February

February is the second month of the year with 28 days in most years. In leap years February has 29 days. In Sweden in 1732 the month had 30 days. This was to make the calendar match the rest of the world. In 1930 and 1931, February had 30 days in the Soviet Union because the government changed all the months to be 30 days long. The name comes either from the Roman god Februus or else from "februa", the festivals of purification celebrated in Rome every fifteenth of this month.

February is one of the last two months to be added to the calendar (the other is January). This is because in the original Roman calendar, the two months of winter, when not much would happen in agriculture, did not have names.

From circa 700 BC, when Numa Pompilius, the second king of Rome, added it to the calendar, February had 23 days and 24 days on some of every second year, until 46 BC when Julius Caesar assigned it 29 days on every fourth year and 28 days otherwise.

February's flower is the violet and its birthstone is the amethyst. The meaning of the amethyst is sincerity.

Events in February

This is a list of annual events or festivals.

• February 2 is Groundhog Day.
• February 14 is Valentine's Day.

Trivia

• In February the Sun passes through zodiac constellations Capricornus and Aquarius.
• In most years February begins on the same day of the week as March and November.
• In leap years February begins on the same day of the week as August.
• The signs of the zodiac within the month of February are Aquarius and Pisces.