Why is February the month that's shorter than the others? ?

Question

Is there some reason why it's February instead of say, December?

Answer 1

I really don't know because its my busy month of the year...:-)

This was written in wikpedia:

February was named after the Latin term februum, which means purification, via the purification ritual Februa held on February 15 in the old Roman calendar. January and February were the last two months to be added to the Roman calendar, since the Romans originally considered winter a monthless period. They were added by Numa Pompilius about 700 BC. February remained the last month of the calendar year until the time of the decemvirs (c. 450 BC), when it became the second month. At certain intervals Roman priests truncated February to 23 or 24 days and inserted a 27-day intercalary month, Intercalaris, after February to realign the year with the seasons. See from Roman to Julian. Thereafter, it remained the second month of the calendar year, meaning the order that months are displayed (January, February, March, …, December) within a year-at-a-glance calendar. Even during the Middle Ages, when the numbered Anno Domini year began on March 25 or December 25, February continued to be the second month whenever all twelve months were displayed in order.

Answer 2

Why does February have only 28 days?

King Numa Pompilius added January and February. The days now added up to 355, approximately the number in 12 lunar cycles but still 10 to 11 days short of a solar year. So Numa invented an extra month called Mercedinus that would be added to February every other year.

Julius Caesar decided to ignore the lunar cycle and get rid of Mercedinus by arranging the number of days in the twelve months to add up to exactly 365 1/4. February wound up with 29 days plus an extra every fourth year.

It may have been Augustus, or maybe his admirers, who made the final adjustment to February. February 29 got shifted to August, which had been named in honor of Augustus, because August needed an extra day to be equal to July, which had been named in honor of Julius.

Answer 3

Julius Caesar wanted his month to have the maximum no. of days and so he named the 7th month after his name(since 7 was his favourite number) and took a day from February (But I don't know why it was February). Augustus Caesar, also wanted to see himself at par with Julius, and so he took another one from February.And thats how February's days got shortened from 30 to 28.

This is an explanation I heard when I was a kid and I don't know how far its true.Later, with more exploration, when a day was added to mark leap year, scientists decided to add that to February.

Before this story of Julius and Augustus, since there was no unique calendar, there is no place to argue as to how it was before!!!.