February 10845 225654040 2008-07-14T19:21:15Z Smarkflea 6012493 [[WP:UNDO|Undid]] revision 225647647 by [[Special:Contributions/68.47.16.204|68.47.16.204]] ([[User talk:68.47.16.204|talk]]) {{unreferenced|date=August 2006}} {{Month header}} {| style="float:right;" |{{FebruaryCalendar}} |} {{otheruses}} '''February''' is the second [[month]] of the [[year]] in the [[Julian calendar|Julian]] and [[Gregorian calendar]]s. It is the shortest month and the only month with fewer than 30 [[day]]s. The month has 29 days in [[leap years]], when the year number is divisible by four (except for years that are divisible by 100 and not by 400 in the Gregorian calendar). In common years the month has 28 days. See [[Julian calendar#Month lengths|Month lengths]]. February starts on the same day of the week as both March and November in common years, and August in leap years. Having only 28 days in common years, it is the only month of the calendar that once every six years and twice every 11 years, will have only four full 7-day [[week]]s where the first day of the month starts on a Sunday and the last day ends on a Saturday. This pattern can be observed in 2009 and can be traced back 11 years to 1998, another 11 years back to 1987, and 6 years back to 1981; and so on twice 11 years consecutively and once six years either forward into the [[future]] or back into the [[past]], unless 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. A year of this kind would be a [[common year starting on Thursday]]. == Overview == [[Image:Les Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry février.jpg|right|thumb|February, from the ''[[Très riches heures du Duc de Berry]]'']] February was named after the Latin term ''februum'', which means ''purification'', via the purification ritual ''Februa'' held on February 15 in the old [[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 700 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 intervals Roman priests truncated February to 23 or 24 days and inserted a 27-day intercalary month, [[Mercedonius|Intercalaris]], after February to realign the year with the [[season]]s. See [[Julian calendar#From Roman to Julian|from Roman to Julian]]. 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]], February continued to be the second month whenever all twelve months were displayed in order. February begins, astronomically speaking, with the sun in the constellation of [[Capricornus]] and ends with the sun in the constellation of [[Aquarius (constellation)|Aquarius]]. Astrologically speaking, February begins with the sun in the sign of [[Aquarius (astrology)|Aquarius]] and ends in the sign of [[Pisces (astrology)|Pisces]]. The [[Birthstone#Birthstones|birthstone]] is the [[amethyst]], and the [[Birthday#Birth_flowers|birth flower]] is the [[Viola (plant)|Violet]]. Historical names for February include the [[Anglo-Saxon language|Anglo-Saxon]] terms Solmoneth (mud month) and Kale-monath (named for cabbage) as well as [[Charlemagne]]'s designation Hornung. In [[Finnish language|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. Many people pronounce the 'u' of "February" as {{IPAEng|juː}} ''you'' rather than {{IPA|/uː/}} ''oo,'' by analogy with "January", which forces the first 'r' to be eclipsed, ''viz.'' {{IPA|/ˈfɛbjuːɛri/}} ''FEB-yoo-air-ee'' rather than {{IPA|/ˈfɛbruːəri/}} ''FEB-roo-uh-ree''. Otherwise, the flanking mid vowel ('e') and back vowel ('u'), combined with the final -ry syllable (front vowel 'ee') make the 'br' difficult for Anglophones to pronounce in the first place. The problem does not usually arise for [[Scots language|Scotiaphones]], however. The [[Scots language]] names for the month are ''Feberwary'' and ''Februar'', the latter usually pronounced with a long "ay" vowel in the first syllable. == Events in February == * [[Valentine's Day]]: [[February 14]] * [[Black History Month]] (United States) * [[Presidents Day (United States)|Presidents Day]] (United States, third Monday) * [[Dominican Republic]] Independence: [[February 27]] == 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. == See also == * [[February 29]] * [[Historical anniversaries]] == External links == {{wiktionary}} * [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_160.html The Straight Dope: How come February has only 28 days?] {{months}} [[Category:Months]] [[Category:February|*]] [[af:Februarie]] [[als:Februar]] [[ang:Solmōnaþ]] [[ar:فبراير]] [[an:Febrero]] [[arc:ܫܒܛ]] [[frp:Fevriér]] [[ast:Febreru]] [[gn:Jasykõi]] [[ay:Anata phaxsi]] [[az:Fevral]] [[bn:ফেব্রুয়ারি]] [[zh-min-nan:2 goe̍h]] [[ba:Февраль (Шаҡай)]] [[be:Люты]] [[be-x-old:Люты]] [[bs:Februar]] [[br:C'hwevrer]] [[bg:Февруари]] [[ca:Febrer]] [[cv:Нарăс]] [[ceb:Pebrero]] [[cs:Únor]] [[co:Ferraghju]] [[cy:Chwefror]] [[da:Februar]] [[de:Februar]] [[dv:ފެބްރުއަރީ]] [[dsb:Swěckowny]] [[et:Veebruar]] [[el:Φεβρουάριος]] [[myv:Даволков]] [[es:Febrero]] [[eo:Februaro]] [[ext:Hebreru]] [[eu:Otsail]] [[ee:Dzodze]] [[fa:فوریه]] [[fo:Februar]] [[hif:February]] [[fr:Février]] [[fy:Febrewaris]] [[fur:Fevrâr]] [[ga:Feabhra]] [[gan:二月]] [[gv:Toshiaght Arree]] [[gd:An Gearran]] [[gl:Febreiro]] [[ko:2월]] [[haw:Pepeluali]] [[hy:Փետրվար]] [[hsb:Februar]] [[hr:Veljača]] [[io:Februaro]] [[ig:February]] [[ilo:Febrero]] [[id:Februari]] [[ia:Februario]] [[ie:Februar]] [[iu:ᕕᐳᐊᕆ/vipuari]] [[is:Febrúar]] [[it:Febbraio]] [[he:פברואר]] [[jv:Februari]] [[pam:Pebreru]] [[kn:ಫೆಬ್ರುವರಿ]] [[ka:თებერვალი]] [[csb:Gromicznik]] [[kk:Ақпан]] [[kw:Mys Whevrer]] [[ky:Февраль]] [[sw:Februari]] [[kv:Урасьöм тöлысь]] [[ht:Fevriye]] [[ku:Reşemî]] [[lad:Fevrero]] [[lo:ກຸມພາ]] [[la:Februarius]] [[lv:Februāris]] [[lb:Februar]] [[lt:Vasaris]] [[lij:Frevâ]] [[li:Fibberwarie]] [[ln:Sánzá ya míbalé]] [[lmo:Febrar]] [[hu:Február]] [[mk:Февруари]] [[mg:Febroary]] [[ml:ഫെബ്രുവരി]] [[mt:Frar]] [[mi:Hui-tanguru]] [[mr:फेब्रुवारी]] [[ms:Februari]] [[my:ဖေဖော်ဝါရီ]] [[nah:Tlaōnti]] [[nl:Februari]] [[nds-nl:Febrewaori]] [[ja:2月]] [[nap:Frevaro]] [[no:Februar]] [[nn:Februar]] [[nrm:Févri]] [[nov:Februare]] [[oc:Febrièr]] [[pms:Fërvé]] [[nds:Februar]] [[pl:Luty]] [[pt:Fevereiro]] [[ksh:Febrowaa]] [[ro:Februarie]] [[qu:Hatun puquy killa]] [[ru:Февраль]] [[sah:Олунньу]] [[se:Guovvamánnu]] [[sc:Freàrgiu]] [[sco:Februar]] [[sq:Shkurti]] [[scn:Frivaru]] [[simple:February]] [[ss:INdlóvana]] [[sk:Február]] [[sl:Februar]] [[so:Febraayo]] [[sr:Фебруар]] [[sh:Februar]] [[su:Pébruari]] [[fi:Helmikuu]] [[sv:Februari]] [[tl:Pebrero]] [[ta:பெப்ரவரி]] [[kab:Furar]] [[roa-tara:Febbrare]] [[tt:Febräl]] [[te:ఫిబ్రవరి]] [[tet:Fevereiru]] [[th:กุมภาพันธ์]] [[vi:Tháng hai]] [[tg:Феврал]] [[tpi:Februeri]] [[tr:Şubat]] [[tk:Baýdak aý]] [[uk:Лютий]] [[ur:فروری]] [[vo:Febul]] [[fiu-vro:Radokuu]] [[wa:Fevrî]] [[vls:Februoari]] [[war:Pebrero]] [[yi:פעברואר]] [[yo:February]] [[zh-yue:2月]] [[bat-smg:Vasaris]] [[zh:2月]]