Think you're organised because you've got St Valentine's Day pencilled in on your calendar? Think greeting card manufacturers have run out of milestones to mark with new products? Think again.

February may be the shortest month of the year, but it's still action-packed and, as ever, the US leads the way. Not alone is it celebrating Groundhog Day, Valentine's and two dead presidents, February is National Canned Food Month, National Fiber Focus Month, Return Shopping Carts to the Market Month, National Humpback Whale Month, National Sleep Month, National Cherry Month, National Snack Foods Month, National Grapefruit Month, Potato Lovers Month, National Farm Woman Month and, of course, World Shovel Race Championship Month (in which contestants slide down a New Mexico mountain on waxed grain shovels at speeds of up to 80 mph).