February is the second month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. The month has 28 days in common years or 29 in leap years.
Let’s find out more about the month!
- February is the second month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars.
- The month has 28 days in common years or 29 in leap years.
- The 29th day being called the leap day.
- It is the first of five months not to have 31 days (the other four being April, June, September, and November).
- It’s the only one to have fewer than 30 days.
- February is the third and last month of meteorological winter in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere, February is the third and last month of meteorological summer (being the seasonal equivalent of what is August in the Northern Hemisphere).
- The Roman month Februarius was named after the Latin term februum, which means “purification”.
- The inspiration came from the purification ritual Februa held on February 15 (full moon) in the old lunar Roman calendar.
- January and February were the last two months to be added to the Roman calendar, because the Romans originally considered winter a monthless period.
- They were added by Numa Pompilius about 713 BC.
- Intercalaris, was occasionally inserted immediately after February to realign the year with the seasons.
- February observances in Ancient Rome included Amburbium (precise date unknown), Sementivae (February 2), Februa (February 13–15), Lupercalia (February 13–15), Parentalia (February 13–22), Quirinalia (February 17), Feralia (February 21), Caristia (February 22), Terminalia (February 23), Regifugium (February 24), and Agonium Martiale (February 27).
- These days do not correspond to the modern Gregorian calendar.
- Under the reforms that instituted the Julian calendar, Intercalaris was abolished, leap years occurred regularly every fourth year, 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 was February 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, but also contained a 29-day February.
- February is the only month of the year that can pass without a single full moon.
- Using Coordinated Universal Time as the basis for determining the date and time of a full moon, this last happened in 2018 and will next happen in 2037.
- The same is true regarding a new moon: again using Coordinated Universal Time as the basis, this last happened in 2014 and will next happen in 2033.
- February is also the only month of the calendar that, at intervals alternating between one of six years and two of eleven years, has exactly four full 7-day weeks.
- In countries that start their week on a Monday, it occurs as part of a common year starting on Friday, in which February 1st is a Monday and the 28th is a Sunday.
- The most recent occurrence was 2021, and the next one will be 2027.
- The pattern is broken by a skipped leap year, but no leap year has been skipped since 1900 and no others will be skipped until 2100.
- February meteor showers include the Alpha Centaurids (appearing in early February), the March Virginids (lasting from February 14 to April 25, peaking around March 20), the Delta Cancrids (appearing December 14 to February 14, peaking on January 17), the Omicron Centaurids (late January through February, peaking in mid-February), Theta Centaurids (January 23 – March 12, only visible in the southern hemisphere), Eta Virginids (February 24 and March 27, peaking around March 18), and Pi Virginids (February 13 and April 8, peaking between March 3 and March 9).
- The zodiac signs of February are Aquarius (until February 18) and Pisces (February 19 onward).
- Its birth flowers are the violet (Viola), the common primrose (Primula vulgaris), and the Iris.
- Its birthstone is the amethyst, which symbolizes piety, humility, spiritual wisdom, and sincerity.
- Some celebrities whose birthdays are in February include – Jennifer Aniston, Chris Rock, Michael Jordan, Harry Styles, Drew Barrymore, Sheryl Crow, Michael Bolton, Rebel Wilson, and Rashida Jones
- There are only about 5 million people around the world who share their birthday on the leap day.
- February is one of the most misspelled words in the English language
- The Saxons called February “Sol-monath” which means “cake month,” because they would offer cakes to the gods during February.
- February has been Black History Month for over 40 years.
- February, March, and November always start on the same day of the week unless it is a leap year.
- It was in February 1964 when The Beatles made their first American television appearance on the “Ed Sullivan Show.”
- On February 14 1929 happened the St. Valentine’s Day massacre occurred in Chicago as seven members of the Bugs Moran gang were gunned down by five of Al Capone’s mobsters posing as police
- On February 6, 1933 the 20th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was adopted. It set the date for the Presidential Inauguration as January 20th, instead of the old date of March 4th. It also sets January 3rd as the official opening date of Congress.
- On February 20, 1962 the astronaut John Glenn became the first American launched into orbit.
- On 14th of February we celebrate the Valentine’s Day!
- The probability of February 29 birthdays is 1 in 1,461.
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