that lived at the bottom of the sea, only going ashore on the last day of the lunar year to eat villagers and livestock.
The famous, furry February forecaster Punxsutawney Phil has two children, aptly named _____ & _____.
What are Sunny and Shadow?
In 2024, after taking suggestions and speaking with Phil in Groundhogese, the Groundhog Club announced the pups' names. The twins won't be going into the family business though, because Phil is immortal!
This is the number of planets that will align for a rare cosmic event on February 28, 2026.
What is 6?
Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune will form a "planet parade" shortly after sunset. Viewers should be able to see most planets with the naked eye but will need binoculars or a telescope to see Uranus and Neptune.
In the 1986 John Hughes classic Pretty in Pink, Andie (Molly Ringwald) was originally supposed to choose her devoted best friend over her rich, popular crush (Andrew McCarthy). In 1987, Hughes finally got that ending with this film, which stars Eric Stoltz as the center of a similar love triangle.
What is Some Kind of Wonderful?
Both Ringwald and McCarthy were offered roles, but passed due to the similarities between the two films.
During WWII, a shortage of football players led the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles to merge into this team for the 1943-44 season.
What are the Steagles?
Officially named "Phil-Pitt Combine" (boring!), the team finished third in their division, not qualifying for post-season play.