Why Is February the Shortest Month? 

February is an oddity. While the other months have at least 30 days, February alone has just 28 (or 29 in a leap year). But why?

The Roman Calendar’s Quirks

The origin of February’s short length goes back to ancient Rome. The earliest Roman calendar had only 10 months. To sync the calendar with the lunar year, the Roman king Numa Pompilius added January and February to the calendar. 

However, the Romans considered even numbers unlucky, and to avoid an “unlucky” year, months were adjusted to have either 29 or 31 days—except for February, which was stuck with 28.

Leap Years and Adjustments

Later, Julius Caesar introduced a leap day to be inserted in the calendar every fourth year, so leap years kept things aligned with the solar year. The Gregorian calendar, adopted in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII, refined leap year rules but kept February as the odd month out.

Do People Actually Know How Many Days Are in Each Month?

It’s easier to remember that February has 28 days (and 29 days every four years) because it is so peculiar. The number of days for the other months can be trickier to recall. 

A surprising number of people rely on tricks to remember month lengths. Some use the rhyme:
“Thirty days hath September, April, June, and November…” Others prefer the knuckle method: counting the peaks and dips of the knuckles on their hands to determine 30- and 31-day months. But ask someone off the top of their head how many days are in, say, August, and they might hesitate. 

The next time you notice February’s shorter length, remember: it’s all thanks to ancient superstitions and the quirks of the Roman calendar.