The Roman month Februarius was named after the Latin term februum, which means purification, via the purification ritual Februa held on February 15 (full moon) in the old lunar Roman calendar. Historical names for February include the Old English terms Solmonath (mud month) and Kale-monath (named for cabbage). In Finnish, 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. In Polish and Ukrainian, respectively, the month is calledluty or лютий, meaning the month of ice or hard frost. In Macedonian the month is sechko (сечко), meaning month of cutting [wood]. In Czech, it is called únor, meaning month of submerging [of river ice]. In Slovene, February is traditionally called svečan, related to icicles or Candlemas.[1]

It is February, by whatever name you call it! The month of purification, cabbage, mud, pearl, ice, hard frost, cutting wood, icicles . . .all of these descriptions apply! My personal favorite is the Finnish one: “month of the pearl.” What a beautiful and poetic way to describe the treachery of snow and frost and ice which we experience in this month . . .not to mention potholes and frost heaves!

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