Transcript February- The Multifaceted Month!

February- The
Multifaceted Month!
February is so awesome, it can
have 28, 29, or even 30 days!
The Second Calendar Month
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February is the second month of the
year in the Gregorian Calendar. It is the
shortest Gregorian month and the only
month with the length of 28 or 29 days.
The month has 29 days in leap years,
when the year number is divisible four
(but not by 400). In other years the
month has 28 days.
The Julian Calendar
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The Julian calendar was introduced by Julius
Caesar in 46 BC, taking force in 45 BC or 709 ab
urbe condita. It was chosen after consultation
with the Alexandrian astronomer Sosigenes and
was probably designed to approximate the
tropical year, known at least since Hipparchus.
It has a regular year of 365 days divided into 12
months, and a leap day is added every 4 years,
hence its average year is 365.25 days. The
calendar remained in use into the 20th century
in some countries and is still used by many
national Orthodox churches.
Problems with the Julian
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However with this scheme too many leap days are added
with respect to the astronomical seasons, which on
average occur earlier in the calendar by about 11 minutes
per year. It is said that Caesar was aware of the
discrepancy, but felt it was of little importance. In the
16th century the Gregorian calendar reform was
introduced to improve its accuracy with respect to the
time of the vernal equinox and the synodic month (for
Easter). Sometimes the reference Old Style or O.S., as
opposed to 'New Style' for the Gregorian Calendar, is
used when there is a confusion about which date is found
in a text
The Gregorian Calendar
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The Gregorian calendar is the calendar currently used in
the Western world. A modification of the Julian calendar, it
was first proposed by the Neapolitan doctor Aloysius Lilius,
and was decreed by Pope Gregory XIII, for whom it was
named, on February 24, 1582 (Note: The papal bull Inter
gravissimas was signed in the year 1581 for unknown reasons,
but printed on 1 March in 1582. But other
contemporaneous papal bulls have years that do not agree
with March years, let alone papal years or other types of
years.)
Why is February called that?
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February was named for the Roman god
Februus, the god of purification. January and
February were the last two months to be
added to the Roman calendar, since the
Romans originally considered winter a
monthless period. This change was made by
Numa Pompilius about 700 BCE in order to
bring the calendar in line with a standard
lunar year.
Numa Pompilius- Great Man!
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According to legend, Numa Pompilius was
the second of the Kings of Rome, succeeding
Romulus. His wife, the goddess Egeria, met
him by a spring in a sacred grove and taught
him how to be a wise legislator. He was later
celebrated for his piety. Wishing to show his
favour, the god Mars caused a shield to fall
from the sky on the Palatine Hill, which had
letters of prophecy written on it, and in which
the fate of Rome as a city was tied up
Intercalary month?
What’s that?
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February was nominally the last
month of the Roman calendar,
as the year originally began in
March. At certain intervals
Roman priests inserted an
intercalary month, Mercedonius,
after February to realign the
year with the seasons.
Mercedonius Explained
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Mercedonius was a month in the ancient Roman
calendar. Also known as Intercalaris it was a
intercalary month of 22 days, being inserted into the
month of Februarius only in leap years.
Originally this month was inserted every two years
to realign the Numa's 355 day calendar with the
seasons. Later a system inserting several months
every eight years was adopted from the Greek
calendar. Neither system reflected the true length of
the year very well and priests often forgot to insert
the months at the proper times.
February and 30 days?
Say What?
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In 1929 the Soviet Union introduced a revolutionary calendar in which every month had 30
days and the remaining 5 or 6 days were monthless holidays. In 1930 and 1931, it thus had a
February 30, but in 1932 the months regained their old lengths.
Thus 1700 was not a leap year in Sweden, but both 1704 and 1708 were leap years contrary to
the plan. This brought the Swedish calendar one day ahead of the Julian calendar but still ten
days behind the Gregorian calendar. This confusion was reduced when, in 1712, two leap days
were added, thus giving that year a February 30.
Events in February
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February 12 is Lord Faust Birthday
February 14 is St. Valentine's Day
February 21 is Language Martyrs' Day celebrated by
Bengali-speaking people
February 21 is International Mother Language Day
In the United States, February is Black History
Month.
February's flower is the primrose.
February's birthstone is the amethyst.