The Month of October
October is the tenth month of the year
and has 31 days. It was originally the eighth month of the Roman calendar until
153 BCE.
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| Orange calendula, the birth flower of October. |
Naming October - The Eighth
Month
October is the
tenth month of the year in the modern day Gregorian calendar and its
predecessor, the Julian calendar. The month kept its original name from the
Roman calendar in which octo means “eight” in Latin marking it the eighth month
of the year.
October was
named during a time when the calendar year began with March, which is why its
name no longer corresponds with its placement in the Julian and Gregorian
calendars.
Middle English
- octobre
Latin name -
October mensis - eighth month
Anglo Saxons -
Winterfylleth - winter full moon
History of October
October was
originally the eighth month of the Roman calendar. It always had a length of 31
days and became the tenth month of the year when King Numa Pompilius reformed
the calendar and added the months of January and February around 700 BCE.
Tenth Month in the Year
October is the
tenth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendar and was the eighth
month in the Roman calendar. It is commonly linked with the autumn season in
the Northern Hemisphere and spring in the Southern Hemisphere. Its seasonal
equivalent is April in the Northern Hemisphere.
October starts
on the same day of the week as January in common years, but does not start on
the same day of the week as any other month in leap years. October ends on the
same day of the week as February every year and January in common years only.
Birth Flower and Birthstone
October's birth flower is the
calendula.
The birthstone for October is
the opal and it is said that the opal will crack if it is worn by someone who
was not born in October.