Let’s take a look at the origins of October, the traditions we celebrate during it, as well as some interesting little facts to bring it all together!

The meaning behind October’s name is far from accurate these days. The ancient Roman calendar was based on the lunar cycles, as opposed to our current calendar which is based on the solar cycles. This meant that there were originally 10 months in their calendar, and October was the eighth month. Its name literally translated into “the eighth month” in Latin. In 451 BC the two months of Ianurarius and Februarius were added to the beginning of the calendar, making October the 10th month.

There are seven months in the year with 31 days and October is the sixth of them. The amount of days hasn’t changed over the ages either, with the ancient Roman calendar also placing 31 days in October.

The Anglo-Saxons’ name for October was Winterfylleth, with its name containing the words for winter and full moon respectively. It was named this because winter was said to begin from the first full moon of the month.

The Saxons had a name for October, too. Theirs was Wyn Monath, which translated into “wine month” because it was the time of the year for making wine. I’m not sure about you, but I think October just became my favorite month!

October is a rather beautiful time of year if you live in the northern hemisphere. It’s the time of year that the color of leaves begins to change into a magnificent array of hues.

The Twyford church in Hampshire, UK has a tradition of ringing its bells every year on October 7th. The origin of this tradition goes back to the 18th Century when a local resident called William David became lost in heavy fog while riding home at night. Much to his luck, he heard the church bells toll and from this, he managed to find his way home. As a form of thanks, he left some money to the church when he died so that the church could continue to ring their bells on October 7th every year, just in case there were any other lost travelers.

The first full moon after the Harvest Moon quite often falls in October and even has its own name. Known as the Hunter’s Moon, it’s one of the only two full moons (along with the Harvest Moon) that aren’t connected to a specific month. Depending on the year the Hunter’s Moon either falls in October or November.

The world-famous Indian political and spiritual leader Mahatma Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869. His worldwide renown is attributed to the nonviolent way in which he resisted the colonial British rule of India.

If you live in the northern hemisphere, you’ll be rewarded for keeping your eyes to the skies in October, as the Draconid Meteor Shower can be seen. It contains a single comet that is visible exclusively in the northern hemisphere between October 6th and 10th.

An even more impressive meteor shower that is visible in both hemispheres is the Orionid meteor shower, which runs from October 2nd until early November. It is named after Orion as it is usually visible in the same part of the sky as the constellation. At the peak of the meteor shower, as many as 20 meteors are visible every hour.

On October 1, 1949, the People’s Republic of China was founded. Mao Zedong ruled the republic from its founding until his death in 1976.

The beer-swilling Bavarian festival Oktoberfest takes place every year in Munich, Germany. The festival usually runs for 16 days from mid-September until the Sunday of the first weekend in October. The event has been held since 1810 when Prince Ludwig of Bavaria held a festival to celebrate his marriage with Therese, the princess of Saxony-Hildburghausen.

October has just two birthstones, tourmaline, and opal. Opals come in a myriad of striking colors that often seem to swirl together and are a symbol of faithfulness, purity, and hope.

It wouldn’t be October without Halloween, which is celebrated on October 31st. The celebration’s origins go all the way back to the Gaelic people of modern-day England, Scotland, and Ireland, who celebrated the festival of Samhain. Among other activities, the original celebrants of Samhain would dress in costumes or disguises and go door-to-door receiving gifts of food, much like how today’s children dress up and receive treats!

Another Halloween tradition, albeit quite modern, is the yearly airing of the Simpsons Halloween special – the Treehouse of Horror episodes. This modern tradition began on October 25, 1990, and has aired every year since. The episodes all follow the theme of horror, in line with the many other activities that are celebrated during the Halloween period.