Tag Archives: Groundhog Day

History, Miscellaneous

Welcome to February

February by Leandro Bassano,1595/1600
Public Domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

February is the second month on the Gregorian and Julian calendars. With 28 days (except in leap years when there are 29), it is the shortest month of the year. On the old Roman calendar, the year ended in December, and the new year started in March. The name is derived from Februarius, a purification ritual that was held around 15 February on the old Roman lunar calendar. While in the northern hemisphere February is still winter heading towards spring, in the southern seasons are switched so they are heading towards autumn.

With shorter number of days, it is the one month that can pass without a full moon (it happened in 2018). There are many fascinating names used during the month such as Snow Moon to indicate snow is on the ground. Some Native American tribes call it the Hunger Moon due to limited food sources during winter.

February is considered the snowiest month of winter, though that can of course vary by the year. 2 February has been set aside (for reasons far longer than be put here) as a day for weather forecasting by various animals. The most famous is of course Punxsutawney Phil and if the groundhog sees his shadow then six weeks more of winter is expected. He is rated by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as being accurate 40% of the time.  A lot of people trek to see the groundhog in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania so it has become quite an event. The whole idea comes from German settlers who back in Germany used badgers for the same purpose. Lacking badgers here, groundhogs were used and so the whole thing mushroomed into what it is today.

There is also a religious connection to 2 February. In most Christian churches, 2 February is celebrated as either Candlemas (the old name) or Presentation of the Lord. The faithful will bring candles to be blessed to be used during winter (and beyond as needed). And then the day is celebrated as also when the infant Jesus is brought to the temple in Jerusalem to be presented in accordance with the law of Moses. There Simeon, a prophet who had been told he would see the promised messiah before he died, took the infant into his arms and blessed him:

Now thou dost dismiss thy servant, O Lord, according to thy word in peace; Because my eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples: A light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. And his father and mother were wondering at those things which were spoken concerning him. And Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary his mother: Behold this child is set for the fall, and for the resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be contradicted; And thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that, out of many hearts, thoughts may be revealed. (Luke 2:25-35)

The February flowers are violet (to signify loyalty, faithfulness and watchfulness) and the primrose (to let someone know you cannot be without them). Of course, roses are the unofficial flower since Valentine’s Day on 14 February usually means a lot of roses are purchased for wives and girlfriends.

For More Information

Boeckmann, Catherine. “February Calendar 2025: Holidays, Fun Facts, and Folklore.” Almanac.Com. Last modified January 29, 2025. https://www.almanac.com/content/month-february-holidays-fun-facts-folklore.

“The Month of February,” https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/months/february.html.

Contributors to Wikimedia projects, “1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/February,” Wikisource, the Free Online Library, last modified August 14, 2020, https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1911_Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica/February.

Cecil Adams, “How Come February Has Only 28 Days? – the Straight Dope,” The Straight Dope, last modified July 28, 2020, https://www.straightdope.com/21341610/how-come-february-has-only-28-days.

History, Miscellaneous

February Information

February by Leandro Bassano,1595/1600
Public Domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

January has been sent to the exit and we welcome February. February is the second month on the current Gregorian and the old Julian calendar. The month is the shortest on the calendar: 28 days in regular years and 29 during a leap year. Meteorologically speaking, it is the last month of winter in the Northern Hemisphere. However, winter can and often does continue after February no matter what a certain groundhog indicates. February comes from Februa, a Roman ritual of cleansing.

Why the leap year?

The old Roman calendar was ten months, which began in March and ended in December. When January and February were added it meant February became the last month of the year. That meant the month had to have 28 days to fit into the calendar. A leap month was introduced every few years after February to make room for the thirteenth month. This meant February had to be shortened. As you might guess, this made things a bit confusing. Julius Caesar introduced the new calendar in 46 BC (named for him of course). He abolished the 13th month and introduced the leap year so that every fourth year, February would have 29 instead of 28 days. Thus, the leap year was born and became part of the Gregorian calendar as well.

February has some important events in it. There is Groundhog Day (Feb 2) where a groundhog comes out of its burrow in Punxsutawney Pennsylvania, and its behavior determines­–if he goes back in or stays out–whether winter will last six weeks more, or spring will start early. German immigrants used to see hedgehogs coming out of hibernation as a sign of winter ending back in Germany. Unfortunately, hedgehogs are not found in the wild in Pennsylvania (or most of North America except as domesticated pets where allowed) so the groundhog became the substitute.

For many Americans, Superbowl Sunday is the big event where two top teams in the NFL duke it out. It is one the biggest sports events of the year and millions tune in to watch. Fast food places get lots of orders for delivery on that day and bars showing the game are often overflowing. And the ads for the game itself are specially tailored for the event. For everyone else (like some friends of mine), watching the original Star Wars IV, V, and VI or The Godfather I & II are that Sunday afternoon.

Of course, the other big day is Valentine’s Day on February 14 which is celebrated in the U.S. and around the world as well. Restaurants, florists, and chocolate makers all are major beneficiaries of this day set aside to show our affection to our wives, girlfriends, and others close to us.

The symbols for February are:

  • The birthstone is amethyst. It symbolizes piety, humility, spiritual wisdom, and sincerity.
  • There are three birth flowers for February: the violet (Viola), the primrose (Primula vulgaris) and the Iris.

Fun fact: The first full moon of February is called the Snow Moon.

 

 

History, Miscellaneous

Welcome, February

February by Leandro Bassano,1595/1600
Public Domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

January has been sent to the exit and we welcome February. February is the second month on the current Gregorian and the old Julian calendar. The month is the shortest on the calendar: 28 days in regular years and 29 during a leap year. Meteorologically speaking, it is the last month of winter in the Northern Hemisphere. However, winter can and often does continue after February no matter what a certain groundhog indicates. February comes from Februa, a Roman ritual of cleansing. The amethyst is the birthstone for February with its birth flowers are the viola and the primrose.

Why the leap year?

The old Roman calendar was ten months, which began in March and ended in December. When January and February were added it meant February became the last month of the year. That meant the month had to have 28 days to fit into the calendar. A leap month was introduced every few years after February to make room for the thirteenth month. This meant February had to be shortened. As you might guess, this made things a bit confusing. Julius Caesar introduced the new calendar in 46 BC (named for him of course). He abolished the 13th month and introduced the leap year so that every fourth year, February would have 29 instead of 28 days. Thus, the leap year was born and became part of the Gregorian calendar as well.

February has some important events in it. There is Groundhog Day (Feb 2) where a groundhog comes out of its burrow in Punxsutawney Pennsylvania, and its behavior determines­–if he goes back in or stays out–whether winter will last six weeks more, or spring will start early. German immigrants used to see hedgehogs coming out of hibernation as a sign of winter ending back in Germany. Unfortunately, hedgehogs are not found in the wild in Pennsylvania (or most of North America except as domesticated pets where allowed) so the groundhog became the substitute.

For many Americans, Superbowl Sunday (the first Sunday in February) is the big event where two top teams in the NFL duke it out. It is one the biggest sports events of the year and millions tune in to watch. Fast food places get lots of orders for delivery on that day and bars showing the game are often overflowing (at least before the Covid shutdown). And the ads for the game itself are specially tailored for the event. For everyone else (like some friends of mine), watching the original Star Wars IV, V, and VI or The Godfather I & II are that Sunday afternoon.

Of course, the other big day is Valentine’s Day on February 14 which is celebrated in the U.S. and around the world as well. Restaurants, florists, and chocolate makers all are major beneficiaries of this day set aside to show our affection to our wives, girlfriends, and others close to us.