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Helen Parish, Professor in History, University of Reading

Curious Kids: why is February shorter than every other month?

A fragment of mosaic showing February from the Sousse mosaic calendar. © Ad Meskens / Wikimedia Commons

Why does February has the least number of days? Why does it not have 30 or 31 days like the rest of the eleven months? – Simi, aged 15, Mauritius

The reason February is shorter than other months comes down to the history of how we measure and divide the year.

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