Literary Holidays | February 2025
Celebrate this month’s literary holidays with Open Book Chocolates!
African American/Black History Month
”Black History Month is an annual observance originating in the United States… It began as a way of remembering important people and events in the history of the African diaspora, initially lasting a week before becoming a month-long observation since 1970.”
Here’s a selection of books written by African American authors:
“The Call of Cthulhu” Publication Date | February 1928
“Written in the summer of 1926, [“The Call of Cthulhu”] was first published in the pulp magazine Weird Tales in February 1928.”
Open Book Chocolates is celebrating “The Call of Cthulhu” with H. P. Lovecraft’s short story and our matching chocolate bar.
James Joyce’s Birthday | February 2nd, 1882
“History, Stephen said, is a nightmare from which I am trying to awake.” —Ulysses by James Joyce
Purchase Ulysses by James Joyce while supporting independent bookstores.
World Read Aloud Day | February 5th
“…to celebrate the power of reading aloud to create community and amplify new stories, and to advocate for literacy as a foundational human right. Since then, World Read Aloud Day has evolved into a global movement of millions of readers, writers, and listeners from communities all across the world coming together to honor the joy and power of reading and continue expanding the definition and scope of global literacy.“
Check out the World Read Aloud Day Activity Hub to learn more:
Charles Dickens’s Birthday | February 7th, 1812
“Although a skilful flatterer is a most delightful companion if you can keep him all to yourself, his taste becomes very doubtful when he takes to complimenting other people.“ —Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens
Purchase Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens while supporting independent bookstores.
Jules Verne’s Birthday | February 8th, 1828
“The human mind delights in grand conceptions of supernatural beings. And the sea is precisely their best vehicle, the only medium through which these giants (against which terrestrial animals, such as elephants or rhinoceroses, are as nothing) can be produced or developed.“ —Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas by Jules Verne
Purchase Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas by Jules Verne while supporting independent bookstores.
Read in the Bathtub Day | February 9th
“The origins of reading in the bath probably emerged in Roman bathtubs, the first culture to truly embrace the culture of bathing. The owners of these facilities would often adorn them with scrolls in the walls or sometimes entire libraries.“
Read a book about a bathtub while taking a bath, and while supporting independent bookstores.
“William Morris reading… to [his wife] Jane Morris, while she is sitting in a bath and drinking…” (circa 1869) by Dante Gabriel Rossetti.
International Book Giving Day | Valentine’s Day | February 14th
“It is a day to share your love of books with someone — especially children — who might not have access to as many books as you do. It’s not a coincidence that International Book Giving Day falls on the same day as Valentine’s Day — it is a day of love after all. International Book Giving Day is about two things — a love of books and a love for fellow human beings.“
How to Celebrate International Book Giving Day:
Gift a book to a friend or relative.
Donate a book or two.
Organize a book swap with family and friends.
Help organize a book drive in your community.
Connect with others celebrating International Book Giving Day via social media.
Since International Book Giving Day coincides with Valentine’s Day, celebrate with some chocolate (especially some literary-inspired chocolate bars *wink wink*)!
Toni Morrison’s Birthday | February 18th, 1931
“He knew exactly what she meant: to get to a place where you could love anything you choose — not to need permission for desire — well now, that was freedom.“ —Beloved by Toni Morrison
Purchase Beloved by Toni Morrison while supporting independent bookstores.
Victor Hugo’s Birthday | February 26th, 1802
“A man is not idle, because he is absorbed in thought. There is a visible labour and there is an invisible labour.“ —Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
Open Book Chocolates is celebrating Victor Hugo’s birthday with Les Misérables and our matching chocolate bar.
John Steinbeck’s Birthday | February 27th, 1902
“I read plenty of books out here. Nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land. It's just in their head.“ —Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Purchase Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck while supporting independent bookstores.
Check out Open Book Chocolates’s profile on Bookshop.org!
Upcoming Events: Winter/Spring 2025 | Update #1
Here at Open Book Chocolates, we’re busy preparing for our upcoming in-person events!
We’re scheduled to be at the following five events this winter/spring:
THIS WEEKEND Saturday, February 1st: My Big Finds: Open Book Chocolates Pop-Up in Kentlands, Gaithersburg, Maryland.
Friday, February 7th through Sunday, February 9th: Farpoint 32 in Pikesville, Maryland.
Saturday, March 29th through Sunday March 30th: Tell-Tale Steampunk Festival 2025 in Pikesville, Maryland.
Friday, April 25th through Saturday April 26th: Malice Domestic 37 in Rockville/North Bethesda, Maryland.
Sunday, April 27th: 18th Annual Kensington Day of the Book Festival in Kensington, Maryland.