Articles About Months (33)
The Gregorian Calendar
The Gregorian calendar is the internationally accepted civil calendar that was first adopted in 1582.
The 12 Months of the Year
The 12 months of the year are linked to the Moon's orbit around Earth. Why are there 12 months? What do the month names mean?
The Month of January
January has 31 days, and is named after the two-faced Roman god Janus.
The Month of February
February is the second month of the year in the Gregorian calendar. It is the shortest month with only 28 days in common years and 29 days in leap years.
The Month of March
March is the third month of the year. It has 31 days and is named after Mars, the Roman god of war.
The Month of April
The month of April explained. How many days are in April? Why is April the 4th month? What meaning and symbolism does it have?
The Month of May
May is the fifth month of the year, has 31 days, and is likely named after the Greek goddess Maia.
The Month of June
June is the sixth month of the year, has 30 days, and is named after the Roman goddess Juno.
The Month of July
July is the seventh month of the year, has 31 days, and is named after Julius Caesar.
The Month of August
August is the eighth month in the Gregorian calendar and has 31 days. In the northern half of the world, August is the last month of summer.
The Month of September
September is the ninth month of the year in and has 30 days. It was originally the seventh month of the Roman calendar until 153 BCE.
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.
The Month of November
November is the 11th month of the year and has 30 days. It was originally the 9th month of the Roman calendar until 153 BCE.
The Month of December
December is the twelfth month of the year and has 31 days. It was originally the tenth month of the Roman calendar until 153 BCE.
What Is a Blue Moon?
'Once in a blue moon', suggests something is very rare. But just how rare is a Blue Moon?
What Is a Black Moon?
A Black Moon can be the third New Moon in a season with four New Moons or the second New Moon in the same calendar month, or even no New Moon at all.
January: Wolf Moon
The January Full Moon is named after howling wolves. In some cultures, it was known as Old Moon, Ice Moon, Snow Moon, and the Moon after Yule.
February: Snow Moon
The February Full Moon is named after the snow on the ground. Some Native American tribes named this the Hunger Moon, others called it the Storm Moon.
March: Worm Moon
The Full Moon in March is the Worm Moon. It is also called Lenten Moon, Crow Moon, Crust Moon, Chaste Moon, Sugar Moon, and Sap Moon.
April: Pink Moon
Pink Moon comes from Pink Wild Ground Phlox which bloom in spring. Other names for this Full Moon are Sprouting Grass Moon, Fish Moon, Hare Moon, Egg Moon, and Paschal Moon.
May: Flower Moon
The Full Moon in May is known as the Flower Moon. Other names include the Corn Planting Moon, and the Milk Moon, while some named it the Hare moon.
June: Strawberry Moon
The wild strawberries that start to ripen gave name to the Full Moon in June. Other names are Rose Moon, Hot Moon, and Mead Moon.
July: Buck Moon
The Full Moon in July is the Buck Moon. It is also called Thunder Moon, Hay Moon, and Wort Moon.
August: Sturgeon Moon
The Full Moon in August is named after the lake sturgeon. Other names for this Full Moon include Grain Moon, Green Corn Moon, Fruit Moon, and Barley Moon.
Harvest Moon in September or October?
The Harvest Moon varies between September or October in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the Full Moon nearest the autumnal (fall) equinox.
September: Harvest or Corn Moon
The September Full Moon is usually the Harvest Moon, but this depends on the equinox. It is also called Full Corn Moon or Barley Moon.
The Hunter's Moon
October’s Full Moon is the Hunter’s Moon. It's also called Travel Moon, Dying Grass Moon, Blood Moon, or Sanguine Moon.
November: Beaver Moon
The Full Moon in November is named after beavers. It is also called Frost Moon and Mourning Moon, depending on the winter solstice.
December: Cold Moon
The December Full Moon is called the Cold Moon, Long Nights Moon, the Moon before Yule, Oak Moon, and Wolf Moon.
Full Moon Names
Full Moons had given names in many ancient cultures. The Full Moon names we use today often reflect nature like Harvest Moon.
How Accurate Are Calendars?
Our calendar does not accurately reflect the length of a tropical year, the time it takes Earth to complete a full orbit around the Sun. Why is that so and are there other calendars that do a better job?
The Lunar Month
A lunar month is the time it takes the Moon to pass through all of the Moon phases, usually measured from a New Moon the next New Moon.
The Revised Julian Calendar
The Revised Julian calendar is one of the most accurate calendar systems ever developed. How does it work, and why don't we use it?