The month to purify
February is the second and shortest month of the year. Usually, this
month has only twenty-eight days. But every fourth year— called leap
year—an extra day is added. This keeps the calendar in time with the
seasons. If you were born on February 29, you have a real birthday only
once every four years.
At one time the Roman calendar had only ten months. Then, the Romans
added two months, Januarius (January) and Februarius (February).
They made Februarius the last month of the year.
Februarius comes from the Latin word februare, which means \”to
purify,” or \”to make clean.” It was in Februarius that the Romans
prepared themselves for the start of the new year, which began on March
1.
Long ago, people living in England called the month Kale-monath. Kale
is a kind of cabbage. This was the time of year when the kale plants
started to appear. Later, the name was changed to Sol-monath, or
\”Sun’s month,” because at this time of year the sun again begins to
warm the earth.
