Page 23 - NT 2022 Almanac

WILLIAM MORRIS (1834–1896)
February is a short month – this year it has only 28 days. Many people think this is good, as the weather can be bad and the days are quite dark. In fact, the days are getting longer, and by the end of February we will have two hours more daylight.
Spring is not far away: animals and plants are slowly waking up as nature gets ready to show off all its colours and lovely smells. Look around – what plants can you see peeking out of the soil? There will be green shoots out there, however small.
Many religions think of February as a quiet month in which to be still and thankful. Some hold ‘fasts’, which means that they do not eat during the day to help them concentrate on prayer and mindfulness. Why not try having some quiet time each day in February? It’s a good way to feel grateful for things in life – especially on a cold, dark day!
Why is February Called February?
The Latin name for this month was Februarius. It came from the Latin word februum which means ‘purification’. The Romans thought of the fifth day of this month as the official first day of spring. On the fifteenth they celebrated a festival called Februa.
This was a time to get rid of evil spirits and to cleanse the air so that people felt fit and healthy for spring. This is where we get our idea of spring cleaning from. Perhaps you could use the colder, darker days this month to tidy your bedroom or help clear out the shed or garage.
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