Welcome February, the second month on the calendar, but originally the last! How many days are in February (hint: it’s a Leap Year)? Can you name 10 holidays and events? Enjoy these funfacts.
The Month ofFebruary
February comes from the Latin word februa, which means “tocleanse.”
It was named after Februalia, the Roman festival of purification, which was a month-long festival of purification and atonement that took place this time of year. See all the month names.
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While February is the second month in our Gregorian calendar today, it was originally the very last month added to the Roman calendar (c. 713 BC)!
Originally, the calendar was 10 months because winter was considered a dormant, month-less period. January and February were added by the Roman king Numa Pompilius to better align the calendar with the lunaryear.
Eventually (c. 450 BC), February was moved to its place as the secondmonth.
How Many Days Are inFebruary?
It depends! February is theonly month to have a length of fewer than 30 days!It’s usually 28 days, though February is 29 days long in leap yearssuch as2024.
But why 28 days? The Roman King Numa had originally made all months 29 days, as Romans believed that even numbers were unlucky. However, the sum of all the months was an even number. So February, a month for honoring the dead, was chosen as the unlucky month to consist of 28days.
Of course, the calendar went through many more changes, but the “28” days for February havestuck.
FebruaryCalendar
- February 2 is Groundhog Day—the day we find out whether winter will last six more weeks or call it quits early.How did this quirky tradition get started? Find out the meaning of Groundhog Day.
- February 10 is the Lunar New Year. Celebrated widely throughout East Asia, this holiday begins withthe first new Moon after the Winter Solstice and is associated with the ChineseZodiac.
- February 11 is the Super Bowl in 2024. See some tasty Super Bowl recipes!
- February 12 is Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday. The 16th president of the United States was born in a one-room, 16x18-foot log cabin with a dirtfloor.
- February 13 is Mardi Gras(aka “Fat Tuesday” or Shrove Tuesday), which is the final feasting day before the Christian tradition of Lent begins on the following day, AshWednesday.
- February 14 is Ash Wednesday, which marks the start ofLent.
- February 14 isalwaysValentine’s Day. Heads up, lovebirds! Today, the holiday is celebrated with love, flowers, and chocolate, but how did this holiday get its start?Learn all about Valentine’s Day.
- February 15 is Susan B. Anthony’s Birthday. How much do you know about this women’s rightsleader?
- February 15is alsoNational Flag of Canada Day!
- February 19bringsPresidents’ Day, a federal holiday also known as Washington’s Birthday that is celebrated on the third Monday in February.(George Washington’s actual birthday is February22!)
- February 29 is Leap Day! Happening once every four years, we are given an extra day in February. Some think this day brings good luck. Learn more about leapyears.
February is African-American History Month. The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution, and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the generations of African Americans who struggled with adversity to achieve full citizenship in Americansociety.
→Learn more about African-American History Month here.
FebruaryWeather
On average, February is the United Statessnowiest month, according to data from the National WeatherService.
What weather’s in store in your region?See your long-range weather forecasts for the month of February!
Here delicate snow-stars, out of the cloud,
Come floating downward in airy play,
Like spangles dropped from the glistening crowd
That whiten by night
the milky way.
–“The Snow-Shower,” by William Cullen Bryant(1794–1878)
FebruaryAstronomy
The Full SnowMoon
February’s full Moon reaches peak illumination on Saturday, February 24, 2024. Look skyward on that night to catch the best view of this fullMoon!
It’s known as the Snow Moon due to the typically heavy snowfall that occurs inFebruary. Other traditional Native American names for this Moon include the Eagle Moon (Cree), Raccoon Moon (Dakota), and Hungry Moon (Cherokee).Read more about the February Snow Moonhere!
FebruaryRecipes
Ready for football food?See our Super Bowl Dip Recipes—including spinachdip, guacamole, hummus, nacho layer dip, salsa,andmore!
For Valentine’s Day, we’ve gathered our favorite sweets and treats.See Valentine’s Dayrecipes.
Ifyou’re a chocolate lover, Valentine’s Day wouldn’t be complete without a dip into decadence. See our best chocolate dessert recipes.
EverydayAdvice
In honor of Valentine’s Day, check out these pages on tips and advice in the lovedepartment:
- How to Find Your PerfectMate
- How to Get Lucky the Old-FashionedWay
- The Aphrodisiac That ReallyWorks
Gardening
Have you started planning your garden? This is the time! We’ll give you advice on how to space your plans and more. Our online Garden Planner is free for one week. Have fun, play around, and plan agarden!
A few gardeningtips:
- Shop early for seeds from catalogs and garden stores. The early shopper gets the best choice of seed varieties. See our list of Seed and Plant Mail-Order Sources and our tips on ordering seeds.
- Start onions from seed now. They’ll be ready to set out in April. Onions from seed are generally firmer and longer lasting than fromsets.
- Start parsley indoors now. You may think you have successfully wintered over the plant, but it is a biennial and will soon go toseed.
See a list of gardening tips for February by region!
Astrology
- Zodiac Signs for February: Aquarius (January 20–February 19) andPisces (February 20–March20)
- See when Mercury Retrograde happens this year and what this means.
- FindFebruary’s best days to quit smoking, prune trees, garden, wean babies, cut hair, lose weight, and more.See our Best Days by the Moon’s Sign.
February’s BirthFlower
Even though so manyroses are sold during February due to Valentine’s Day, the Violet and the Primrose are the symbolicflowers.
- The violet signifies watchfulness, loyalty, and faithfulness. Give a violet to someone to let them know that you’ll always be there forthem.
- The primrose lets someone know that you can’t live withoutthem.
See allbirth flowers for the month and their meanings.
February’sBirthstone
Like the violet, February’s birthstone is a purple color. It’s the beautifulamethyst.
- This gem is a form of quartz; it can range from a pale lilac color to a deep, richpurple.
- The name is based on a Greek myth that speaks of a nymph named Amethyst who was inadvertently turned into white stone; in remorse, the Greek god Bacchus poured wine over her to turn her a beautifulpurple.
- The amethyst was thought to prevent intoxication and keep its wearer thinking sharply. It was worn by English royalty in the MiddleAges.
See more about birthstones for February.
FebruaryQuiz
- On February 4 of which year did the Electoral College unanimously elect George Washington as the first U.S. president?
- a.1777
- b.1779
- c.1782
- d.1789
- In celebration of Valentine’s Day, which English poet wrote a sonnet that includes the famous line, “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways”?
- 1. Elizabeth Barrett Browning(1806–61)
- 2. Lord George Gordon Byron(1788–1824)
- 3. William Shakespeare(1564–1616)
Answers at bottom of thepage!
Folklore for theSeason
Married in February’s sleety weather,
Life you’ll tread in tunetogether.
If February give much snow,
A fine summer it dothforeshow.
Fogs in February mean frosts in May.
If Candlemas Day [February 2] be mild and gay
Go saddle your horses, and buy them hay
But if Candlemas Day be stormy and black,
It carries the winter away on itsback.
It is better to see a troop of wolves than a fineFebruary.
*Answer to quiz:
George Washington: D. February 4, 1789. Congress certified the vote on April 6. Washington took the oath of office on April 30,
Valentine’s Day:1.The poem, titled “How Do I Love Thee?,” is Sonnet 43 in Browning’s book Sonnets From the Portuguese, which was dedicated to her husband, poet RobertBrowning.
