why February has only 28 days?

Answer 1

A widely believed--but possibly erroneous--story has it that February is so short because the Romans borrowed a day from it to add to August. August was originally a 30-day month called Sextilis, but it was renamed to honor the emperor Augustus Caesar, just as July had earlier been renamed to honor Julius Caesar. Naturally, it wouldn't do to have Gus's month be shorter than Julius's, hence the switch.

But some historians say this is bunk. They say February has always had 28 days, going back to the 8th century BC, when a Roman king by the name of Numa Pompilius established the basic Roman calendar. Before Numa was on the job the calendar covered only ten months, March through December. December, as you may know, roughly translates from Latin as "tenth." July was originally called Quintilis, "fifth," Sextilis was sixth, September was seventh, and so on.

To meticulous persons such as ourselves, Randy, having the calendar run out in December and not pick up again until March probably seems like a pretty casual approach to timekeeping. However, we must realize that 3,000 years ago, not a helluva lot happened between December and March. The Romans at the time were an agricultural people, and the main purpose of the calendar was to govern the cycle of planting and harvesting.

Numa, however, was a real go-getter-type guy, and when he got to be in charge of things, he decided it was going to look pretty stupid if the Romans gave the world a calendar that somehow overlooked one-sixth of the year. So he decided that a year would have 355 days--still a bit off the mark, admittedly, but definitely a step in the right direction. Three hundred fifty five days was the approximate length of 12 lunar cycles, with lots of leap days thrown in to keep the calendar lined up with the seasons. Numa also added two new months, January and February, to the end of the year. Since the Romans thought even numbers were unlucky, he made seven of the months 29 days long, and four months 31 days long.

But Numa needed one short, even-numbered month to make the number of days work out to 355. February got elected. It was the last month of the year (January didn't become the first month until centuries later), it was in the middle of winter, and presumably, if there had to be an unlucky month, better to make it a short one.

Many years later, Julius Caesar reorganized the calendar yet again, giving it 365 days. Some say he made February 29 days long, 30 in leap year, and that Augustus Caesar later pilfered a day; others say Julius just kept it at 28. None of this changes the underlying truth: February is so short mainly because it was the month nobody liked much--a judgment with which I heartily concur. Frankly, if the Romans had cut it down to 15 minutes, it wouldn't have bothered me a bit.

Answer 2

A widely believed — yet probable misguided — tale has it that February is so short by using fact the Romans borrowed an afternoon from it to function to August. August replaced into initially a 30-day month called Sextilis, besides the undeniable fact that it replaced into renamed to honor the emperor Augustus Caesar, purely as July had in the previous been renamed to honor Julius Caesar. for sure, it does not do to have Gus's month be shorter than Julius's, subsequently the change. yet some historians say it is bunk. they are asserting February has continually had 28 days, going back to the 8th century BC, whilst a Roman king by potential of the call of Numa Pompilius prevalent the easy Roman calendar. earlier Numa replaced into on the activity the calendar coated in basic terms ten months, March by using December. December, as you'll be able to nicely be attentive to, extra or less interprets from Latin as "10th." July replaced into initially called Quintilis, "5th," Sextilis replaced into 6th, September replaced into seventh, etc.

Answer 3

According to the story I heard Julius having renamed the then fifth month of the year for himself (July), Augustus felt the urge to do the same, taking the next month and lengthen ing it to match. At that time February was the last month of the calendar year (the year changing with the spring equinox) and it got clipped.
If you want to be confused, read about how Rome numbered the days of the month. The Ides of March was not a phrase for Shakespeare to use - they actually counted forward and backward from the middle of the month ("what day is it" "6 days to the Ides." etc.)

Answer 4

I always heard that Augustus Caesar didn't like the fact that Julius Caesar's month (July) had 31 days and his (August) had only 30, so he "stole" a day from February to make August have 31.

Answer 5

Because it was the low month on the totem pole. The original calender year started with March and ended with February, not January and December.

Answer 6

Because February is the suckiest month of the year and most people are anxious to get it over with as soon as possible.

Answer 7

because it makes the seasons fit, without getting off over the years.