Dear friends,

Maybe just as a little break, something to relax the mind…

Did you know that the names of our months still carry the echoes of ancient Rome? Some are named after gods, others after festivals, and a few are simply old numbers that no longer add up. It’s like a hidden story we carry with us every time we check the calendar.

The Origin of Our 12 Months

1. January – Ianuarius

• Named after Janus, the Roman god with two faces: one looking back to the past, one looking ahead to the future.

• Symbol of transitions and new beginnings.

• That’s why it was chosen to open the year.

2. February – Februarius

• Named after Februa, an ancient Roman festival of purification held around February 15.

• The verb februare means to cleanse, to purify.

• A fitting preparation before the old New Year, which originally began in March.

3. March – Martius

• Named after Mars, the god of war.

• In the original Roman calendar, the year started in March, which also marked the beginning of the military campaign season.

• March was the very first month.

4. April – Aprilis

• Origin uncertain. Possibly from aperire = to open, as buds and flowers open in April.

• Another theory links it to the goddess Aphrodite (via Greek → Aphrilius → Aprilis).

• Represents springtime and blossoming.

5. May – Maius

• Named after Maia, an earth goddess of fertility and growth.

• May stood for abundance, blooming, and vitality.

6. June – Iunius

• Named after Juno, wife of Jupiter and goddess of marriage and women.

• June was the month of marriages and fertility (still a favorite wedding month today).

7. July – Iulius

• Originally Quintilis = the fifth month (when March was the first).

• Renamed in 44 BC after Julius Caesar, who was born in this month.

• A lasting tribute after his death.

8. August – Augustus

• Originally Sextilis = the sixth month.

• Renamed in 8 BC after Emperor Augustus Caesar, who won major victories in this month.

• Fun fact: August was given 31 days (just like July), because Augustus didn’t want his month to be shorter than Julius’s.

9. September – September

• From septem = seven.

• In the old calendar (without January and February), it was the seventh month.

• When the year shifted, it became the ninth, but the name stayed.

10. October – October

• From octo = eight.

• Originally the eighth month, now the tenth.

• The “octo” root still shows its old meaning.

11. November – November

• From novem = nine.

• Once the ninth month, now the eleventh.

12. December – December

• From decem = ten.

• The tenth month in the old calendar, now the twelfth.

My month is the seventh ooooh no the nineth…!

With love and light,

Gonny