February is the second month of the year in the
Julian and
Gregorian calendar
The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It was introduced in October 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian calendar. The principal change was to space leap years dif ...
s. 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 year
A leap year (also known as an intercalary year or bissextile year) is a calendar year that contains an additional day (or, in the case of a lunisolar calendar, a month) added to keep the calendar year synchronized with the astronomical year or s ...
s, 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
Winter is the coldest season of the year in Polar regions of Earth, polar and temperate climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring (season), spring. The tilt of Axial tilt#Earth, Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a Hemi ...
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
Summer is the hottest of the four temperate seasons, occurring after spring and before autumn. At or centred on the summer solstice, the earliest sunrise and latest sunset occurs, daylight hours are longest and dark hours are shortest, with ...
(being the seasonal equivalent of what is
August
August is the eighth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars, and the fifth of seven months to have a length of 31 days. Its zodiac sign is Leo and was originally named ''Sextilis'' in Latin because it was the 6th month in ...
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
In phonology, particularly within historical linguistics, dissimilation is a phenomenon whereby similar consonants or vowels in a word become less similar. In English, dissimilation is particularly common with liquid consonants such as /r/ and ...
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
![Februar Leandro Bassano](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c1/Februar_Leandro_Bassano.jpg)
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
The Roman calendar was the calendar used by the Roman Kingdom and Roman Republic. The term often includes the Julian calendar established by the reforms of the Roman dictator, dictator Julius Caesar and Roman emperor, emperor Augustus in the ...
. 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
The decemviri or decemvirs (Latin for "ten men") were some of the several 10-man commissions established by the Roman Republic.
The most important were those of the two Decemvirates, formally the " decemvirate with consular power for writing ...
(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 Mercedonius (Latin for "Work Month").) before beginning to be treated as nouns in their own right. ' seems to derive from ', meaning "wages"., also known as Mercedinus, Interkalaris or Intercalaris ( la, mensis intercalaris), was the intercalary mo ...
, was occasionally inserted immediately after February to realign the year with the
season
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...
s.
February observances in
Ancient Rome
In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–509 B ...
included
Amburbium
The Amburbium ("City Circuit", from ''ambire'', "to go around" + ''urb-'', "city"; plural ''amburbia'') was an ancient Roman festival for purifying the city; that is, a lustration ''(lustratio urbis)''. It took the form of a procession, perhaps ...
(precise date unknown),
Sementivae Sementivae, also known as Feriae Sementivae or Sementina dies (in the country called Paganalia), was a Roman festival of sowing.
It was a type of ''feriae conceptivae'' r ''conceptae'' These free days were held every year, but not on certain or fi ...
(February 2),
Februa
Lupercalia was a pastoral festival of Ancient Rome observed annually on February 15 to purify the city, promoting health and fertility. Lupercalia was also known as ''dies Februatus'', after the purification instruments called ''februa'', the b ...
(February 13–15),
Lupercalia
Lupercalia was a pastoral festival of Ancient Rome observed annually on February 15 to purify the city, promoting health and fertility. Lupercalia was also known as ''dies Februatus'', after the purification instruments called ''februa'', the b ...
(February 13–15),
Parentalia
In ancient Rome, the Parentalia () or ''dies parentales'' (, "ancestral days") was a nine-day festival held in honor of family ancestors, beginning on 13 February.
Although the Parentalia was a holiday on the Roman religious calendar, its observa ...
(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
Ferālia was an ancient Roman public festival Dumézil, Georges. ''Archaic Roman Religion''. pg 366. celebrating the Manes (Roman spirits of the dead, particularly the souls of deceased individuals) which fell on 21 February as recorded by Ovi ...
(February 21),
Caristia
In ancient Rome, the Caristia, also known as the Cara Cognatio, was an official but privately observed holiday on February 22, that celebrated love of family with banqueting and gifts. Families gathered to dine together and offer food and incense ...
(February 22),
Terminalia
Terminalia may refer to:
* Terminalia (festival), a Roman festival to the god of boundaries Terminus
* ''Terminalia'' (plant), a tree genus
* Terminalia (insect anatomy), the terminal region of the abdomen in insects
* ''Polyscias terminalia'', a ...
(February 23),
Regifugium
The Regifugium ("Flight of the King") or Fugalia ("Festival of the Flight") was an annual religious festival that took place in ancient Rome every February 24 ( la, a.d. VI Kal. Mart.).
History
Varro and Ovid traced the observance to the flight o ...
(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
The Julian calendar, proposed by Roman consul Julius Caesar in 46 BC, was a reform of the Roman calendar. It took effect on , by edict. It was designed with the aid of Greek mathematicians and astronomers such as Sosigenes of Alexandr ...
, 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
The terms (AD) and before Christ (BC) are used to label or number years in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. The term is Medieval Latin and means 'in the year of the Lord', but is often presented using "our Lord" instead of "the Lord", ...
year began on March 25 or December 25, the second month was February whenever all twelve months were displayed in order. The
Gregorian calendar
The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It was introduced in October 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian calendar. The principal change was to space leap years dif ...
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
Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first Holy ...
'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
Polish may refer to:
* Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe
* Polish language
* Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent
* Polish chicken
*Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...
and
Ukrainian
Ukrainian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Ukraine
* Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe
* Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine
* So ...
, respectively, the month is called or (), meaning the month of ice or hard frost. In
Macedonian 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
icicle
An icicle is a spike of ice formed when water falling from an object freezes.
Formation and dynamics
Icicles can form during bright, sunny, but subfreezing weather, when ice or snow melted by sunlight or some other heat source (such as ...
s 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
Franc Serafin Metelko, also known as Fran Metelko (14 July 1789 – 27 December 1860) was a Slovene Roman Catholic priest, author, and philologist, best known for his proposal of a new script for the Slovene called the Metelko alphabet, which ...
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
{{Unreferenced, date=July 2015
''Kmetijske in rokodelske novice'' ( en, Agricultural and Artisan News), frequently referred to simply as ''Novice'' (''News''), was a Slovene-language newspaper in the 19th century, which had an influential role i ...
'' by the Slovene Society of
Ljubljana
Ljubljana (also known by other historical names) is the capital and largest city of Slovenia. It is the country's cultural, educational, economic, political and administrative center.
During antiquity, a Roman city called Emona stood in the ar ...
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
Vesna (Cyrillic: Весна) was a mythological female character associated with youth and springtime in early Slavic mythology, particularly within Croatia, Serbia, North Macedonia and Slovenia. Along with her male companion Vesnik, she was asso ...
.
Patterns
![Valentines Day Chocolates from 2005](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/be/Valentines_Day_Chocolates_from_2005.jpg)
Having only 28 days in common years, February is the only month of the year that can pass without a single
full moon
The full moon is the lunar phase when the Moon appears fully illuminated from Earth's perspective. This occurs when Earth is located between the Sun and the Moon (when the ecliptic coordinate system, ecliptic longitudes of the Sun and Moon opp ...
. Using
Coordinated Universal Time
Coordinated Universal Time or UTC is the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time. It is within about one second of mean solar time (such as UT1) at 0° longitude (at the IERS Reference Meridian as the currently used ...
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
week
A week is a unit of time equal to seven days. It is the standard time period used for short cycles of days in most parts of the world. The days are often used to indicate common work days and rest days, as well as days of worship. Weeks are ofte ...
s. 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
The Alpha Centaurids are a meteor shower in the constellation Centaurus
Centaurus is a bright constellation in the southern sky. One of the largest constellations, Centaurus was included among the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd-cent ...
(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
Theta Centaurids is a weak meteor shower that occurs from January 23 to March 12. It is only visible from the Southern Hemisphere.
Basic information
*Abbreviation: TCE
*Speed: 60 km/s
*Rating: Weak
*Hourly rate: 4
*Peak Date: February 14
...
(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](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/1760_-_Salzburg_-_Stiftskirche_St_Peter_-_Viola.JPG)
*February’s
full moon
The full moon is the lunar phase when the Moon appears fully illuminated from Earth's perspective. This occurs when Earth is located between the Sun and the Moon (when the ecliptic coordinate system, ecliptic longitudes of the Sun and Moon opp ...
is called
Snow Moon
*Its birth flowers are the violet (''
Viola
The viola ( , also , ) is a string instrument that is bow (music), bowed, plucked, or played with varying techniques. Slightly larger than a violin, it has a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of ...
''), the common primrose (''
Primula vulgaris
''Primula vulgaris'', the common primrose, is a species of flowering plant in the family Primulaceae, native to western and southern Europe, northwest Africa, and parts of southwest Asia.''Flora Europaea'Primula vulgaris''/ref> The common name ...
''), and the
Iris
Iris most often refers to:
*Iris (anatomy), part of the eye
*Iris (mythology), a Greek goddess
* ''Iris'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants
* Iris (color), an ambiguous color term
Iris or IRIS may also refer to:
Arts and media
Fictional ent ...
.
*
![Améthystre sceptre2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a3/Am%C3%A9thystre_sceptre2.jpg)
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
Aquarius may refer to:
Astrology
* Aquarius (astrology), an astrological sign
* Age of Aquarius, a time period in the cycle of astrological ages
Astronomy
* Aquarius (constellation)
* Aquarius in Chinese astronomy
Arts and entertainme ...
(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 ...
(February 19 onwards).
*Its animal is the
tiger
The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus '' Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on u ...
, the third of the 12-year cycle of animals in the
Chinese Zodiac
The Chinese zodiac is a traditional classification scheme based on the lunar calendar that assigns an animal and its reputed attributes to each year in a repeating twelve-year cycle. Originating from China, the zodiac and its variations remain ...
.
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
American Heart Month is a month-long United States observance established by 36 U.S.C. § 101.
2009 edition
The President is requested to issue each year a proclamation—
:(1) designating February as American Heart Month;
:(2) inviting the ch ...
(
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
)
*
Black History Month
Black History Month is an annual observance originating in the United States, where it is also known as African-American History Month. It has received official recognition from governments in the United States and Canada, and more recently ...
(United States, Canada)
*
National Bird-Feeding Month
February is National Bird-Feeding Month in the United States."Bosak, Chris. "A Change in Attitude Regarding Feeding Birds." ''The Hour'' orwalk, CT3 February 2010.Rugg, Jeff. "It's National Bird-Feeding Month." ''The Herald-Mail'' (United States)
* National Children's Dental Health Month (United States)
* Season for Nonviolence">agerstown, ...
* Season for Nonviolence: January 30 – April 4 (International observance)
* List of Month-long observances#February, Turner Syndrome Awareness Month (United States)
''(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.)''
*
)
**Thomas Roy#Special days, Northern Hemisphere Hoodie-Hoo Day
**World Day of Social Justice
*February 21
**International Mother Language Day
**Language Movement Day (Bangladesh)
*February 22
**Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter (Roman Catholic Church)
**Independence Day (Saint Lucia)
**Founder’s Day (Saudi Arabia)
**Scientology holidays, Celebrity Day (Church of Scientology)
**Scouts' Day, Founder's Day or "B.-P. day" (World Organization of the Scout Movement)
**List of food days#February, National Margarita Day (United States)
**World Thinking Day (World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts)
*February 23
**Mashramani-Republic Day (Guyana)
**Meteņi (Latvia)
**List of food days#February, National Banana Bread Day (United States)
**National Day (Brunei)
**Red Army Day or Day of Soviet Army and Navy in the former Soviet Union, also held in various former Soviet republics:
***Defender of the Fatherland Day (Russia)
***Defender of the Fatherland and Armed Forces day (Belarus)
**Emperor's Birthday (Japan)
*February 24
**Dragobete (Romania)
**Engineer's Day (Iran)
**Flag Day in Mexico
**Independence Day (Estonia)
**Thailand National Artist, National Artist Day (Thailand)
**Sepandārmazgān or "Women's Day" (Zoroastrian, Iran)
*February 25
**Armed Forces Day#Dominican Republic, Armed Forces Day (Dominican Republic)
**''Kitano Tenman-gū, Kitano Baika-sai'' or "Plum Blossom Festival" (Kitano Tenman-gū, Kitano Tenman-gū Shrine, Kyoto, Japan)
**Meher Baba#Legacy, Meher Baba's birthday (followers of Meher Baba)
**Memorial Day for the Victims of the Communist Dictatorships (
)
**National Day (Kuwait)
**People Power Revolution, People Power Day (Philippines)
**Public holidays in Suriname, Revolution Day (Suriname)
**Soviet Occupation Day (Georgia)
*February 26
**Liberation Day (Kuwait)
**Public holidays in Azerbaijan, Day of Remembrance for Victims of Khojaly massacre (Azerbaijan)
**
(United Kingdom)
**Saviours' Day (Nation of Islam)
*February 27
**Anosmia Awareness Day (International observance)
**Doctors' Day (Vietnam)
**International Polar Bear Day
**Majuba Day (some Afrikaners in South Africa)
**Marathi Language Day (
, India)
**Public holidays in the Dominican Republic, Independence Day (Dominican Republic)
**Anti-Bullying Day (
)
*February 28
**Public holidays in Armenia, Day of Remembrance for Victims of Massacres in Armenia (Armenia)
**Andalusia Day (Andalusia, Spain)
**Kalevala Day (Finland)
**National Science Day (India)
**Peace Memorial Day (Taiwan)
**Teachers' Day (Arab states)
*February 29
**Bachelor's Day (tradition), Bachelor's Day (Republic of Ireland, Ireland, United Kingdom)
**List of food days#February, National Frog Legs Day (United States)
* Anthony Aveni, "February's Holidays: Prediction, Purification, and Passionate Pursuit," ''The Book of the Year: A Brief History of Our Seasonal Holidays'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003), 29–46.