February is the second month of the year of our Gregorian calendar of modern times. It is the shortest month of the year with only 28 days in common years and 29 days in leap years.
The old Roman calendar considered the winter season as a period without months and the year had only 10 months. The month of February was added, with the month of January, to about 700 BCE, so that the calendar reflects a standard lunar year of 355 days. February became the second month of the year around 450 BC, although this is the beginning of the last month of the year.
February was shortened to 23 or 24 days at certain intervals of the Roman calendar and a 27-day leap month was inserted after February to realign the year over the seasons. As part of the Julian calendar reform, the intercalary month was abolished and every four years it was declared a leap year. A twenty-ninth day was added in February.
