Although curling is a sport that wasn’t well-known to many people until the last few years, it’s actually a sport that probably has roots in the Middle Ages. An activity similar to curling dates back to at least the 16th century, but most codified rules and curling clubs didn’t actually form in Scotland until the 19th century.

Since then, it has spread all around the world and is played in Canada, the U.S., Sweden, Switzerland, and Norway. There’s even a holiday dedicated to this sport. This holiday is called Curling Is Cool Day and is observed annually on the 23rd of February.

The History of Curling Is Cool Day

Curling began in its most rudimentary form during the 16th century in Scotland. It was a game played with a large 20-kilogram granite stone that was “skipped” across frozen lochs. Originally, these stones didn’t have handles on them, but that would change during the 17th century.

In the 19th century, curling clubs began to pop up all around Scotland, and by the 20th century, curling as a sport had spread around the world. In 1998, curling was first played at the Winter Olympics, and from that point on, its popularity would only continue to rise. Unfortunately, it’s currently unknown who invented Curling Is Cool Day or when they invented it.

Facts About Curling

We wanted to leave our readers with a little bit of information about curling before we moved on to something else. After all, some people find curling to be a mysterious or confusing sport. So, to help everyone understand it a little bit better, we’ve listed some fun curling facts below.

• Each curling stone is made from rare granite that comes from one of just two quarries.
• Each curling stone is 36 inches in circumference and has a height of 4.5 inches.
• Two 4-player teams take turns scoring with 8 stones each.
• George Clooney, Vernon Davis, Bruce Springsteen, and Toby Keith are just some of the celebrities who are fans of curling.

Observing Curling Is Cool Day

Since this holiday is all about curling, we suggest that people take the time to learn more about it. This can be done by learning the rules, taking curling lessons, or learning about its rich history.

For people already familiar with curling, this is also a good day to have a curling match with friends and family members. We also encourage everyone to spread the word about this holiday using the hashtag #CurlingIsCoolDay on social media.