February is unusual month. Indeed, it is the shortest month of the year. At the same time it has unstable number of days. I remember as a child we sympathized classmate, whose birthday is February 29, and to celebrate it can be only once every four years.
Such "frivolous" February became in ancient Rome in the first century BC. And remains forever.
It all began with the fact that the archaic calendar on which ancient Rome lived ceased to satisfy citizens of Rome and its colonies. In that calendar the year totaled 355 days, due to the fact that the length of this one was much shorter than the actual length of the year, holidays and dates of various ceremonial actions gradually shifted from winter to spring, from spring to summer, from summer to autumn. To prevent this in the calendar year, sometimes additional days and months were introduced, but there was no system in those additions - everything was resolved by high priests, pontiffs.
In the I century BC Gaius Julius Caesar reformed the calendar. According the latest at the time of the Alexandrian astronomer Sosigenes the Peripatetic data the length of the year was verified - 365 days 6:00. It's now even in textbooks is written that the true length of the year is 365 days 5 hours 48 minutes 46 seconds, and it's no surprise. However, at the time of Sosigenes the Peripatetic it was the great scientific achievement. However, a six-hour appendage still created some discomfort at the beginning of the reference year, but the solution was found: the third consecutive year to consider the length of the year is 365 days, and the fourth - 366, because in the four years of the application gave the oncoming day.
All odd new calendar months (January, March, May, etc.) have 29 days, and even months - 30 except February, three times it has 29 days, and the fourth - 30.
Additional days and extended years were called "visokos." The origin of it is associated with a particular way of counting the days in the month, which was practiced in Rome. Days Romans counted not in the usual direct order - from the first day, but in reverse - from the beginning of next month - calends. That is, for example, on March 31 was the second day of the calends of April 30 - the third and so on. According Caesar reforms extra day was included after the sixth day of the calends of March and was called "the second six," Latin - "bis sektus", hence the slightly distorted "visokos".
For his military services and the calendar arrangement the Roman Senate decided to immortalize 44 years old Gaius Julius Caesar in the name of the month in which he was born. And "Julius" became the fifth month of the year "kvintilis" (year before the reform was considered in March, and was the fifth month, which is called the Ukrainian July).
Rome did not take the new calendar immediately. Pontiffs appointed leap years not after each three, but after two years. After some time, this has led to a new confusion, which the Emperor Augustus corrected in 9 BC. On his order for 16 years (according to modern chronology from 9 BC to 8 AD) leap years were not introduced, and from 4th year AD Julian Calendar started its normal work.
And Augustus also demanded that the Senate perpetuate him in the name of the month. So, "sekstilis" - the month in which Octavian received the its military victory became "August." But the emperor could not tolerate that "his" month was day shorter month of his predecessor. And he adds by his own decree one more day to August - the thirty-first day! Of course, if there's added, elsewhere - is deducted. This was a fate of February.
It was good enough that the month’s name used by grandparents, great-grandparents, remained - "februaris" from "februari" – to clean. So it was called because once, on the eve of spring, Romans undertake the rite of purification - the reconciliation of people with the gods, exactly in this month. And until now in many European languages this month is called - "februari", "February" ...
Well, Ukrainian name appears in the comments do not need - "Luty- fierce", and that's it. As well as Belarusians - "luty", or Poles - "luty". Therefore, though close to the spring, and a small month, and still no wonder people say: "February is close to the spring, but you're still good shoes boots ...".