Why Does February Only Have 28 Days?

Channel:

Be Smart

Subscribers:

5,570,000

Published on February 23, 2015 10:44:05 PM ● Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgKaHTh-_Gs

Duration: 4:46

4,648,931 views

64,563

Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate

It's not the size of the month that matters…
Don’t miss our next video! SUBSCRIBE! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub
↓ More info and sources below ↓

Why does February have 28 days when all the other months get 30 or 31? The answer is part superstition, part politics, and parts astronomy. (Basically, it's the Romans' fault)

Special thanks to Dr. Jen Ebbeler from the University of Texas Classics department for walking me through the history of the Roman calendar
REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING:

Wikipedia's "Roman Calendar" page is really good http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_calendar
More:
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/secondary/SMIGRA*/Calendarium.html
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/calendar/romancalendar.html
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/calendar/intercalation.html


Have an idea for an episode or an amazing science question you want answered? Leave a comment below!
Follow on Twitter: http://twitter.com/okaytobesmart
http://twitter.com/jtotheizzoe
Follow on Tumblr: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com
Follow on Instagram: http://instagram.com/jtotheizzoe

-----------------
It's Okay To Be Smart is written and hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.DFollow me on Twitter: @jtotheizzoe
Email me: itsokaytobesmart AT gmail DOT com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart
Google+ https://plus.google.com/+itsokaytobesmart
For more awesome science, check out: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com
Produced by PBS Digital Studios: http://www.youtube.com/user/pbsdigitalstudios

Joe Hanson - Creator/Host/Writer
Joe Nicolosi - Director
Amanda Fox - Producer, Spotzen IncKate Eads - Associate Producer
Andrew Matthews - Editing/Motion Graphics/Animation
Katie Graham - Director of Photography
John Knudsen - Gaffer
Dalton Allen - Post-Production Intern

Theme music:
"Ouroboros" by Kevin MacLeod

Other music via APM

Stock images from Shutterstock

-----------------

Last week's video:
Why Vaccines Work https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aNhzLUL2ys

More videos:
Why Are Some People Left-Handed? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPvMUpcxPSA
Where Does the Smell of Rain Come From? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGcE5x8s0B8
Why Did We Blow on NES Games? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Gf9mtXnJfM
The Science of Game of Thrones - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Utu-LpJn3Is
There Was No First Human - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdWLhXi24Mo