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Throughout history calendars have been a way to mark time, changing of the seasons, phases of the moon, religious days, migration of animals and comet strikes. Dating back thousands of years.
The calendar we are most familiar with is the Gregorian calendar. Which is based on the movements of the sun and moon. The Gregorian calendar was created in 1582 by Pope Gregory VIII (born June 7, 1502, Bologna, Romagna [Italy]—died April 10, 1585).
How were the months of the year named?
How were the months of the year named?
Birthdays, wedding anniversaries, and public holidays are regulated by Pope Gregory XIII’s Gregorian Calendar. The names of our months are derived from Roman gods, leaders, festivals, and numbers.
January is named after the Roman god Janus. He was also the god of doors.
February is named after an ancient Roman festival of purification called Februa.
March is named after Mars, the Roman god of war.
April takes its name from the Latin word aperire, meaning 'to open' (just like flowers do in spring).
May is named after the Greek goddess Maia.
June is named after the Roman goddess Juno – the god of marriage and childbirth, and the wife of Jupiter, king of the gods.
July and August were named after two major figures of the ancient Roman world – the statesman Julius Caesar and Rome's first emperor, Augustus.
September, October, November and December are named after Roman numbers 7, 8, 9 and 10 – they were originally the seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth months of the Roman year. Before July and August were renamed after Roman rulers, they were called Quintilis and Sextilis, meaning fifth and sixth months.
Fun Fact - the word 'month' itself is related to the moon. It originally measured how long it took for the moon to complete a cycle around the earth, so 'moon' and 'month' come from the same root.
Fun Fact - the word 'month' itself is related to the moon. It originally measured how long it took for the moon to complete a cycle around the earth, so 'moon' and 'month' come from the same root.
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