The Calendar
Article by Elsie Procter
Have you ever wondered how the months of the year got their names? Or indeed, what a month is? Well, to answer the second question first, a month is roughly the time it takes for the moon to circle the Earth. The first question takes a little longer to answer:
January got its name from the Roman god, Janus, who had two faces to help him in his task as Guardian of doors, gates, and passageways.
February was named after Februa, the Roman festival of purification, when preparations were made to crop sowing time.
The Roman god of war, Mars, was honoured by having the month of March named after him -- in the hope that he would help the Romans win their many battles.
On the other hand, it was Aprilus, the Roman god of plants and flowers, who gave their name to April. The Latin word 'aperire meaning 'to open', therefore spring, the time of opening buds.
Mid-summer was given to their goddesses, with the goddess of fetility, Maia, giving her name to May; and the goddess, Juno, the sister of Jupiter, King of the Gods, gave her name to the month of June.
The mighty Julius Caesar gave his name to July, the month of his birth, with August being named after the great Caesar Augustus.
Before 700 B.C. there were only ten months in the year and September, and October, November, December, were the seventh, eighth, nineth, and tenth months respectively, hence their names {from the Latin septimus, seven; Octo, eight; Novem, nine; and Decem, ten -- like the word 'decimal}. It was the Emperor Numa who introduced two extra months {January and Februrary}, and changed their order round so that the seventh, eighth, nineth, and tenth months are now our nineth, tenth, eleventh, and twelveth!!
But one thing remains the same, even then they celebrated the 25th December as part of a weeklong festival called 'Saturnalia' -- during which masters and servants swapped their roles, and eating, drinking and pleasure in general were the orders of the day.
Copyright The Bentilean 1999
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