In like a lion

It seems colder and darker on a gloomy day in February than any other time of year.

Perhaps that is why we try so hard with food-driven holidays to cheer ourselves up; first with the chocolate and wine of romantic Valentine’s Day, and then with the gourmandise of Mardi Gras.

We really do need help – many of us consume chocolate with Valentine’s Day as an excuse when we get busted for eating foil-wrapped hearts at our desks.

Mardi Gras revelers follow a crazy tradition of masking themselves so they can party in cognito. I mean really, when you think of holidays doesn’t “Pancake Tuesday” sound like a lame attempt at indulgence? (no offence meant to those who consume pancakes as a serious symbol on Shrove Tuesday.)

I propose that we create a new festivity on March 1, to celebrate the end of shivery February and the start of the rest of the year. It is said that March often comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb… well, perhaps we ought to follow that advice heartily and let loose a heartfelt roar to get our blood moving.

So, with this new “Lion’s Day” in mind, I recommend activities indicative of the day’s namesake. Namely, the activities listed below, taken from a research article on lion habits in South Africa:

Lions are active at night, early morning and towards sunset, although they do sometimes hunt during the day. They are generally fairly lethargic: they exert themselves for short periods of time and then spend long periods of slow movement or relaxation.

(Despite their apparent obliviousness to their surroundings during resting periods, they can become aggressive quickly if suddenly or unduly disturbed.)

Drinking is a social event and the pride tends to move to water en masse, usually crowding together in the manner similar to that maintained during feeding.

Doesn’t this sound like a great way to live, even if just for a day? I think it is important to note that we should adopt the same protective behaviour of becoming aggressive if our relaxation time was interrupted.

We seem to have fallen upon just the creature to use as a symbol of the good life, don’t you think?

Isn’t it interesting that drinking and eating are social events in lion prides? During the day you can lie in wait on the couch like a lion in the long grass. You could take the Disney approach and begin to hum “Hakuna Matata” (which is, by the way, a real Swahili expression meaning, “no worries!”).

Then, as sunset approaches, everyone can kick into high gear with a bit of food and drink.

Why not celebrate in a real wild way and fire up the grill for dinner? Tropical cocktails or any festive sort of drink – even cold drinks out of a communal tub (like a watering hole) would work. Enjoying some social time with your tribe is important for survival.

If we can get over the hump that is the end of February, then the worst will be behind us. A chunk of meat or veggies on the grill, even the thought of the farmer’s markets imminent return will help us look forward.

We may not have those fresh local items yet, but we could pull something from the freezer or even just revel in the slightly longer days, and good company with whom to share them. It all gets better from here on in.

Happy Lion’s Day!

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.