What to know

Why Does February Have 28 Days?

Who Does February Have 28 Days

Discover some facts about the month of February and why it is the only month out of 12 to account for 28 days only.

February, as you might know, is the second month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Not only is it the shortest month of the year, it is the only month of the year that can pass without having a full moon. This phenomenon happened last in 1999, and will happen again in 2018.

While many see it as the third month of winter, it only appears so to the inhabitants of the Northern Hemisphere. For the people of the Western Hemisphere, February is the last month of summer.

It is also the only month of the calendar that can have four complete weeks, starting on a Monday and ending on a Sunday. This happens once every six years, and twice every 11 years consecutively.

All months are either 30 or 31-days long, while February is 28, except on a leap year. On a leap year, which happens once every four years, the month has a leap day, February 29th.

The myth has it that the month once boasted 29 days every year, but a certain Augustus Caesar stole a day and added it to the month of August, which was named after him.

However, the truth is that February didn’t exist in the earlier calendars, and was added later on. During the 8th century BCE. Romans used the Romulus calendar, which was 10-months long, and started in March and ended in December. There were no months over winter. January and February were added later on, and by then, there weren’t enough days for the latter.

You Might Also Like