Every January 31st, hell freezes over. At least, that’s what Hell is Freezing Over Day suggests. This holiday must have been created by someone who witnessed something they believed would never happen. After all, the phrase “When hell freezes over” is used to describe the improbability of an event occurring.

It’s an idiom that originated in the 19th century and has remained popular well into the 21st century. How do you celebrate an idiom, you ask? We’re not quite sure, but we’re going to try to find the answer to that question as we spend a few minutes discussing this holiday.

The History of Hell Is Freezing Over Day

The idiom “When hell freezes over” was first coined in Middle American English to describe an unlikely event. During this time, hell was depicted as one of the hottest places in the universe and a plane of reality that would remain hot for eternity. Thus, it would be seen as highly unlikely that it would ever freeze over.

Now that we’ve explained the origins of this idiom, we decided to investigate and see if we could uncover the origins of this holiday. Unfortunately, that is just something we couldn’t accomplish.

All that we know about this holiday is that it was created sometime after 2001. We still don’t know who invented it or why they did so. I guess we’ll uncover the entire history behind this holiday when hell freezes over.

Some Facts About “Hell”

Okay, since we’re on the topic of hell, we thought we’d take a few moments to share some facts about this fictional place. Below are some of the hell facts that we’ve gathered and would like to now share with everyone planning on observing this holiday.

• The Mesopotamians believed that hell consisted of seven gates that were barred against escape or invasion.
• According to the Epic of Gilgamesh, hell is a house of darkness where the dead drink dirt and eat stone.
• Belief in the concept of hell has diminished over the past 100+ years due to cultural shifts caused by the Enlightenment and 19th-century Liberalism.

Observing Hell Is Freezing Over Day

Since we’re unsure of the intent behind this holiday, we’re also unsure of how it’s supposed to be celebrated. So we decided to come up with a few of our own suggestions. This is a holiday during which people can attempt to achieve those dreams of theirs that they consider impossible.

It’s also a good day to host a party with a complete “hell theme.” Red balloons and streamers, hot and spicy foods, and deviled eggs can all be used to complement this party’s theme. People can also spread the word about this holiday using the hashtag #HellIsFreezingOverDay on social media.