February is the second month of the year in the

Julian Julian may refer to: People * Julian (emperor) (331–363), Roman emperor from 361 to 363 * Julian (Rome), referring to the Roman gens Julia, with imperial dynasty offshoots * Saint Julian (disambiguation), several Christian saints * Julian (give ...

and Gregorian calendars. The month has 28 days in

common year A common year is a calendar year with 365 days, as distinguished from a leap year, which has 366. More generally, a common year is one without intercalation. The Gregorian calendar (like the earlier Julian calendar) employs both common years ...

s or 29 in leap years, with 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) and the only one to have fewer than 30 days. February is the third and last month of meteorological winter in the

Northern Hemisphere The Northern Hemisphere is the half of Earth that is north of the Equator. For other planets in the Solar System, north is defined as being in the same celestial hemisphere relative to the invariable plane of the solar system as Earth's Nort ...

. 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).

Pronunciation

"February" is pronounced in several different ways. The beginning of the word is commonly pronounced either as or ; many people drop the first "r", replacing it with , as if it were spelled "Febuary". This comes about by analogy with "January" (), as well as by a dissimilation effect whereby having two "r"s close to each other causes one to change. The ending of the word is pronounced in the US and in the UK.

History

Les Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry février

Derived from the Latin word, the Roman month was named after the Latin term , which means "purification", via the purification ritual 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, since the Romans originally considered winter a monthless period. They were added by

Numa Pompilius Numa Pompilius (; 753–672 BC; reigned 715–672 BC) was the legendary second king of Rome, succeeding Romulus after a one-year interregnum. He was of Sabine origin, and many of Rome's most important religious and political institutions are a ...

about 713 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 times February was truncated to 23 or 24 days, and a 27-day intercalary month, 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 In Roman mythology and religion, Quirinus ( , ) is an early god of the Roman state. In Augustan Rome, ''Quirinus'' was also an epithet of Janus, as ''Janus Quirinus''. Name Attestations The name of god Quirinus is recorded across Roman sourc ...

(February 17), Feralia (February 21), Caristia (February 22), Terminalia (February 23), Regifugium (February 24), and

Agonium Martiale An Agonalia or Agonia was an obscure archaic religious observance celebrated in ancient Rome several times a year, in honor of various divinities. Its institution, like that of other religious rites and ceremonies, was attributed to Numa Pompil ...

(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. Historical names for February include the

Old English Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...

terms Solmonath (mud month) and Kale-monath (named for

cabbage Cabbage, comprising several cultivars of ''Brassica oleracea'', is a leafy green, red (purple), or white (pale green) biennial plant grown as an annual vegetable crop for its dense-leaved heads. It is descended from the wild cabbage ( ''B.&nb ...

) as well as Charlemagne's designation Hornung. In Finnish, the month is called , 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 Polish and Ukrainian, respectively, the month is called or (), meaning the month of ice or hard frost. In

Macedonian Macedonian most often refers to someone or something from or related to Macedonia. Macedonian(s) may specifically refer to: People Modern * Macedonians (ethnic group), a nation and a South Slavic ethnic group primarily associated with North M ...

the month is (), meaning month of cutting (wood). In Czech, it is called , meaning month of submerging (of river ice). In Slovene, February is traditionally called , related to icicles or

Candlemas Candlemas (also spelled Candlemass), also known as the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus Christ, the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or the Feast of the Holy Encounter, is a Christian holiday commemorating the presentati ...

. This name originates from , written as in the ''New Carniolan Almanac'' from 1775 and changed to its final form by Franc Metelko in his ''New Almanac'' from 1824. The name was also spelled , meaning "the month of cutting down of trees". In 1848, a proposal was put forward in '' Kmetijske in rokodelske novice'' by the Slovene Society of Ljubljana to call this month (related to ice melting), but it did not stick. The idea was proposed by a priest, Blaž Potočnik. Another name of February in Slovene was , after the mythological character Vesna.

Patterns

Having only 28 days in common years, 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 In astronomy, the new moon is the first lunar phase, when the Moon and Sun have the same ecliptic longitude. At this phase, the lunar disk is not visible to the naked eye, except when it is silhouetted against the Sun during a solar eclipse. ...

: 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 A common year starting on Friday is any non-leap year (i.e. a year with 365 days) that begins on Friday, 1 January, and ends on Friday, 31 December. Its dominical letter hence is C. The most recent year of such kind was 2021 and the next one will ...

, in which February 1st is a Monday and the 28th is a Sunday; the most recent occurrence was

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...

, and the next one will be

2027 Predicted and scheduled events * January 1 – In the United States, books, films, and other works published in 1931 will enter the public domain, assuming there are no changes made to copyright law. * February 6 – Annular solar e ...

. In countries that start their week on a Sunday, it occurs in a

common year starting on Thursday A common year starting on Thursday is any non-leap year (i.e. a year with 365 days) that begins on Thursday, 1 January, and ends on Thursday, 31 December. Its dominical letter hence is D. The most recent year of such kind was 2015 and the next one ...

; the most recent occurrence was

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...

and the next occurrence will be

2026 Predicted and scheduled events * January 1 ** In the United States, books, films, and other works published in 1930 will enter the public domain, assuming there are no changes made to copyright law. ** ''Soup to Nuts'', the first on-scree ...

. 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.

Astronomy

February

meteor showers A meteor shower is a celestial event in which a number of meteors are observed to radiate, or originate, from one point in the night sky. These meteors are caused by streams of cosmic debris called meteoroids entering Earth's atmosphere at extre ...

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 The Delta Cancrids is a medium strength meteor shower lasting from December 14 to February 14, the main shower from January 1 to January 24. The radiant is located in the constellation of Cancer, near Delta Cancri Delta Cancri (δ Cancr ...

(appearing December 14 to February 14, peaking on January 17), the

Omicron Centaurids The Omicron Centaurids meteor shower has a radiant which is in the constellation Centaurus Centaurus is a bright constellation in the southern sky. One of the 88 modern constellations by area, largest constellations, Centaurus was included a ...

(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).

February symbols

1760 - Salzburg - Stiftskirche St Peter - Viola

*February’s full moon is called Snow Moon *Its birth flowers are the violet ('' Viola''), the common primrose ('' Primula vulgaris''), and the Iris. * Améthystre sceptre2

Its birthstone is the

amethyst Amethyst is a violet variety of quartz. The name comes from the Koine Greek αμέθυστος ''amethystos'' from α- ''a-'', "not" and μεθύσκω (Ancient Greek) / μεθώ (Modern Greek), "intoxicate", a reference to the belief that t ...

. It symbolizes piety, humility, spiritual wisdom, and sincerity. *The zodiac signs for the month of February were Aquarius (until February 18) and

Pisces Pisces may refer to: * Pisces, an obsolete (because of land vertebrates) taxonomic superclass including all fish *Pisces (astrology), an astrological sign *Pisces (constellation), a constellation **Pisces Overdensity, an overdensity of stars in t ...

(February 19 onwards). *Its animal is the tiger, the third of the 12-year cycle of animals in the Chinese Zodiac.

Observances

''This list does not necessarily imply either official status nor general observance.''

Month-long observances

* In Catholic tradition, February is the Month of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary. * American Heart Month ( United States) * Black History Month (United States, Canada) * National Bird-Feeding Month (United States) * National Children's Dental Health Month (United States) * Season for Nonviolence: January 30 – April 4 ( International observance) * Turner Syndrome Awareness Month (United States)

Non-Gregorian observance

''(All Baha'i, Islamic, and Jewish observances begin at the sundown prior to the date listed, and end at sundown of the date in question unless otherwise noted.)'' *

List of observances set by the Bahá'í calendar A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to: People * List (surname) Organizations * List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America * SC Germania List, German rugby union ...

List of observances set by the Chinese calendar The traditional Chinese holidays are an essential part of harvests or prayer offerings. The most important Chinese holiday is the Chinese New Year (Spring Festival), which is also celebrated in overseas ethnic Chinese communities (for example in ...

* List of observances set by the Hebrew calendar * List of observances set by the Islamic calendar * List of observances set by the Solar Hijri calendar

Movable observances

* Food Freedom Day ( Canada): Date changes each year * Safer Internet Day: First day of second week *

National Day of the Sun The National Day of the Sun (''Fiesta Nacional del Sol'' in Spanish) is an annual celebration of nature that takes place in the City of San Juan and other locations in the San Juan province, Argentina, usually during the month of February. It g ...

: ( Argentina) Date varies based on province First Saturday *

Ice Cream for Breakfast Day Ice Cream for Breakfast Day is an informal holiday celebrated on the first Saturday in February when some people deliberately eat ice cream for breakfast. History The holiday was invented on a snowy winter day in the 1960s by Florence Rappap ...

First Sunday * Mother's Day ( Kosovo) * Super Bowl Sunday ( United States) First Week of February (first Monday, ending on Sunday) * Doppelganger Week *

World Interfaith Harmony Week World Interfaith Harmony Week is a UN resolution for a worldwide week of interfaith harmony proposed in 2010 by King Abdullah II and Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad of Jordan. The World Interfaith Harmony Week falls in the first week of February of every ...

First Monday * Constitution Day ( Mexico) * National Frozen Yogurt Day (United States) First Friday * National Wear Red Day (United States) Second Saturday *

International Purple Hijab Day International Purple Hijab Day (sometimes known as Global Hijab Day or International Purple Hijab and Kufi Day) is an international day of remembrance for those who have experienced domestic violence. It is observed on the second Saturday each Feb ...

Second Sunday *

Autism Sunday Autism Sunday, also known as the International Day of Prayer for autism spectrum disorders, is an event observed annually on the second Sunday of February. History Autism Sunday was first held in 2002 during Autism Awareness Year in the United ...

( United Kingdom) * Children's Day ( Cook Islands, Nauru, Niue, Tokelau,

Cayman Islands The Cayman Islands () is a self-governing British Overseas Territory—the largest by population in the western Caribbean Sea. The territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, which are located to the ...

) * Mother's Day ( Norway) * World Marriage Day Second Monday *

Meal Monday Meal Monday (also known as Oatmeal MondayRodney Dale, ''Book of When: A Dictionary of Times And Seasons'', Book Sales, 2005, ) was a traditional holiday observed by the ancient universities of Scotland on the second Monday of February. During the ...

( Scotland) Second Tuesday * National Sports Day ( Qatar) Week of February 22 * National Engineers Week (U.S.) Third Monday * Family Day (Canada) (provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.) * President's Day/Washington's Birthday (United States) Third Thursday *

Global Information Governance Day Global Information Governance Day (GIGD) is a day that occurs on the third Thursday in February. The purpose of Global Information Governance Day is to raise the awareness of information governance. The annual observance was started by Garth Lander ...

Third Friday * Yukon Heritage Day ( Canada) Last Friday * International Stand Up to Bullying Day Last Saturday * Open That Bottle Night Last day of February * Rare Disease Day

Fixed observances

February 1 Events Pre-1600 * 1327 – The teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Queen Isabella and her lover Roger Mortimer. * 1411 – The First Peace of Thorn is signed in Thorn (Toruń), Mon ...

** Abolition of Slavery Day ( Mauritius) ** Air Force Day (Nicaragua) ** Federal Territory Day ( Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and

Putrajaya Putrajaya (), officially the Federal Territory of Putrajaya ( ms, Wilayah Persekutuan Putrajaya), is a planned capital city which functions as the administrative capital and the judicial capital of Malaysia. The seat of the federal government ...

, Malaysia) **

Heroes' Day (Rwanda) This is a list of public holidays in Rwanda. Rwanda observes fourteen regular public holidays. Additionally, the week following Genocide Memorial Day on 7 April is designated an official week of mourning. The last Saturday of each month is ''umuga ...

** Imbolc ( Ireland, Scotland, Isle of Man, and some

Neopagan Modern paganism, also known as contemporary paganism and neopaganism, is a term for a religion or family of religions influenced by the various historical pre-Christian beliefs of pre-modern peoples in Europe and adjacent areas of North Afric ...

groups in the Northern hemisphere) ** Lammas (some

groups in the Southern hemisphere) **

Memorial Day of the Republic A number of public holidays and special events take place each year in Hungary. Fixed public holidays Article J of the Constitution of Hungary on national holidays (1) The national holidays of Hungary shall be: a) the 15th day of March, in mem ...

( Hungary) ** National Freedom Day ( United States) *

February 2 Events Pre-1600 * 506 – Alaric II, eighth king of the Visigoths, promulgates the Breviary of Alaric (''Breviarium Alaricianum'' or ''Lex Romana Visigothorum''), a collection of "Roman law". * 880 – Battle of Lüneburg Heath: King ...

** Anniversary of Treaty of Tartu ( Estonia) ** Constitution Day (Philippines) **

Day of Youth (Azerbaijan) There are several public holidays in Azerbaijan. Public holidays were regulated in the constitution of the Azerbaijan SSR for the first time on 19 May 1921. They are now regulated by the Constitution of Azerbaijan. Holidays Main holidays Other ...

**Feast of the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple (or

) ( Western Christianity), and its related observances: ***A quarter day in the Christian liturgical calendar (due to

) ( Scotland) ***Celebration of Yemanja (

Candomblé Candomblé () is an African diasporic religion that developed in Brazil during the 19th century. It arose through a process of syncretism between several of the traditional religions of West Africa, especially that of the Yoruba, and the Roman ...

) **

Groundhog Day Groundhog Day ( pdc, Grund'sau dåk, , , ; Nova Scotia: Daks Day) is a popular North American tradition observed in the United States and Canada on February 2. It derives from the Pennsylvania Dutch superstition that if a groundhog emerges from ...

( United States and Canada) ***

Marmot Day Marmot Day is an Alaskan holiday established to celebrate marmots and Alaskan culture. Although local festivals have been part and parcel of frontier life for decades, Marmot Day became an official holiday on April 18, 2009, when the 26th Alaska ...

( Alaska, United States) ** Inventor's Day (Thailand) ** National Tater Tot Day ( United States) ** World Wetlands Day *

February 3 Events Pre-1600 * 1112 – Ramon Berenguer III, Count of Barcelona, and Douce I, Countess of Provence, marry, uniting the fortunes of those two states. *1451 – Sultan Mehmed II inherits the throne of the Ottoman Empire. *1488 – ...

** Anniversary of The Day the Music Died (United States) ** Communist Party of Vietnam Foundation Anniversary (Vietnam) ** Day of the Virgin of Suyapa (Honduras) **

Heroes' Day (Mozambique) :This is a list of holidays in Mozambique :This is a list of City-specific holidays in Mozambique

** Martyrs' Day (São Tomé and Príncipe) ** Setsubun (Japan) **

Veterans' Day (Thailand) Public holidays in Thailand are regulated by the Government of Thailand, government, and most are observed by both the public and private sectors. There are usually nineteen public holidays in a year, but more may be declared by the Cabinet of Tha ...

February 4 Events Pre–1600 * 211 – Following the death of the Roman Emperor Septimius Severus at Eboracum (modern York, England) while preparing to lead a campaign against the Caledonians, the empire is left in the control of his two quarrellin ...

Day of the Armed Struggle Angola has twelve public holidays that can be increased by bridge holidays if a holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday. 2022 has fifteen national holidays. Notes References Angola Angolan culture Society of Angola Holidays A holi ...

(Angola) **

Independence Day (Sri Lanka) National Day, also known as Independence Day, is a Sri Lankan national holiday celebrated annually on 4 February to commemorate the country’s political independence from British rule in 1948. It is celebrated all over the country through a fl ...

** Rosa Parks Day ( California and Missouri, United States) ** World Cancer Day *

February 5 Events Pre-1600 * 62 – Earthquake in Pompeii, Italy. * 1576 – Henry of Navarre abjures Catholicism at Tours and rejoins the Protestant forces in the French Wars of Religion. * 1597 – A group of early Japanese Christians ar ...

Crown Princess Mary's birthday Public holidays in Denmark Other special days Some of these days derive from politics, and some from Roman Catholic traditions that predate the current national church. Some are simply the Scandinavian tradition of starting the celebrations ...

(Denmark) ** Kashmir Solidarity Day (Pakistan) ** Liberation Day (San Marino) ** National Weatherperson's Day (United States) ** Runeberg's Birthday (Finland) **

Unity Day (Burundi) :This is a list of public holidays in Burundi.Burundi Business Holidays

< ...

February 6 Events Pre-1600 * 1579 – The Archdiocese of Manila is made a diocese by a papal bull with Domingo de Salazar being its first bishop. 1601–1900 * 1685 – James II of England and VII of Scotland is proclaimed King upon the death of ...

International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation is a United Nations-sponsored annual awareness day that takes place on February 6 as part of the UN's efforts to eradicate female genital mutilation. It was first introduced in 200 ...

** Ronald Reagan Day ( California, United States) ** Sami National Day (Russia, Finland, Norway and Sweden) ** Waitangi Day (New Zealand) * February 7 ** Independence Day (Grenada) * February 8 ** Parinirvana Day (some Mahayana Buddhist traditions, most celebrate on February 15) **

Prešeren Day Prešeren Day ( sl, Prešernov dan), full name Prešeren Day, the Slovene Cultural Holiday ( sl, Prešernov dan, slovenski kulturni praznik), is a public holiday celebrated in Slovenia on 8 February. It is marking the anniversary of the death of th ...

(Slovenia) ** Propose Day * February 9 ** National Pizza Day (United States) ** St. Maroun's Day ( Maronite Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, public holiday in Lebanon) * February 10 **

Feast of St. Paul's Shipwreck Malta is the country with the most holidays in the European Union. Since 2005, any holidays falling on Saturdays or Sundays do not add an extra day to the workers' leave pool. National holidays * 31 March: Freedom Day ('Jum il-Ħelsien') * 7 ...

(Public holiday in Malta) **

Fenkil Day There are approximately sixteen nationally recognized public holidays in Eritrea, a country in the Horn of Africa. The primary national holiday is Independence Day (24/05), Martyrs Day (20/06) and Revolution Day (September 1 - 01/09). Other commemo ...

(Eritrea) **

National Memorial Day of the Exiles and Foibe National Memorial Day of the Exiles and Foibe, or ''Giorno del ricordo'' in Italian language (English: Day of Remembrance), is an Italian celebration for the memory of the Foibe massacres, victims of the Foibe and the Istrian–Dalmatian exodus, wh ...

(Italy) *

February 11 Events Pre-1600 *660 BC – Traditional date for the foundation of Japan by Emperor Jimmu. * 55 – The death under mysterious circumstances of Tiberius Claudius Caesar Britannicus, heir to the Roman empire, on the eve of his coming ...

** 112 day ( European Union) **

Armed Forces Day (Liberia) The following are public holidays in Liberia. Public holidays Former public holidays References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Public Holidays In Liberia Liberia-related lists, Holidays Liberian culture Lists of public holidays by country, Liberia ...

** Day of Revenue Service (Azerbaijan) ** Evelio Javier Day (

Panay Panay is the sixth-largest and fourth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total land area of and has a total population of 4,542,926 as of 2020 census. Panay comprises 4.4 percent of the entire population of the country. The City o ...

Island, the Philippines) **Feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes ( Catholic Church), and its related observance: ***

World Day of the Sick The World Day of the Sick is an awareness day, or observance, in the Catholic Church intended for "prayer and sharing, of offering one's suffering for the good of the Church and of reminding everyone to see in his sick brother or sister the face of ...

( Roman Catholic Church) ** Inventors' Day (United States) ** National Foundation Day (Japan) **

Youth Day (Cameroon) :This is a list of Public holiday, holidays in Cameroon Fixed Movable holidays The following holidays ''are'' public holidays but the date on which each occurs varies, according to its corresponding calendar, and thus has no set date. See als ...

* February 12 **

Darwin Day Darwin Day is a celebration to commemorate the birthday of Charles Darwin on 12 February 1809. The day is used to highlight Darwin's contributions to science and to promote science in general. Darwin Day is celebrated around the world. Histo ...

( International) ** Georgia Day ( Georgia (U.S. state)) ** International Day of Women's Health ** Lincoln's Birthday (United States) **

National Freedom to Marry Day National Freedom to Marry Day is a non-official United States holiday held annually on February 12 to promote same-sex marriage. The holiday was founded in 1998 by Lambda Legal, a gay rights advocacy law firm based out of Washington, DC. The most n ...

(United States) ** Red Hand Day ( United Nations) ** Sexual and Reproductive Health Awareness Day (Canada) **

Union Day (Myanmar) Several public holidays are observed in Myanmar. Public holidays References External links 2012 Public Holidays in Myanmar* 2016 Public Holidays in Myanmar {{DEFAULTSORT:Public Holidays In Myanmar Myanmar Burmese culture Observanc ...

Youth Day (Venezuela) The table below shows a list of the most notable holidays in Venezuela. Popular and public holidays are included in the list. Other public holidays may be observed. In 2019, several days were announced as national holidays based on widespread bla ...

February 13 Events Pre-1600 * 962 – Emperor Otto I and Pope John XII co-sign the ''Diploma Ottonianum'', recognizing John as ruler of Rome. *1322 – The central tower of Ely Cathedral falls on the night of 12th–13th. *1462 – The ...

Children's Day (Myanmar) Children's Day is a commemorative date celebrated annually in honor of children, whose date of observance varies by country. In 1925, International Children's Day was first proclaimed in Geneva during the World Conference on Child Welfare. Sin ...

World Radio Day World Radio Day (french: Le jour mondial de la radio) is an international day celebrated on 13 February each year. The Day was decided by UNESCO on 3 November 2011 during its 36th conference. Background Following a request from the Spanish Ra ...

February 14 Events Pre-1600 * 748 – Abbasid Revolution: The Hashimi rebels under Abu Muslim Khorasani take Merv, capital of the Umayyad province Khorasan, marking the consolidation of the Abbasid revolt. * 842 – Charles the Bald and Louis ...

** Statehood Day ( Arizona, United States) ** Statehood Day ( Oregon, United States) ** Presentation of Jesus at the Temple ( Armenian Apostolic Church) ** V-Day (movement) ( International) ** Valentine's Day ( International) *** Singles Awareness Day *

February 15 Events Pre-1600 * 438 – Roman emperor Theodosius II publishes the law codex Codex Theodosianus * 590 – Khosrau II is crowned king of Persia. * 706 – Byzantine emperor Justinian II has his predecessors Leontios and Tiberi ...

( Eastern Orthodox Church) **

International Duties Memorial Day The following is the list of official public holidays recognized by the Government of Russia. On these days, government offices, embassies and some shops, are closed. If the date of observance falls on a weekend, the following Monday will be a ...

(Russia, regional) **

John Frum Day John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

( Vanuatu) ** Liberation Day (Afghanistan) ** National Flag of Canada Day (Canada) ** National I Want Butterscotch Day (United States) ** Parinirvana Day (most Mahayana Buddhist traditions, some celebrate on February 8) ** Serbia's National Day **

Statehood Day (Serbia) Statehood Day or National Day ( sr-cyr, Дан државности, Dan državnosti) is a holiday celebrated every 15 February in Serbia to commemorate the outbreak of the First Serbian Uprising in 1804, which evolved into the Serbian Revolution ...

Susan B. Anthony Day Susan B. Anthony Day is a commemorative holiday to celebrate the birth of Susan B. Anthony and women's suffrage in the United States. The holiday is February 15—Anthony's birthday. History The idea of honoring Susan B. Anthony with a holiday h ...

(United States) **

The ENIAC Day ENIAC Day or the World’s First Computer Day is celebrated on February 15. On February 10, 2011, the City of Philadelphia officially declared that February 15, 2011 - the 65th anniversary of the unveiling of the Electronic Numerical Integrator ...

( Philadelphia, United States) **

Total Defence Day Total Defence is Singapore's whole-of-society national defence concept, based on the premise that every aspect of society contributes to the collective defence of the state. The strategy was first introduced in 1984 and adopted from the nationa ...

( Singapore) * February 16 ** Day of the Shining Star (North Korea) ** Restoration of Lithuania's Statehood Day (Lithuania) *

February 17 Events Pre-1600 * 1370 – Northern Crusades: Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Teutonic Knights meet in the Battle of Rudau. * 1411 – Following the successful campaigns during the Ottoman Interregnum, Musa Çelebi, one of the sons of ...

Independence Day (Kosovo) This is a list of public holidays in Kosovo. Annotations See also * Public holidays in Yugoslavia References

{{Europe topic, Public holidays in Lists of public holidays by country, Kosovo Kosovan culture Society of Kosovo Lists o ...

** Random Acts of Kindness Day (United States) ** Revolution Day (Libya) * February 18 **

National Democracy Day Public offices and most private businesses in Nepal operate six days a week and only close on Saturdays. International organizations have their own rules and are normally closed on Saturdays and Sundays. Government holidays for the upcoming year a ...

(Nepal) **

Dialect Day The , also Lewchewan or Luchuan (), are the indigenous languages of the Ryukyu Islands, the southernmost part of the Japanese archipelago. Along with the Japanese language and the Hachijō language, they make up the Japonic language family. Al ...

( Amami Islands, Japan) **

Independence Day (Gambia) This is a list of public holidays in the Gambia. Public holidays Variable dates *2020 **Good Friday – April 10 **Easter Monday – April 13 **Qadr Night (Revelation of the Quran) – May 20 **Korité (Breaking of the Ramadan fast) – May 2 ...

** Kurdish Students Union Day ( Iraqi Kurdistan) ** Wife's Day ( Iceland) *

February 19 Events Pre-1600 * 197 – Emperor Septimius Severus defeats usurper Clodius Albinus in the Battle of Lugdunum, the bloodiest battle between Roman armies. * 356 – The anti-paganism policy of Constantius II forbids the worship of pagan ...

** Armed Forces Day (Mexico) ** Brâncuși Day (Romania) **

Commemoration of Vasil Levski Vasil Levski ( bg, Васил Левски, spelled in old Bulgarian orthography as , ), born Vasil Ivanov Kunchev (; 18 July 1837 – 18 February 1873), was a Bulgarian revolutionary who is, today, a national hero of Bulgaria. Dubbed ...

(Bulgaria) **

Flag Day (Turkmenistan) Public Holidays in Turkmenistan are laid out in the Constitution of Turkmenistan, It acts as a list of nationally recognized public holidays in the country. Main public holidays * New Year's Day (January 1) * International Women's Day (March 8) ...

** Shivaji Jayanti (

Maharashtra Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...

, India) *

February 20 Events Pre-1600 *1339 – The Milanese army and the St. George's (San Giorgio) Mercenaries of Lodrisio Visconti clash in the Battle of Parabiago; Visconti is defeated. *1472 – Orkney and Shetland are pawned by Norway to Scotland ...

** Day of Heavenly Hundred Heroes ( Ukraine) ** Northern Hemisphere Hoodie-Hoo Day ** World Day of Social Justice * February 21 ** International Mother Language Day **

Language Movement Day (''Bhasha Andolôn Dibôs'') , nickname = bn, শহীদ দিবস (''Shôhid Dibôs'') , duration = 1 day , frequency = Annual , observedby = Bangladesh and Bengali speakers in India and elsewhere , date = 21 Feb ...

( Bangladesh) * February 22 **

Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter The Chair of Saint Peter ( la, Cathedra Petri), also known as the Throne of Saint Peter, is a relic conserved in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, the sovereign enclave of the Pope inside Rome, Italy. The relic is a wooden throne that tradit ...

( Roman Catholic Church) **

Independence Day (Saint Lucia) :This is a list of holidays in Saint Lucia. * 1-2 January: New Year's Day * 22 February: Independence Day, from the UK, 1979 * (variable): Good Friday * (variable): Easter Monday * 1 May: Labour Day * (variable): Whit Monday * (variable): C ...

** Founder’s Day (Saudi Arabia) ** Celebrity Day (

Church of Scientology The Church of Scientology is a group of interconnected corporate entities and other organizations devoted to the practice, administration and dissemination of Scientology, which is variously defined as a cult, a scientology as a business, bu ...

) ** Founder's Day or "B.-P. day" ( World Organization of the Scout Movement) ** National Margarita Day (United States) ** World Thinking Day ( World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts) *

February 23 Events Pre-1600 * 303 – Roman emperor Diocletian orders the destruction of the Christian church in Nicomedia, beginning eight years of Diocletianic Persecution. * 532 – Byzantine emperor Justinian I lays the foundation stone of a ...

** Mashramani-Republic Day (

Guyana Guyana ( or ), officially the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern mainland of South America. Guyana is an indigenous word which means "Land of Many Waters". The capital city is Georgetown. Guyana is bordered by the ...

) **

Meteņi Meteņi () or Metenis is an ancient Latvian spring waiting holiday, that ends on Ash Wednesday, which is followed by Lent. Meteņi is celebrated in February or early March, seven weeks before Lieldienas. Origins The Meteņi celebration prese ...

(

Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...

) ** National Banana Bread Day (United States) **

National Day (Brunei) This is a list of holidays in Brunei. Public holidays References Bruneian culture Brunei Brunei ( , ), formally Brunei Darussalam ( ms, Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi alphabet, Jawi: , ), is a country located on the north ...

Red Army Day Defender of the Fatherland Day (russian: День защитника Отечества ''Den' zashchitnika Otechestva''; kk, Отан қорғаушы күні; tg, Рӯзи Дорандаи Ватан; ky, Мекенди коргоочула ...

or Day of Soviet Army and Navy in the former Soviet Union, also held in various former Soviet republics: ***

Defender of the Fatherland Day Defender of the Fatherland Day (russian: День защитника Отечества ''Den' zashchitnika Otechestva''; kk, Отан қорғаушы күні; tg, Рӯзи Дорандаи Ватан; ky, Мекенди коргоочула ...

( Russia) *** Defender of the Fatherland and Armed Forces day ( Belarus) ** Emperor's Birthday (Japan) *

February 24 Events Pre-1600 * 484 – King Huneric of the Vandals replaces Nicene bishops with Arian ones, and banishes some to Corsica. * 1303 – The English are defeated at the Battle of Roslin, in the First War of Scottish Independence. * 13 ...

** Dragobete (Romania) ** Engineer's Day (Iran) ** Flag Day in Mexico ** Independence Day (Estonia) ** National Artist Day (Thailand) ** Sepandārmazgān or "Women's Day" ( Zoroastrian, Iran) *

February 25 Events Pre-1600 * 138 – Roman emperor Hadrian adopts Antoninus Pius as his son, effectively making him his successor. * 628 – Khosrow II, the last great Shah of the Sasanian Empire (Iran), is overthrown by his son Kavadh II. ...

** Armed Forces Day ( Dominican Republic) **'' Kitano Baika-sai'' or "Plum Blossom Festival" ( Kitano Tenman-gū Shrine, Kyoto,

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

) ** Meher Baba's birthday (followers of Meher Baba) ** Memorial Day for the Victims of the Communist Dictatorships ( Hungary) **

National Day (Kuwait) :This is a list of holidays in Kuwait. Some dates given are according to the solar Gregorian calendar widely used internationally and some dates are according to the lunar Islamic calendar. References Kuwaiti culture Society of Kuwait ...

** People Power Day ( Philippines) ** Revolution Day (

Suriname Suriname (; srn, Sranankondre or ), officially the Republic of Suriname ( nl, Republiek Suriname , srn, Ripolik fu Sranan), is a country on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north ...

) ** Soviet Occupation Day (Georgia) *

February 26 Events Pre-1600 *747 BC – According to Ptolemy, the epoch (origin) of the Nabonassar Era began at noon on this date. Historians use this to establish the modern BC chronology for dating historic events. * 364 – Valentinian I is p ...

** Liberation Day ( Kuwait) ** Day of Remembrance for Victims of Khojaly massacre ( Azerbaijan) ** National Wear Red Day (United Kingdom) ** Saviours' Day (

Nation of Islam The Nation of Islam (NOI) is a religious and political organization founded in the United States by Wallace Fard Muhammad in 1930. A black nationalist organization, the NOI focuses its attention on the African diaspora, especially on African ...

) *

February 27 Events Pre-1600 * 380 – Edict of Thessalonica: Emperor Theodosius I and his co-emperors Gratian and Valentinian II declare their wish that all Roman citizens convert to Nicene Christianity. * 425 – The University of Constantinople ...

** Anosmia Awareness Day ( International observance) **

Doctors' Day (Vietnam) National Doctors' Day is a day celebrated to recognize the contributions of physicians to individual lives and communities. The date varies from nation to nation depending on the event of commemoration used to mark the day. In some nations the day ...

** International Polar Bear Day **

Majuba Day Majuba Day ''(Afrikaans: Majubadag)'' was a major annual national celebration on 27 February in the South African Republic in the period between the First and Second Boer Wars. The day was named after the Battle of Majuba Hill (near Volksrust, S ...

(some Afrikaners in South Africa) ** Marathi Language Day (

, India) ** Independence Day (Dominican Republic) ** Anti-Bullying Day ( Canada) *

February 28 Events Pre-1600 *202 BC – Liu Bang is enthroned as the Emperor of China, beginning four centuries of rule by the Han dynasty. * 870 – The Fourth Council of Constantinople closes. *1525 – Aztec king Cuauhtémoc is executed on ...

** Day of Remembrance for Victims of Massacres in Armenia ( Armenia) **

Andalusia Day The Andalusia Day ( es, Día de Andalucía) is celebrated in 28 February and commemorates the 28 February 1980 referendum on the Statute of Autonomy of Andalusia, in which the Andalusian electorate voted for the statute that made Andalusia an auto ...

( Andalusia, Spain) ** Kalevala Day ( Finland) ** National Science Day ( India) ** Peace Memorial Day ( Taiwan) ** Teachers' Day ( Arab states) * February 29 ** Bachelor's Day ( Ireland, United Kingdom) ** National Frog Legs Day (United States)

References

External links

The Straight Dope: How come February has only 28 days?
* {{Authority control *02