Why does February have 28 days?
February has 28 days because of the ancient Roman calendar. When January and February were added around 713 BC, February got the leftover days, and Romans considered it an unlucky month.
The early Roman calendar had 10 months and 304 days. King Numa Pompilius is said to have added January and February to align the calendar with the lunar year of about 355 days. Romans believed even numbers were unlucky, so most months were given an odd number of days. To reach the total, one month had to be even, and February, a month of purification rituals for the dead, got 28 days.
Later, Julius Caesar's calendar reform in 46 BC lengthened several months to match the solar year of 365 days but left February short. He also gave February an extra day every four years, the leap day.
A popular myth
A common story says Augustus took a day from February to make his month, August, as long as July. Historians generally consider this a myth, since August already had 31 days in Julius Caesar's calendar.
Did You Know?
In 1712, Sweden had a February 30 to correct a calendar mistake, one of the only times that date has existed.