FEBRUARY  , the second See also:

• MONTH
• MONTH (a common Teutonic word, cf. Ger. Mond, Du. maand, Dan. maaned, &c., and cognate with Lat. mensis, Gr. µi7v, &c., in other branches of the Indo-Germanic family; all ultimately from the root seen in the word for the moon in nearly all those languages

month of the See also:

• MODERN

modern See also:

• CALENDAR

calendar . In See also:

• ORDINARY (med. Lat. ordinarius, Fr. ordinaire)

ordinary years it contains 28 days; but in bissextile or leap See also:

• YEAR

year, by the addition of the See also:

• INTERCALARY (from Lat. intercalare, to proclaim, calare, the insertion of a day in the calendar)

intercalary See also:

• DAY (O. Eng. dreg, Ger. Tag; according to the New English Dictionary, " in no way related to the Lat. dies")
• DAY, JOHN (1574-1640?)
• DAY, THOMAS (1748-1789)

day, it consists of 29 days . This month was not in the Romulian calendar . In the reign of Numa two months were added to the year, namely, See also:

• JANUARY

January at the beginning, and February at the end; and this arrangement was continued until 452 B.C., when the decemvirs placed February after January . The See also:

• ANCIENT
• ANCIENT (also spelt ANTIENT; derived, through the Fr. ancien, old, from the late Lat. antianum, from ante, before)

ancient name of Februarius was derived from februare, to purify, or from Februa, the See also:

• ROMAN

Roman festival of See also:

• GENERAL
• GENERAL (Lat. generalis, of or relating to a genus, kind or class)

general expiation and See also:

• LUSTRATION

lustration, which was celebrated during the latter See also:

• PART

part of this month . In February also the See also:

• LUPERCALIA

Lupercalia were held, and See also:

• WOMEN

women were purified by the priests of See also:

• PAN (" pasturer ")
• PAN (common in various forms to many Teutonic languages, cf. Ger. Pfanne; it is generally taken to be an early adaptation in a shortened form of Lat. patina, shallow bowl or dish, from patere, to lie open)

Pan Lyceus at that festival . The Anglo-See also:

• SAXONS

Saxons called this month Sprout-Kale from the sprouting of the See also:

• CABBAGE

cabbage at this See also:

• SEASON (0. Fr. seson, seison, mod. saison, Lat. satio, sowing time, the spring, from serere, to sow; in Late Lat. the word is found with its present meaning, the spring being considered as particularly the season of the year)

season . Later it was known as Solmonath, because of the return of the See also:

• SUN
• SUN (0. Eng. sonne, Ger. sonne. Fr. soleil, Lat. sol, Gr. ijXior, from which comes helio- in various English compounds)

sun from the See also:

• LOW, SETH (1850- )
• LOW, WILL HICOK (1853- )

low latitudes . The most generally noted days of February are the following:—the 2nd, See also:

• CANDLEMAS (Lat. festum candelarum live luminum)

Candlemas day, one of the fixed See also:

• QUARTER (through Fr. from Lat. quartarius, fourth part)

quarter days used in See also:

• SCOTLAND
• SCOTLAND, CHURCH OF
• SCOTLAND, EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF

Scotland; the 14th, St See also:

• VALENTINE, or VALENTINUS

Valentine's day; and the 24th, St See also:

• MATTHIAS
• MATTHIAS (1557-1619)

Matthias . The See also:

• CHURCH
• CHURCH (according to most authorities derived from the Gr. Kvpcaxov [&wµa], " the Lord's [house]," and common to many Teutonic, Slavonic and other languages under various forms—Scottish kirk, Ger. Kirche, Swed. kirka, Dan. kirke, Russ. tserkov, Buig. cerk
• CHURCH, FREDERICK EDWIN (1826-1900)
• CHURCH, GEORGE EARL (1835–1910)
• CHURCH, RICHARD WILLIAM (1815–189o)
• CHURCH, SIR RICHARD (1784–1873)

church festival of St Matthias was formerly observed on the 25th of February in bissextile years, but it is now invariably celebrated on the 24th .