Why is the month of February still the shortest?

February is the shortest month of the year, but how to explain this difference? And what are the historical origins? Explanations.

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Lunar calendar vs. Julian calendar

It all starts in ancient era, while the years in the Roman calendar started on March 1st. This lunar calendar cuts a year in 10 months and 61 days around, for a total of 355 days normally. Every two years, Numa Pompilus, a legendary king of Rome, adds an additional month to wedge himself again on the sun cycle. A calendar organization that is difficult to keep in civil war times and which leads Julius César to reform it in 46 BC. J-C. 

Recommended by his Alexandria sosigenic astronomer, César then establishes the use of the Julien calendar (on behalf, you will understand), a calendar based on the solar year. As a result, the year has 365 days over 12 months and allows you to balance the seasons. 

But it takes a calendar year to the earth to go around the sun, it even takes 365.25 days to be more precise. A quarter of a day that is important and whose Julien calendar does not take into account. Consequently? A one -month gap every 120 years. 

And this is where the bissextile year comes in. Every four years, the year has 366 days for the simple reason that it is necessary to recover forgotten quarters of days in previous years.

Here, you know everything about the interest of stalling the calendar on the sun, but why 28 or 29 days in February? 

A simple story of jealousy?

Au moment de la réforme, César donne son nom (encore) au mois de juillet (quintilis devient julius). Mais c’est sans compter sur son successeur, l’empereur Auguste, qui décide de donner son nom au mois d’août quelques années plus tard. Le mois de juillet comptant 31 jours et le mois d’août seulement 30, Auguste aurait décidé de « prendre » un jour de février pour l’ajouter à « son » mois. D’autres sources prétendent que César aurait commencé les hostilités en enlevant, « par pur plaisir » un jour à février pour l’ajouter à julius. Ce qui donna des idées à son successeur, du coup. Ou encore, ces deux jours supplémentaires auraient été ajoutés en hommage à César et Auguste, retirés délibérément de février, dernier mois de l’année à l’époque. 

Macrobe, a Latin author, contradicts these statements and explains that long before Caesar and Auguste the month of February already consisted of 28 days. In fact, the other months had 29 or 31 but especially not 30 due to the superstition of the Egyptians in the face of peer numbers. February would then count 28 because it is dedicated to Februa, the feast of the Romans of the purification of the manes of the dead during which sacrifices are carried out.

February, singular month

Also be aware that February is the only month of the year during which one cannot observe full moon, because of its short duration. 

In addition, on February 30, was used only once, in 1712, in Sweden. 

Enfin, février est un mois particulièrement difficile à passer à en croire certains dictons : « Il vaut mieux un renard au poulailler qu'un homme en chemise en février » ou encore « Février le plus court des mois est le pire pour tous »…