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Time, Weights, and Measures - How Were The Months Of The Year Named?
How were the months of the year named?
The names for the months in the current Gregorian calendar were designated by the Romans in honor of their gods and specific events. Below are the months, with their Latin translations in parentheses, followed by the origin of each name.
January (Januarius)—named after Janus, a Roman two-faced god; one face is looking into the past, the other into the future.
February (Februarium)—from the Latin word februare, meaning "to cleanse." During this time period, the Romans performed religious rites to purge themselves of sin.
March (Martius)—named after Mars, the god of war.
April (Aprilis)—from the Latin word aperio, meaning "to open," because plants begin to grow in this month.
May (Maius)—after the Roman goddess Maia. Also from the Latin word maiores meaning "elders," who were celebrated...
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Time
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Weights And Measures
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