February why 28 days

Back then, winter was a nameless, monthless period that no one cared for much. Planters and harvesters used the calendar as a timetable. King Numa Pompilius thought that was stupid. The months were added to the end of the calendar, making February the last month of the year. But no Roman calendar would be complete without some good old-fashioned superstition mixed in! The Romans believed even numbers were unlucky, so Numa tried to make each month odd.

But to reach the quota of , one month had to be even. February ended up pulling the short stick, probably because it was simply the last month on the list. Martius: 31 days Aprilius: 29 days Maius: 31 days Iunius: 29 days Quintilis: 31 days Sextilis: 29 days September: 29 days October: 31 days November: 29 days December: 29 days Ianuarius: 29 days Februarius: 28 days. Have you ever wondered why February is the shortest month of the year?

Believe it or not, the calendar we know today is actually based on the ancient Roman calendar. It was invented in the 8th century BC by a king named Numa Pompilius. What's up with Leap Day? Read about February 29 — the date that only comes around every four years. A picture of a Roman calendar found in the ruins of Nero's villa at Antium. If you look close, you may see the months listed along the top of the picture.

Image licensed Public Domain via Wikimedia. However, the real reason February is shorter begins with the fact that the first calendar was only 10 months long. A field of barley — a crop favourite of Ancient Rome. Photo by michieru licensed CC BY 2. Farming was a big deal in ancient Rome. Become a Member. Gift Memberships. Code of Conduct. Gift Certificates.

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