Making of the months
By Purva

EVERYONE celebrates seasons, but does anybody wonder how the 12 months of the year came into being and why they are named so? The turn of every month depicts a different story.

The very first month of the year, January is named after Janus, a Roman god. As per the legend, the ruler Numa Pompilins added January and February to the end of the 10-month Roman calendar about 700 B.C., and gave it 30 days. Later, however, the Romans made January the first month, and in 46 B.C., Roman statesman Julius Caesar added a day to January, making it 31 days long. Janus in Roman mythology, was a god who had two faces that looked in opposite directions. One face looked into the past, and the other into the future. His name comes from the Latin word janua meaning gate. The Romans prayed to Janus at the beginning and end of any important event, especially war.

February, the second month of the year, is also the shortest one. The month takes its name from the Latin Februare, meaning to purify. The Romans purified themselves in February to prepare for festivals at the start of the new year. February usually has 28 days but gets one extra day every leap year. February earlier had 30 days but Julius Caesar took one day off to add to July, the month named after him, and Roman emperor Augustus took another day off to add to August, the month named after him.

According to an old custom, women can propose marriage to the man of their choice on February 29 (i.e. in leap years). In the US, February 2, is Ground-Hog Day. The old belief is that ground-hog or woodchuck, comes out of its burrow to see whether the sun is shining. If the sun is out the animal begins its springtime activities.

March, was the first month of the early Roman calendar and was called Martius. March has always had 31 days, and its name honours Mars, the Roman god of war. There are many superstitions about March. It’s said "March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb." This means that the first day of March is often stormy, and the last day is mild and warm. It is also believed that "April borrowed from March three days, and they were ill". This refers to the first three days of April, which are generally rough and blustery like March.

Another saying calls the first three days of March "blind days" because they are "unlucky". The saying goes that if rain falls on these days, farmers will supposedly have poor harvests.

March in the northern hemisphere is thought of as a windy month, with "March winds" followed by "April showers". The flower for March is the violet and the birthstones are bloodstone and aquamarine.

The Romans called the fourth month Aprilis. The name may have come from the word that means to open. It also may have come from Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Earlier April was the second month in the Roman calendar but Julius Caesar revised it and made April the fourth month in 46 B.C.

The first day of April is popularly known as the April Fools Day and people play jokes and pranks on each other. Easter falls in April. The Jewish religious festival of Pesah (Pass-over) often comes early in April. The Chinese, too, celebrate the Pure and Bright Festival in early April.

May is a month of early winter in the southern hemisphere, and in the northern temperate zones of the world, it is one of the most beautiful months of the year.

There are several stories of how this month was named. The most widely accepted is that it was named after Maia, the Roman goddess of spring and growth. Her name seems to be related to a Latin word that means increase or growth. The ancient Romans held ceremonies in Maia’s honour on May 1 and again on May 15. Some scholars say that May is short for majores, Latin for older men. They believe that May was sacred to the majores, just as June was sacred to the juniores (young men).

It is believed that June was named after Juno, the patron goddess of marriage. The month of June was dedicated to young men in ancient Rome, while some people believe that the name is taken from juniores, the Latin word for young men.

Since early times, June was believed to be the best time for marriages.

July was the fifth month in the early Roman calendar and was called Quintilis, which means the fifth. Roman statesman Julius Caesar was born during this month and he gave Quintilis 31 days. The Roman Senate renamed the month Julius in honour of Caesar.

Earlier, the Romans called the month August, Sextilis, which means sixth. They later renamed it in honour of emperor Augustus. During Augustus’ reign, the Roman Senate lengthened the month to 31 days by taking a day from February.

In Europe, August is traditionally a holiday month when schools are closed.

The seventh month in the old Roman calendar was September, and its name comes from the Latin Septem, meaning seven. Later it became the ninth month. At different times September had 29 days, 31 days, and; since the reign of Roman emperor Augustus, 30 days.

September is usually harvest time in many countries. Many people celebrate harvest festivals in September. The ancient Greeks honoured Demeter, the goddess of agriculture, during this month, and the ancient Romans honoured their goddess of agriculture, whom they called Ceres.

September is a month of significance to Hindus as well. They begin the 10-day celebration of Durga Puja in this month.

October, the 10th month, derives its name from the Latin word for eight. October has had 31 days since the time of Augustus. An old English name for October was Winmonath, or the "Wine month," for this was usually the season of wine-making.

Christopher Columbus and his ships arrived in the New World, this event is commemorated by Americans on Columbus Day, on the second Monday in October. Our festival of Diwali, the first day of the Hindu New Year, falls in late autumn, around late October or early November.

November comes from Novem the Latin word for nine. In early Roman calendar, November used to be the ninth month. As July was named after Caesar, and August after Augustus, the Roman Senate offered to name this month after Tiberius Caesar but he refused modestly, saying: "What will you do if you have thirteen emperors?"

The Anglo-Saxons referred to November as "the wind month" and sometimes "the blood month" probably because during this period they killed animals for their winter meat.

The last month of the year December, was, earlier the tenth month and that is why it takes its name from the Latin word decem, which means ten. The Romans honoured Saturn, the god of agriculture, with a festival called Saturnalia.

The latter part of December has long been a holiday season. The Druids of northern Europe used mistletoe in a December festival. Christians now use mistletoe at Christmas.