February
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Month Number
Days In Month Calendar Named After Added By Date Of Addition Month Flower Month Stone |
Second
28 Days in common years and 29 Days in leap years. Julian and Gregorian calendars Latin term "Februum", which means purification King of Rome Numa Pompilius About 713 BC Violet (Viola) and the common primrose (Primula vulgaris) Amethyst |
February is the second month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is the shortest month and the only month with fewer than 30 days. The month has 29 days in leap years, when the year number is divisible by four (except for years that are divisible by 100 and not by 400 in the Gregorian calendar). In common years the month has 28 days. In the Southern Hemisphere, February is the seasonal equivalent of August in the Northern Hemisphere.
February starts on the same day of the week as March and November in common years, and on the same day of the week as August in leap years. February ends on the same day of the week as October every year and January in common years only.
February starts on the same day of the week as March and November in common years, and on the same day of the week as August in leap years. February ends on the same day of the week as October every year and January in common years only.
History
King of Rome Numa Pompilius
February was named after the Latin term februum, which means purification, via the purification ritual Februa held on February 15 in the old Roman calendar. January and February were the last two months to be added to the Roman calendar, since the Romans originally considered winter a monthless period. They were added by Numa Pompilius about 700 BC. February remained the last month of the calendar year until the time of the decemvirs (c. 450 BC), when it became the second month. At certain intervals February was truncated to 23 or 24 days; and a 27-day intercalary month, Intercalaris, was inserted immediately after February to realign the year with the seasons.
Under the reforms that instituted the Julian calendar, Intercalaris was abolished, leap years occurred regularly every fourth year (after a few years of confusion), and in leap years February gained a 29th day. Thereafter, it remained the second month of the calendar year, meaning the order that months are displayed (January, February, March, ..., December) within a year-at-a-glance calendar. Even during the Middle Ages, when the numbered Anno Domini year began on March 25 or December 25, the second month whenever all twelve months were displayed in order. The Gregorian calendar reforms made slight changes to the system for determining which years were leap years and thus contained a 29-day February.
Historical names for February include the Anglo-Saxon terms Solmonath (mud month) and Kale-monath (named for cabbage) as well as Charlemagne's designation Hornung. In Finnish, the month is called helmikuu, meaning "month of the pearl"; when snow melts on tree branches, it forms droplets, and as these freeze again, they are like pearls of ice. In Ukrainian, the month is called лютий meaning the month of ice or hard frost.
Under the reforms that instituted the Julian calendar, Intercalaris was abolished, leap years occurred regularly every fourth year (after a few years of confusion), and in leap years February gained a 29th day. Thereafter, it remained the second month of the calendar year, meaning the order that months are displayed (January, February, March, ..., December) within a year-at-a-glance calendar. Even during the Middle Ages, when the numbered Anno Domini year began on March 25 or December 25, the second month whenever all twelve months were displayed in order. The Gregorian calendar reforms made slight changes to the system for determining which years were leap years and thus contained a 29-day February.
Historical names for February include the Anglo-Saxon terms Solmonath (mud month) and Kale-monath (named for cabbage) as well as Charlemagne's designation Hornung. In Finnish, the month is called helmikuu, meaning "month of the pearl"; when snow melts on tree branches, it forms droplets, and as these freeze again, they are like pearls of ice. In Ukrainian, the month is called лютий meaning the month of ice or hard frost.
Important Holidays & Event in February
Chinese New Year's
- St Brigid’s Day: February 1, Ireland
- Groundhog Day: February 2, United States and Canada
- Chinese new Year: February 3rd
- Independence of Sri Lanka: February 4
- National Foundation Day in Japan: February 11
- Abraham Lincoln's birthday: February 12, United States
- Valentine's Day: February 14
- Flag Day of Canada: February 15
- Presidents Day (United States, Third Monday)
- International Mother Language Day: February 21
- Independence Day in Saint Lucia: February 22
- Flag Day of Mexico: February 24
- People Power Revolution (Philippines) February 25
- Liberation Day (Kuwait) February 26
- Dominican Republic Independence: February 27
- Leap Day: February 29 (Every four years, with some exceptions)
- National Day of the Sun (in Argentina)
February symbols
 Amethyst Its birthstone is the amethyst. It symbolizes piety, humility, spiritual wisdom, and sincerity.
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 Primula vulgaris Its birth flower is the violet (Viola) and the common primrose (Primula vulgaris).
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