GROUP 3

11-Humanities and Social Sciences

Submitted to Mrs. Gabales
In partial fulfillment in EAPP

MONTHS OF THE YEAR

They are among the most commonly used words in the English language. They are the

yardsticks by which we define the turning of the Earth around the Sun. They are the words we

use to date the events of the history and our lives. There are seven days of the week and twelve

months of the year. But why there are twelve months? And where does the names themselves

come from? Months of the year in the original Roman calendar at that time there were only 10

months in calendar while there are just 12 lunar cycles in a year the months are added is January

& February.

The first month was January which derived from the name of God Samus. But before

this name adopted in England, this month is called Wulf-monath, or "wolf month", because at

this time of the year the bitter cold brought wolves into the villages to forage for food. That's

why God Samus, whom the Roman God of the Gateway renamed it to January. In a religious

ceremony in which women beaten for barrenness in Ancient Rome, this was marked in the middle

of the month of February. This religious ceremony was called a festival of purification or in a Latin

term Februum. This festival emphasized atonement and the need for purification to bring about

good fortune and fertility. The Romans were a very superstitious people, and in ancients’ times

February was the first month of the year. It made sense to them to have festival that would

encourage good fortune in the coming year. After a festival, the Roman New Year now was
beginning before the time of Julius Caesar. Aside from beginning of the year, this month also was

the spring season for wagging of war. That's why, this month was dedicated to mars, the God of

war.

As war passes by, the Roman called the next month Aprilis, which based on the Latin

aperio which means “open”. This was the month of the first flowers in Ancient Italy. It is

considered that April is the month of the growing season and when trees and flowers begin the

“open”. Furthermore, it is also believed that the months name is named after the Greek Goddess,

Aphrodite (Aphros). On the other hand, as spring continuous the singing of birds and voices of

the turtles was heard in our land. And it was called it “the lusty month of May” by Sir Thomas

Malory. The name May, in Latin, Maius, is believed by Mary to have come from Maria who was

the mother of the god Hermes. May was also the festival of unhappy dead. After spring, it was

replaced now by dry month. June, this name is probably from Junius, the name of a Latin family

to which the murderers of Julius Caesar belonged. Aside from that, this month also was the

favorite month for marriage of couples all the way down from earliest Rome.

After creating the favorite month for couples, another name of the month was

formed. This month was named to Caius Julius Caesar (Julius) in his honor on his name from being

assassinated. It was proposed by Mark Antony, the roman general and famous lover of Cleopatra.

Before it was proposed, they had called the month “meadow-month”, where in meadows were

in loom and the cattle were in pasture. The power of Julius Caesar was longed to gain the fame

and power y his nephew Octavian. He wanted to have a month named after him. That’s why the

senate had given him the official title of Augustus in honor of his distinguished services to the

state until it become august which means “weed-month”, where in “weed” meaning greeny in
general. Thereafter of greeny days, the “harvest months” was coming. September was in a

seventh month of the year it was refused by the Emperor of the west Charlemagne. The name

September was taken from the Latin word Septem which meant “seven”. Charlemagne called it

September, known as Haerfest-Month. The harvest month.

The following month was the season when the smoke of burning leaves is apt to be

in the air. October is called by the Roman Poet Martial as Smoky because the time for lighting

fires was at hand. Germanicus Caesar wanted the month named after him, but he never got very

far with his wish. The English first gave the name Win-Monath, or “wine-month”. This is the 10th

month of the year. Since the Emperor Augustus had his month and Julius Caesar his, the month

of November wanted to be renamed to Emperor Tiberius. But he objected it. That’s why

November remained November, derived from the Latin word novem meaning “nine”. To the

English, it was called the “sacrifice-monath”. Sometimes they called it the wind-month, for

obvious reason. Lastly, is the Haligh-Monath, or “Holy-Month” this was called as a birth of Christ.