It's soooooooo hot here in France these days, it's the heatwave, called "la canicule" in French. When we first hear the word, we think of something related to a dog...We also use the expression "the dog days" in English to refer to the hottest days of the year....but why?
Here is a summary of the explanation:
The ancient Romans noticed that the hottest days of the year ( in July/ August) coincided with the appearance of Sirius, the Dog Star, which rises at the same time as the sun during this period and is even brighter than usual. Sirius is the brightest star of the sky after the sun and is part of the concellation called " Canis Major". The ancients believed that the star contributed to the heat of the day. Hence the word "canicule" refering to Sirius.
Stay cool, restez au frais! ( or enjoy the rain if you are lucky to have some!).
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