By Allen Hamrick
“These are dog days, and you can’t swim in the river.” That was what was said way back when we were kids growing up. The sun would crank up the heat even higher starting July 3rd and ending August 11th, and we would want to hit the creeks and rivers to cool off. Many parents said no to swimming during Dog Days because any open sores or scratches stood a greater chance of getting infected and causing even more misery. We would just look in confusion and wonder, “What in the world are dog days and why are we suffering because of it?” Did a bunch of dogs die in the creeks and rivers therefore contaminating it? Did a bunch of dirty dogs ruin it for all of us? Valid questions, to be sure, but we still didn’t get to swim and cool off because of the risks, real or superstitious. My grandpa said if you enter the water during this time of the year, you or your dog would go mad depending on who got in the water first. Others believed that nothing but bad luck will affect the person during this time. It’s hard to tell where the truth begins and ends with the different cultures from the world’s history but there is truth about it.
Dog days have everything to do with the stars, specifically the Dog Star. Scientifically, the star Sirius, meaning scorching, happens to be the brightest star a person can see from anywhere on the earth in that time framed. During the summer months when the heat fries eggs in the hen, the Dog Star, Sirius, rises and sets with the sun for 40 days and is the brightest on July 23rd. So, the Romans, in their infinite wisdom, decided since this is occurring, the star has to be helping the sun heat the earth. Thus the term dog days was applied as our brains were cooked for forty days. They also decided that drought, all the bad luck people was having and civil unrest was due to the alignment of the stars. We all know now, however, that the heat we are experiencing is just the tilt of the earth’s axis angling into the direct rays of the sun, right? It gets hot because it is the hottest time of the year. The idea of swimming in water in Dog Days leading to anarchy of the body – is it true or is it merely coincidence? Studies have shown that in Dog Days infections tend to be more prevalent so put a waterproof Band-Aid on those sores. While in the dog days of summer, as we are now, keep a cool drink in your hand while standing in a pool of water; it likely won’t hurt you anymore than it would in spring, fall, or winter. Remember, it’s hot enough to evaporate a water buffalo so stay cool.
