When someone mentions “February” to you, two things are likely to pop in your mind: It’s the shortest month on the calendar and it’s when Valentine’s Day is celebrated. Although both are true facts, there is a lot more to know about February. These are the facts that will make you a February expert:
All the Leaping
February has 28 days unless it is a leap year. Then it has 29 days. That leap only happens every 4 years. This is all thanks to Julius Caesar who assigned February to have that many days on the Roman calendar way back in 713 B.C.
February Birthdays
If you were born in February, then your birthstone is amethyst and your flower is primrose. You will also either be Aquarius (up until February 19th) or Pisces (all the rest of the month.) And if you were born on a Leap Day, then you would be called a “leaper” or a “leapling.” The odds of being born on Leap Day are around 1 in 1,461.
Winter or Summer
How cold it gets in February depends on where you live on the globe. In the Northern Hemisphere, February is the third month of winter. Down in the Southern Hemisphere, it is the last month of summer. If you find yourself between the North and South hemisphere, then it’s a lot like August.
Get Cleaning
The name February comes from the Latin “februum.” That means purification. Back in the day, February was named for a purification ritual among the early Romans. This was their version of “Spring cleaning.”
Get Baking
To the Saxons, February was called “sol-monath.” That translates into cake month. They spent the month baking and offering cakes to the gods.
No Moon for You
February is the only month when you can go without having a full moon. And February always starts on the same day of the week… unless it is a leap day. The same goes for March and November.
Ladies and Gentlemen, “The Beatles”
Finally, February 9th, 1964 was the day that the Beatles first appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show. They sang three songs: “All My Loving,” “Till There Was You,” “She Loves You,” “I Saw Her Standing There” and “I Want To Hold Your Hand.” How many people tuned in to watch? Only 73 million.
