February (Feb.) is the second month of the year, coming between January and March, with 28 days in common years, and 29 days in leap years. In Sweden in 1732 the month had 30 days. This was to make the calendar match to 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.
Last year (2020), February had 29 days in it because 2020 was a leap year. A leap year happens every 4 years because a year is actually 365 and a quarter days. To account for this quarter, every 4 years we gain an extra day in February, The next leap year will be….can you guess??? That’s right – 2024.
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.
The first of February is the day that St. Brigid brings the spring. To find out more about her story please follow this link: https://teachingcatholickids.com/saint-brigid-playing-with-the-saints/
