• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts Logo

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

  • Animals
  • Culture
  • Firsts
  • Food
  • Geography
  • Health
  • History
  • Inventions
  • Language
  • Mythology
  • Odds
  • People
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Space
  • Universe
  • World
You are here: Home / Language / What Does the Expression “The Dog Days” Mean and How Did the Name for Hot Summer Days Originate?

What Does the Expression “The Dog Days” Mean and How Did the Name for Hot Summer Days Originate?

March 20, 2020 by Karen Hill

Sirius, the “dog star,” is within the constellation Canis Major and is the brightest in the heavens.

The ancient Egyptians noted that the dog star’s arrival in July coincided with the annual flooding of the Nile, which was important for a good harvest.

The Romans believed that, because of its brightness, the dog star Sirius added to the heat of the summer sun, and so they called July and August “the dog days.”

In the northern hemisphere, Dog Days usually fall between early July and early September, but the actual dates vary by region.

Related Facts

  • History of Dogs
  • What Is the Brightest Star in the Sky?
  • Where does the phrase “the dog days of summer” come from and what does it mean?
  • How do astronomers know how far away stars and galaxies are from earth?
  • Who invented the Electronic Dog Collar and How does an invisible fence keep your dog from straying?
  • What was the European Age of Exploration?

Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « Where Did the “Jolly Roger” Pirate Flag Come From and How did the Skull and Crossbones Design Originate?
Next Post: What Does the Term “Song and Dance” Mean and How Did the Idiom For a Misleading Sales Pitch Originate? »

Footer

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Accomplishments Animals Culture Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Mythology Odds People Religion Science Space Universe World Your Body

About

Zippy Facts empowers the world by serving educational content that is accessible to everyone.

A tribute to growing up, zippyfacts.com showcases interesting and unusual facts about the world.

Our mission is to use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing.

Copyright © 2020 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy