Why does February have fewer days than the other months?

February begins today, the second month of the year, which will have 28 days until 2021. What is the reason why it is the shortest?

February begins the shortest month of the year: it will have 28 days in 2021. Why is the month of love and carnival the one with the fewest days?

Everything has its origin in Rome, like most things in the Western world. The Roman year began on March 1 ("Martius", in honor of Mars, the god of war), according to the original calendar.

This was divided into just ten months, but others were interspersed according to the seasons.

The second king of Rome, Numa Pompilius (753-674 before Christ) added two more months: thus the 12-month calendar was born. What were the months you added called? Ianuarius, in honor of Janus, and Februarius, for the "Februus" festivals of purification. They are our January and February.

Since then, the year with 12 months has changed to 354 days. At some point, they added the month Mercedinus, in which servants were paid.

The 365-day calendar was born with the Egyptians, who were true experts analyzing the annual cycle of the Sun. Let us remember that their main god is Ra, who represents the Sun.

The birth of February as we know it

Julius Caesar, influenced by the Egyptians, commissioned the astronomer and philosopher Sosigenes of Alexandria to draw up a new calendar.

Sosigenes redistributed the days to the months: there were 11 days in total. The months that had 29 days went to 30, and those from 30 to 31. Let us remember that the Roman year began in March: each one received one day. But it was not enough for February, which remained at 28.

Thus was born the Julian calendar, in honor of Julius Caesar.

Every four years a day was added to correct the lag between the tropical year and the calendar, and this was left for February: when that happens, it is called a leap year.

Why it is called a leap year? Because its name comes from the Latin “"bis sextus ante calendas martii”, which means “repeated on the sixth day before the first day of March”.

Then Pope Gregory XIII would arrive, he would appropriate the Egyptian calendar and adapt it in such a way that it is the one we know today. With its 365 days, 12 months from January to December, and its extra day every four years.