The second month of the year, known as February is actually a lot more interesting than you may think. February comes from the Latin word februa, meaning “to cleanse,” and was actually named after a month-long purification and atonement festival called the Roman Februalia. Originally winter was considered a month-less period, so January and February were the last two months to be added to the Roman Calendar. February is filled with holidays that impact a good amount of people’s lives. These include the Lunar New Year, Groundhog Day, Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, Valentines Day, National Flag of Canada Day, and Presidents’ Day. February is also African American History month. Many institutes and museums join in to pay tribute to all the African Americans that struggled to get full citizenship rights in American society. Did you know February is the only month that has fewer than 30 days? It was also originally the last month of the year but was eventually moved to the second month.