February is the second month of the year and the shortest one, with only 28 days in most years and 29 days in leap years. The month gets its name from Februa, an ancient Roman purification festival held during this time.

February sits right in the middle of winter in the Northern Hemisphere, often bringing cold weather, snow, and ice. In the Southern Hemisphere, it's the opposite: a warm summer month. February is when many people celebrate Valentine's Day on the 14th, and in the United States, it's when we honor presidents like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, both born in February.

The extra day in leap years exists because Earth takes about 365.25 days to orbit the sun, not exactly 365. Without that extra day every four years, our calendar would slowly drift out of sync with the seasons. February got stuck with the job of being the “adjustable” month because it was the last month in the old Roman calendar.

Many people find February's spelling tricky because it has that unexpected first r tucked between the b and u. Remember: Feb-ru-ary, not Feb-u-ary.