National Serpent Day, a day celebrated on the 1st of February, is a holiday that’s designed to give snake fans a day to celebrate their favorite pets. Although snakes have gotten a bad rap over the years as being either dangerous and/or evil, snakes have also been traditionally seen as a symbol of fertility and healing. And that’s not even mentioning the fact that there are many species of snakes that make pets. Anyone who has their own pet snake might want to take a few moments out of their busy day to give this holiday a try.

The History Of National Serpent Day

At this time we’re unable to uncover the origin of National Serpent Day, so we have decided to use this space to talk about the history of the serpent as a symbol. Let’s begin with the name serpent. This name comes from the Latin Serpens, which means “snake” or “crawling animal.” The constellation Ophiuchus, a constellation located in the northern hemisphere, is represented by the Greek myth where the healer Asclepius holds serpens in his hand. According to the myth, Asclepius had once killed the snake, but it was resurrected when another snake placed a resurrection herb on it. It was through this myth that the snake became a symbol of healing and medicine.

Of course, snakes had other meanings in other cultures. For example, the Hopi people of North America revered the snake as a fertility symbol. In Ancient Crete, snakes were often seen as a guardian of the mysteries of regeneration, healing, and birth. In some cultures, particularly in the East, snakes were used as representatives of powerful temple guardians. In Angkor, Cambodia, there are stone sculptures of semi-divine guardians known as Nagas guarding temples and other sacred areas.

In the United States, the snake has also been used as a symbol. During the American Revolution, the Gadsden flag was flown by some colonists. This flag shows a rattlesnake coiled up and ready to strike with the words “Don’t tread on me” written underneath it. This symbol represented the dangerousness of the colonists as well as to show that they were willing to fight for their homeland and their rights.

Cool Facts About Snakes

Let’s learn some interesting facts about snakes. Below are the facts we’ve picked up about snakes that we are now going to share with everyone so they can share this information on this holiday.

• There are over 3,000 different species of snakes.
• It’s estimated that over a million U.S households own a pet snake.
• Snakes are cold-blooded and rely on outside temperatures to warm them up.
• The black mamba snake can slither at 12.5 miles per hour.

Observing National Serpent Day

National Serpent Day is a holiday that can be observed simply by snake owners spending some quality time with their pets. However, we don’t want you to think that you have to have a pet snake in order to celebrate this holiday, because you don’t. You can simply learn more about snakes, watch a movie with snakes in it, or simply use the hashtag #NationalSerpentDay on your social media accounts.