February and its origins

January and February were introduced into the Roman calendar by the emperor Numa Pompilius. Februare = 'purification'; this was the month of expiation and purification for Romans. Numa arranged for it to have 29 days except in leap years when it had, by the intercalation of a day between the 23rd and 24th, thirty.

When Augustus Caesar added a 31st day to the month named after him, so that it would not lack the dignity of having the full complement of days, he took a day from February, which could least spare it.

Now we drop a day from each century except those of which the ordinal number can be divided by four – again we take it from February. So there was no February 29 in 1800, 1900 and will be like this again in 2100, 2200, and so on.

Saxon name: Sprout-kale, sprouting of cabbage. Afterwards called Sol-monatt, return of sun.

February is represented in art by a man in a sky-coloured dress, bearing in his hand the sign of Pisces.

Categories: calendar-customs, calendar, almanac, folklore, history, ancient-rome, history, astrology