The shortest month of the year and one often seen as full of romance, is February. Like the rose the month is practically synonymous with, February is more than just a pretty name.
First, a little history
Derived from the Latin word februa, meaning to cleanse, and named after Februlia, a month-long festival of purification and atonement celebrated by the Romans, February was not always our second month.
Coming in at just 28 days, February is the second month in our Gregorian calendar, but this was not always so, as the calendar originally consisted of ten months due to our early ancestor’s belief that winter was a dormant period and not worthy of being divided into named months.
To better align the calendar with the lunar year, Roman King Numa Pompilius added January and February to the roster in about 713 BC.
In 450 BC, February was moved from the end of the year to its final and rightful place as our second month.
February is also known as “Solmonath” in Old English, meaning “mud month” because of the month’s wet, often snowy conditions.
Holidays
Admit it, when thinking of February holidays, Valentine’s Day leapt to the forefront of your mind, didn’t it?
Well, there are more days to celebrate in February than the one where everyone is trying to dodge an imaginary, over-sized baby in a diaper armed with love’s bow and arrows, including:
February 2 is Groundhog Day
February 8 is the Super Bowl! This year it’s the Seattle Seahawks vs. the New England Patriots, and Super Bowl LX kicks off at 6:30 p.m.
February 12 is Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday.
February 14 is Valentine’s Day, a day associated with love and originating from the Roman festival Lupercalia.
February 15 is women’s rights leader Susan B. Anthony’s Birthday.
February 15 is also National Flag of Canada Day!
February 16 is President’s Day, a federal holiday also known as Washington’s Birthday that is celebrated on the third Monday in February.
February 17 is the Chinese Lunar New Year.
February 17 is Ramadan.
February 17 is Mardi Gras, aka “Fat Tuesday” or Shrove Tuesday.”
February 18 is Ash Wednesday, marking the start of Lent.
Not just a month of fun holidays, February is also all about bringing awareness to some pretty notable causes. For instance, the month is designated to honoring African American History Month, American Heart Month, and National Cancer Prevention Month.
What’s a Leap Year?
An interesting fact about the month is that it is the only one where a leap year occurs every four years. A leap year simply means the month that usually lasts only 28 days, leaps ahead every four years and lasts one additional day, bringing the month’s total to 29 days.
The extra day is added every four years to account for the sun’s orbit taking longer than 365 days to fully complete.
Another reason traces this discrepancy to King Numa, as Romans considered even numbers unlucky.
So deep was this doomed number thing, when it was discovered the sum of all the months was even, despite each month only having 29 days, King Numa ordered a day be cut from one of the twelve calendar months.
The Romans decided February could take one for the calendar as it was the month when they honored their dead and thus was probably unlucky anyway.
Written in the stars
February’s Full Moon, or Snow Moon, will reach its peak illumination Sunday, February 1, 2026. It is nicknamed the Snow Moon because of the heavy concentration of snow that typically falls nationwide during the month.
Also in February, a rare invisible moon, or Black Moon, occurs every 19 years.
A black moon can occur in one of three ways: the term used most often for a black moon is the second new moon of every month which occurs once every 29 months, or a black moon is also referred to as the third new moon in a season of three moons that usually occurs every 33 months, or sometimes in the month of February when there is no moon in the sky at all.
This unique phenomenon can only occur in February due to its 28 days being shorter than the lunar month. When there is no full moon in the month, January and March gain two new Moons. This occurrence is rare, only occurring every 19 years, with February’s next black moon not on tap until 2033.
For those born during this short month, zodiac signs Aquarius (January 20–February 19) and Pisces (February 20–March 20) rule you.
Aquarius is an Air sign with characteristic traits such as being independent, a free spirit, understanding, rational, struggling to express their emotions, and is considered a “social animal.”
Pisces are Water signs known for empathy, compassion, imagination, creativity, and being romantic.
Flowers considered to be fortunate for those born in February are violet and primrose. Signifying watchfulness and loyalty, gifting a violet signifies steadfast love, while primrose confirms life-long devotion.
February babies should consider carrying a chunk of quartz or amethyst around with them as it is thought to keep them sober minded and alert.
The odds of being born on February 29th is roughly 1 in 1,461 and if you are lucky enough to be born on this day, chances are you have heard yourself called a “Leaper” or “Leapling.”
Also unique to February 29th is “Bachelor’s Day” or “Ladies’ Privilege,” when women are allowed to propose to men.
A few famous historical figures born in February are:
• Born on February 12, 1809, the father of evolution Charles Darwin
• Also born on February 12, 1809, was America’s 16th President Abraham Lincoln
• Known for refusing to give up her seat during the Montgomery Bus Boycott, civil rights activist Ms. Rosa Parks was born on February 4, 1913.
• The United States first President George Washington was born on February 22, 1732.
• Famous astronomer and physicist Galileo Galilei was born on February 15, 1564.
• A former enslaved person who became a leader of the abolitionist movement in Massachusetts and New York, Frederick Douglas was born on February 14, 1818.
• Author of “The Grapes of Wrath” and “Of Mice and Men,” American John Steinbeck was born on February 27, 1902.
Inventor of the electric light bulb and phonograph, businessman Thomas Edison was born on February 11, 1847.