By Meredith Marcinkewicz

According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, the Dog Days span July 3 to August 11—40 days following the summer solstice. These are traditionally the hottest and most humid weeks of the year. This year certainly felt extra hot and humid, but we survived.

Dog Days relate to Sirius, the dog star. It appears in the dawn sky until mid-August, depending on your location. Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky (excluding the Sun) and can even be seen under the right conditions during daylight. As part of Canis Major—the “Greater Dog”—it earned the nickname Dog Star. Its brightness made it easy for ancient civilizations to track and attach meaning to it, from agricultural calendars in Egypt to weather superstitions in Greece and Rome.

According to the Baseball Almanac – In baseball, the “dog days” refer to the grueling, slow-moving stretch of the season in late July and August. This period is characterized by exhausting hot weather, tired players, and a lull in the 162-game schedule where non-contending teams are out of the race and games can feel meaningless. For Red Sox fans, it is a time of  both discouragement and of hope.