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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, 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. 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 feb-YOO-- or feb-ROO--; 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 --ERR-ee in the US and --ƏR-ee in the UK.

A colloquial pronunciation (by haplology and metathesis) seen across dialects is (as if written) Febry.

History

Februar Leandro Bassano
February, Leandro Bassano

The Roman month Februarius was named after the Latin term februum, which means "purification", via 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, since the Romans originally considered winter a monthless period. They were added by Numa Pompilius 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 (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.

Historical names for February include the Old English 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 Polish and Ukrainian, respectively, the month is called luty or лютий (lyutiy), meaning the month of ice or hard frost. In Macedonian the month is sechko (сечко), meaning month of cutting (wood). In Czech, it is called únor, meaning month of submerging (of river ice).

In Slovene, February is traditionally called svečan, related to icicles or Candlemas. This name originates from sičan, written as svičan 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 sečan, 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 talnik (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 vesnar, after the mythological character Vesna.

Patterns

Valentines Day Chocolates from 2005
Chocolates for St. Valentine's Day

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: 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. In countries that start their week on a Sunday, it occurs in a common year starting on Thursday; the most recent occurrence was 2015 and the next occurrence will be 2026. 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 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).

Symbols

1760 - Salzburg - Stiftskirche St Peter - Viola
The violet
Primrose primula cultivars in Great Canfield churchyard, Essex, England 01
White and mauve primroses
Siberian Iris Iris sibirica Flower Closeup 2520px
Purple Siberian iris
Améthystre sceptre2
Amethyst crystals

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.

Observances

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

Month-long

  • 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)
  • LGBT History Month (United Kingdom, Ireland)

Non-Gregorian

(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
  • List of observances set by the Chinese calendar
  • 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

  • Food Freedom Day (Canada): Date changes each year
  • Safer Internet Day: First day of second week
  • National Day of the Sun (Argentina): Date varies based on province

First Saturday

First Sunday

First Week of February (first Monday, ending on Sunday)

  • Doppelganger Week
  • World Interfaith Harmony Week

First Monday

First Friday

  • National Wear Red Day (United States)

Second Saturday

  • International Purple Hijab Day

Second Sunday

Second Monday

Second Tuesday

  • National Sports Day (Qatar)

Week of February 22

  • National Engineers Week (U.S.)

Third Monday

Third Thursday

  • Global Information Governance Day

Third Friday

Last Friday

  • International Stand Up to Bullying Day

Last Saturday

  • Open That Bottle Night

Last day of February

  • Rare Disease Day

Fixed

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Febrero para niños

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