February

Our name for February comes from the Latin februum, meanining purification—because of the purification ritual Februa held on February 15 in the old Roman calendar.

In Anglo Saxon, February was Solmonath (mud month) and Kale-monath (cabbage month). In Finnish, more poetically, it is 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. (Thanks to Wikipedia for all that.)

image: Les Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry, Février - the Musée Condé, Chantilly