February 's the second month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It's the shortest month and the only month with fewer than 30 days. The month has 29 days in leap years, when the year number's divisible by four (except for years that're divisible by 100 and not by 400 in the Gregorian calendar). In common years the month has 28 days. History February was named after the Latin term februum, which means purification, via the purification ritual Februa held on February 15 in the… (More on February)