SERVICE ABOVE SELF


FEBRUARY 2021 : ISSUE 142


T


hirty days hath September, April,


June and November All the rest have thirty-one,


Excepting February alone which has twenty-eight clear And twenty-nine in each leap year.


We all remember learning this rhyme to remind us of the number of days in each month but do you know why February has only 28 days?


Well, its not because it is cold and no body likes February with everyone wanting it over as soon as possible, but actually, that’s not too far off the real reason. To find out we have to go back to the Roman calendar which had only ten months; March to December and then winter. Nobody l iked winter, and the farmers could do nothing in winter so they did not divide winter up. They just sat it out for a total of 61 days. King Numa Pompi l ius decided they could not just dismiss one sixth of the year, so he lined up the calendar with the 12 lunar cycles and added January and February at the end of the calendar year. However, there was a superstition that even numbers were unlucky, so all the months (except February) became odd numbers with either 29 or 31 days. To make sure the total for the year was also odd, February still had to have 28 days meaning poor old February became the ‘unlucky’ month. Of course, we know that the Roman calendar is 10.25 days short per year so, every so often the Romans had to fit in an extra 27 day month (notice the odd number!) which they called Mercedonius. This month had no fixed position and would pop up whenever the priests decreed. This was useful if you wanted your friends to stay in power a bit longer as you could just fit in a Mercedonius.


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All this was eventually sorted out by Julius Caesar, but February still only had 28 days.


Some other Facts about February


• In Welsh, February is sometimes known as “y mis bach” which means “little month.”


• The Saxons cal led February “Sol-monath” which means “cake month” because they would offer cakes to the gods during February.


• Of all the words you can misspell, February is one of the most misspelled words in the English language.


• February is the only month where it’s possible to go the entire time without having a full moon. •Its birth flowers are violet, the common primrose and the iris. •The birthstone is amethyst symbolising piety, humility, spiritual wisdom and sincerity. •February 2 is Groundhog Day which is the day we find out whether winter will last six more weeks or call it quits early. •February 14 is Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint


Valentine. It originated as a western Christian feast day honouring one or two earl y Chri sti an martyrs named Saint Valentine and is recognised as a signi f icant cultural, religious and commercial celebration of romance and love in many regions of the world.


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