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February

{{short description|Second month in the Julian and Gregorian calendars}}

{{About|the month}}

{{Redirect|Feb.|other uses|FEB (disambiguation){{!}}FEB}}

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{{Calendar}}

February is the second month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. The month has 28 days in common years and 29 in leap years, with the 29th day being called the leap day.

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 August in the Northern Hemisphere.

Pronunciation

"February" can be pronounced in several different ways. The beginning of the word is commonly pronounced either as {{IPAc-en|audio=En-us-February.ogg|ˈ|f|ɛ|b|j|u|-}} {{respell|FEB|yoo|-}} or {{IPAc-en|ˈ|f|ɛ|b|r|u|-}} {{respell|FEB|roo|-}}; many people drop the first "r", replacing it with {{IPAc-en|j}}, as if it were spelled "Febuary". This comes about by analogy with "January" ({{IPAc-en|audio=En-us-January.ogg|ˈ|dʒ|æ|n|.|j|u|-}}), as well as by a dissimilation effect whereby having two "r"s close to each other causes one to change.{{cite web |url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/february |title=February | Definition of February by Merriam-Webster |website=Merriam-webster.com |access-date=2016-09-17 |archive-date=2016-09-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160918005620/http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/February |url-status=live }}{{cite LPD|3}} The ending of the word is pronounced {{IPAc-en|-|ɛr|i}} {{respell|-|err|ee}} in the US and {{IPAc-en|-|ər|i}} {{respell|-|ər|ee}} in the UK.

History

File:Les Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry février.jpg}}]]

File:Februar Leandro Bassano.jpg]]

The Roman month {{lang|la|Februarius}} was named after the Latin term {{lang|la|februum}}, which means "purification", via the purification ritual {{lang|la|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 of the year. They were added by Numa Pompilius about 713 BC. February remained the last month of the calendar year until the time of the decemvirs ({{circa|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 {{lang|fi|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 {{lang|pl|luty}} or {{lang|uk|лютий}} ({{transliteration|uk|lyutiy}}), meaning the month of ice or hard frost. In Macedonian the month is {{transliteration|mk|sečko}} ({{lang|mk|сечко}}), meaning month of cutting (wood). In Czech, it is called {{lang|cs|únor}}, meaning month of submerging (of river ice).

In Slovene, February is traditionally called {{lang|sl|svečan}}, related to icicles or Candlemas.{{citation |url=http://www.dobrova-polhovgradec.si/doc/priponke/koledar%20prir%2007%20zadnji.pdf |title=Koledar prireditev v letu 2007 in druge informacije občine Dobrova–Polhov Gradec |language=sl |trans-title=The Calendar of Events and Other Information of the Municipality of Dobrova–Polhov Gradec |publisher=Municipality of Dobrova-Polhov Gradec |year=2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102060918/http://www.dobrova-polhovgradec.si/doc/priponke/koledar%20prir%2007%20zadnji.pdf |archive-date=2013-11-02 }} This name originates from {{lang|sl|sičan}},{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0V9gAAAAMAAJ|title=Zeitschrift für slavische Philologie |publisher=Markert&Petters|year=1972|editor-first=Max|editor-last=Vasmer|page=115|volume=36–37|access-date=2020-10-02|archive-date=2021-02-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210206103250/https://books.google.com/books?id=0V9gAAAAMAAJ|url-status=live}} written as {{lang|sl|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 {{lang|sl|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 {{lang|sl|talnik}} (related to ice melting), but it did not stick. The idea was proposed by a priest, Blaž Potočnik.{{cite journal|url=http://www.dlib.si/details/URN:NBN:SI:doc-ACZAUJWT/?&language=eng|journal=Kmetijske in Rokodelske Novice|title=Slovenska imena mesecev|trans-title=Slovene Names of Months|volume=6|issue=37|date=13 September 1848|access-date=8 March 2016|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304201917/http://www.dlib.si/details/URN:NBN:SI:doc-ACZAUJWT/?&language=eng|url-status=live}} Another name of February in Slovene was {{lang|sl|vesnar}}, after the mythological character Vesna.{{cite journal|url=http://www.posta.si/downloadfile.aspx?fileid=14263|title=Slovenska mitologija – Vesna|language=sl, en, de|trans-title=Slovene Mythology – Vesna|journal=Bilten; poštne znamke [Bulletin: Postage Stamps]|issue=56|year=2005|issn=1318-6280|first=Janez|last=Bogataj|access-date=2016-03-08|archive-date=2015-09-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924080359/http://www.posta.si/downloadfile.aspx?fileid=14263|url-status=live}}

Patterns

File: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. 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.{{Cite web|title=Moon Phases 2018 – Lunar Calendar for London, England, United Kingdom|url=https://www.timeanddate.com/moon/phases/uk/london?year=2018|access-date=2021-08-25|website=www.timeanddate.com|language=en|archive-date=2021-08-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210829121541/https://www.timeanddate.com/moon/phases/uk/london?year=2018|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.timeanddate.com/moon/phases/uk/london?year=2037|title=Moon Phases 2037 – Lunar Calendar for London, England, United Kingdom|access-date=2018-03-03|archive-date=2018-03-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180303225455/https://www.timeanddate.com/moon/phases/uk/london?year=2037|url-status=live}} 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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.timeanddate.com/moon/phases/uk/london?year=2014|title=Moon Phases 2014 – Lunar Calendar for London, England, United Kingdom|access-date=2017-10-26|archive-date=2017-10-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171026213659/https://www.timeanddate.com/moon/phases/uk/london?year=2014|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.timeanddate.com/moon/phases/uk/london?year=2033|title=Moon Phases 2033 – Lunar Calendar for London, England, United Kingdom|access-date=2017-10-26|archive-date=2017-10-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171026163025/https://www.timeanddate.com/moon/phases/uk/london?year=2033|url-status=live}}

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

File:1760 - Salzburg - Stiftskirche St Peter - Viola.JPG]]File:Primrose primula cultivars in Great Canfield churchyard, Essex, England 01.jpg primroses]]File:Siberian Iris Iris sibirica Flower Closeup 2520px.jpg]]File:Améthystre sceptre2.jpg

The zodiac signs of February are Aquarius (until February 18) and Pisces (February 19 onward).{{cite web |url=http://www.americangemsociety.org/february-birthstones |title=February Birthstone | Amethyst |website=Americangemsociety.org |access-date=2016-09-17 |archive-date=2013-06-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130630094932/http://www.americangemsociety.org/february-birthstones |url-status=live }}

Its birth flowers are the violet (Viola), the common primrose (Primula vulgaris),{{cite web |url=http://www.babiesonline.com/flowersbirthmonth/ |title=Birth Month Flowers |website=Babiesonline.com |access-date=2016-09-17 |archive-date=2016-08-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160805050107/https://www.babiesonline.com/flowersbirthmonth/ |url-status=dead }} and the Iris.{{Cite web|url=https://www.1stinflowers.com/fom_february.html|title=Birth Month Flower of February - the Iris|access-date=2018-10-16|archive-date=2018-10-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181016165235/https://www.1stinflowers.com/fom_february.html|url-status=live}} Its birthstone is the amethyst, which symbolizes piety, humility, spiritual wisdom, and sincerity.{{Cite web |date=1 September 2024 |title=gia.edu |url=https://www.gia.edu/birthstones/february-birthstones |access-date=1 September 2024 |website=GIA}}

Observances

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

= Month-long =

= 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.)

= Movable =

First Saturday

First Sunday

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

First Monday

First Friday

Second Saturday

Second Sunday

Second Monday

Second Tuesday

Week of February 22

Third Monday

Third Thursday

Third Friday

Last Friday

Last Saturday

Last day of February

= Fixed =

References

{{Reflist}}

Further reading

  • 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.

External links

{{sisterlinks|d=Q109|c=Category:February|n=Category:February|b=no|v=no|voy=no|m=no|mw=no|s=no|wikt=February|species=no}}

  • [https://www.straightdope.com/21341610/how-come-february-has-only-28-days The Straight Dope: How come February has only 28 days?]
  • {{Cite EB1911|wstitle=February |short=x}}

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