Like many countries, Japan uses a 12-month calendar. The names are very simple. January is literally “Month one” 一月, February is “Month two” 二月, etc.
However, before the Meiji Restoration (mid-1800s) it was common to use an older 12-month system. These months’ names referenced the weather and the seasons (similar to the French Revolutionary calendar).
“February” is 如月. Japanese learners will recognise the kanji 月 as “moon” or “month”.
The first kanji is not common these days. It can be substituted with 衣更, which has the same sound and gives clues as to the original meaning of the month. 衣 means clothing and 更 refers to a continuing demand for something. So February is the month when it is still cold so you still need all your warm winter clothes.
This old calendar system is based on a lunar calendar with exactly 28 days in each month, beginning and ending on the new moon. An obvious disadvantage to this system is that the months don’t fit into a year exactly, and so the months will get earlier and earlier each year Every so often the calendar had to be adjusted a little.
Calligraphy by Vicky 