Hello friends and readers…it’s been a while since I put up a blog message. Since today is the 1st of February, I decided to look at the history of this short month–it’s really interesting!

February is the second month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. The month has 28 days in the common year but it gets 29 days in the leap years which happen every four years. It’s also the first of five months not to have 31 days and the only one to have fewer than 30 days. It’s science is interesting as February is the third and last month of the meteorological winter in the Northern Hemisphere. For the folks down under, February is the third and last month of meteorological summer.

February got its name from the Latin word used by the Romans, Februarius which means “purification.” Also, having only 28 days in common years, February is the only month of the year that can pass without a single full moon, talk about being gipped, but it does have some fantastic meteor showers! The Alpha Centaurids, the Beta Leonids, the Delta Cancrids, the Omicron Centaurids, the Theta Centaurids (only visible in the southern hemisphere), the Eta Virginids, and finally the Pi Virginids. Lots of sparkles for a short month!

This little month also has some wonderful celebrations and traditions:

  • In Catholic tradition, February is the Month of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
  • American Heart Month (United States)
  • Black History Month (United States, Canada)
  • LGBT+ History Month (United Kingdom)
  • National Bird-Feeding Month (United States)
  • National Children’s Dental Health Month (United States)
  • Season for Nonviolence: January 30 – April 4 (this is an International observance)
  • Turner Syndrome Awareness Month (United States)

Of course, we cannot forget the NFL Superbowl in February–well perhaps your team didn’t win so forgetting it is OK…and then there is also some other fun things in states and provinces like: Doppelganger Week, World Interfaith Harmony Week, National Frozen Yogurt Day (yum), National Engineers Week, and one very important one: the International Stand-Up to Bullying Day.

Of course, most of us relate to February 14 which is Valentines’ Day and for me, I call it “bring on the dark chocolate day!”

Our still most-beloved and popular President, Mr. Abraham Lincoln, has his birthday and with the “Presidents Day” holiday we get Monday off to play!

There’s a lot going on in February and it reminds me that just because it is short it is still “tall in what it has.” Perhaps this is a great lesson for those who are “height challenged” and wish they were taller. It isn’t the height that makes a person, it’s the depth of love in their hearts–no wonder Valentine’s Day is in February!

I hope your February is filled with
the grace of God,
the love of Christ, and the
indwelling of the Holy Spirit!