JANUARY

 

January comes to us from the Roman god “Janus,” which means, “Beginning.”  Also   known as the “god of Doorways,” in which many roman arches don his name.  Over a thousand years ago the English name for the month was, “Ianuariusmonad,” with “monad” meaning, “moon.”  Why “moon?”  because the months were designated from one new moon to the other new moon.  And the English word “monad” eventually became the English word today of “month.”

 

 

FEBRUARY

 

February also comes to us from the Roman god “Februus.”  This false god was associated with “death” and “purification.”  Sacrifices were made to him during his festival of “Februalia.”  Supposedly for “purification” or cleansing.  Originally on the Roman calendar, “Januarius” was the 11th month, while “Februarius” was the last month.  The Romans considered both of these months to be “Dark Months.”  Too cold for war, or for farming, or any other fun activities.  In B.C. 700 January was moved to the first month of the year, while February became the second.  The month became known as “Februariusmonad,” once again “monad” standing for “month.”  It was also known as “Solmonad,” with “Sol” standing for “soil,” or better, “mud,” as it was such a dreary month.

 

 

MARCH

 

Originally marked by the Romans as the first month of the year, this month was named after the Roman god “Mars,” the “god of War.”  The original name of the month was “Martius.”  Other old English names for the month were “Hlyda,” or “Lide.”  It was known as “Lide,” which means “Loud,” because the month was “noisy with wind and storm.”  The English called the month “Hredmonad,” after their goddess “Hretha,” which was their goddess of “glory.”

 

 

APRIL

 

This months name also comes to us via the Romans who called it “Aprilis.”  It is still to this day debatable, but it may have come from the goddess “Aphrodite.”  Others speculate that it came from “Aperire,” which means “pleasant smelling.”  Most disagree.  The English called it “Aprilismonad,” or “Eastermonad,” from which came the English word, you guessed it, “Easter Month.”  “Easter” was the “goddess of Fertility,” also known as “Eostre; Ostara; Eastro.”

 

 

MAY

 

May is named after the Roman “Fertility goddess,” “Maia.”  Not to be confuses with the Greek goddess of the same name.  The English called this month, “Primilcemonad.”  Which literally meant, “Three Milk Month.”  According the the historian “Bede,” in 725 A.D., “The fifth month is called Thrimilci in our language, because before, there was such abundance in Britain and also in Germania, whence the Angle-people came to Britain, they would milk their cows thrice a day.”

 

 

JUNE

 

Named after the Roman goddess “Juno,” which was the “goddess of woman and marriage.”  Other theorize that the name comes from ‘Juniours,” which meant, “young ones.”  The English called it “Lida,” which moved to “Aerra Lida,” meaning “Early Lida.”  The meaning of “Lida” is uncertain.

 

 

JULY

 

This month was named after the death of Julius Caesar in B.C. 44.  Of course, he was considered to be a god.  Prior to Julius Caesar the Romans called it “Quintilis.”  Its beginning, “Quint,” later came into the English vocabulary, where they get their words such as, “Quintuplets,” meaning “five babies.”  Therefore, it literally meant, “The Fifth Month.”  Which remember, January and February were the 11th and 12th months at that time.  The English called it, “Aefterra Lida,” meaning, the month “After Lida.”

 

 

AUGUST

 

August was known by the Romans as, “Sextilis,”  which meant, “Sixth.”  It was renamed “August,” after Augustus Caesar during his reign in B.C. 8.  Remembering that he was also considered to be a god.  The English called it, “Weodmonad,” meaning, “Weed Month.”

 

 

SEPTEMBER

 

To the Romans, “Septem” meant “Seven.”  The English called it “Haerfestmonad,” meaning, “Harvest Month.”  It was also known as “Haligmonad,” which meant, “Holy Month.”  Why ‘Holy Month?”  Because offerings were offered to the gods for a nice hefty harvest.

 

 

OCTOBER

 

To the Romans, “Octo” meant “Eight.”  The English named it, “Wintefylled,” because it was the month of the full moon and the beginning of “Winter.”

 

 

NOVEMBER

 

To the Romans, “Novem” meant “Nine.”  The English named it, “Blotmonad,” meaning, “Sacrifice Month.”  It was a time for the slaughter of cattle, both for meat for the winter and offerings to the gods.  It was also known as “Blodmonad,” meaning “Blood Month.”

 

 

DECEMBER

 

To the Romans, Decem,” meant “Ten.”  The English named it “Aerra Geola,” or “Geolmonad,” meaning “Yule Month,” as in “Yule Log,” or “Yuletide,” with “Yule” meaning, “Christmas.”