The phrase “dog days” doesn’t actually come from our canine friends lolling around in the heat, apparently. It comes courtesy of the ancient Greek and Romans and has more of a celestial meaning than a four legged one. In July, Sirius, known as the “dog star” (because it made up the nose of the constellation, Canis Major, shaped like a dog) would rise at the same time as the sun. Because it was such a bright star, it was initially believed that its energy combined with the sun to create the hottest days of the year – the “days of…
