February

Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your February shopping experience:

1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the February offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of February at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.

2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about

3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a February? Wrong! If the February is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.

4. Questions - Got a question about February then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....

5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling February? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about February and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.

6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your February wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.

7. Feedback - happy with your February then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.

8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the February site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site

9. Contact - got a question about February, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.

10. Payment - ready to pay for your February, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.

February is the second month of the year in the Julian calendar and Gregorian calendars. It is the shortest month and the only month with fewer than 30 days. The month has 29 days in leap years, when the year number is divisible by four (except for years that are divisible by 100 and not by 400 in the Gregorian calendar). In common years the month has 28 days. Leap year birthdays are usually celebrated on the 28th in a non-leap year. Some believe that February originally had 29 days (30 in a leap year), but that idea was invented by Sacrobosco during the Middle Ages.See Julian calendar#Month lengths.

February was named after the Latin term februum, which means purification, via the purification ritual Februa held on February 15 in the old Roman calendar. January and February were the last two months to be added to the Roman calendar, since the Romans originally considered winter a monthless period. They were added by Numa Pompilius about 700 BCE. February remained the last month of the calendar year until the time of the decemvirs (c. 450 BCE), when it became the second month. At certain intervals Roman priests truncated February to 23 or 24 days and inserted a 27-day intercalary month, Mercedonius, after February to realign the year with the seasons. See Julian calendar#From Roman to Julian. Thereafter, it remained the second month of the calendar year, meaning the order that months are displayed (January, February, March, …, December) within a year-at-a-glance calendar. Even during the Middle Ages, when the numbered Anno Domini year began on March 25 or December 25, February continued to be the second month whenever all twelve months were displayed in order.

February begins, astronomically speaking, with the sun in the constellation of Capricornus and ends with the sun in the constellation of Aquarius (astrology).Astrologically speaking, February begins with the sun in the sign of Aquarius (astrology) and ends in the sign of Pisces (astrology).

Historical names for February include the Anglo-Saxon language terms Solmoneth (mud month) and Kale-monath (named for cabbage) as well as Charlemagne's designation Hornung. In Finnish language, the month is called helmikuu, meaning "month of the pearl"; when snow melts on tree branches, it forms droplets, and as these freeze again, they are like pearls of ice.

Many people pronounce "February" with a round 'u' instead of an open 'u' vowel, which forces the first 'r' to be eclipsed, viz. 'FEB-yoo-air-ee' (IPA:) instead of 'FEB-roo-air-ee' (IPA:). That is, it elides into first half of the trailing diphthong. Otherwise, the flanking mid vowel ('e') and back vowel ('u'), combined with the final -ry syllable (front vowel 'ee') make the 'br' difficult for Anglophones to pronounce in the first place. The problem does not usually arise for Scots language, however. The Scottish names for the month are "Feberwary" and "Februar," the latter usually pronounced with a long "ay" vowel in the first syllable.

Walter Cronkite regularly noted, in a facetious manner, the alternate pronunciation on his first February broadcast of the CBS Evening News, year after year.

Events in February Full month

American Heart Month
Black History Month (United States and Canada)
Library Lovers Month
National Lactose Intolerance Awareness Month (Canada)
National school counselor Week (first week, United States)
National Children's Dental Health Month

Non-specific days

Pro Bowl
NBA All-Star game
Daytona 500
Westminster Dog Show
Darwin Day celebration
Brazilian Carnival (Celebrated before Lent)
NHL All-Star game
The Super Bowl
The Great Backyard Bird Count
Mardi Gras (Sometime between February 3 to March 9 in non-leap years or February 4 to March 9 in leap years)
Ash Wednesday (Sometime between February 4 and March 10)

Specific days

Imbolc (February 2)
Groundhog Day / Candlemas (February 2)
Constitution Day (Mexico) (February 5)
Sami National Day, (February 6)
Waitangi Day, New Zealand (February 6)
Abraham Lincoln Birthday (February 12)
St. Valentine's Day (February 14)
Flag Day (Canada) - Canada (February 15)
Kim Jong-Il's birthday, (February 16)
Imperial and Royal Majesty King Harald's birthday (Norway) (February 21)
International Mother Language Day (February 21)
National Engineers Week (week of Presidents day) (United States)
Thinking Day (Girl Guides) (February 22)
B.P. Day (Scouts Canada) (February 22)
Founder's Day (Scout Association (UK)) (February 22)
Independence Day (Dominican Republic) (February 27)
Massacre Day, (Taiwan) (February 28)
Presidents' Day (United States) (3rd Monday), or George Washington

Trivia

February begins on the same day of the week as March and November in a common year, and on the same day of the week as August in a leap year.
Sweden had a February 30 in 1712.
February in the Northern Hemisphere is the seasonal equivalent to August in the Southern Hemisphere and vice versa.
February's birthstone is amethyst.
February's birth flower is the Violet (plant) or Primula vulgaris.
The Chinese floral emblem of February is the peach blossom.
February is the most commonly misspelled month (as Febuary, a phonetic spelling error).