Months of the year: how many months of the year and how they are called. All about 12 months

What months of the year do you know? Perhaps even an ordinary high school student can answer this question, and, most likely, he will name them immediately in several languages, for example, in Russian, English and German. And have you ever thought about why these most important components of the year have exactly such names?

Section 1. Urgency of the Question

Months of the year ... It would seem that it can be easier: January, February, March, etc. In just a few seconds, they can be listed without any problems either in direct or in reverse order.

However, recently more and more people are interested in the etymology of words. Why? First of all, due to the fact that such knowledge helps to better trace the history and culture of a single country, as well as the whole country or nationality. And to possess such knowledge is not only fashionable, but also very promising, as through the past, as is known, it is almost always possible to predict the further development of events with reference to the future.

Let's try to open the veil of secrecy and find out what ancient Slavic names managed to enter modern language and gain a foothold in it, as they say, for centuries.

Section 2. The struggle of two calendars

In general, according to scientists, the list of months of the year came to us from ancient Rome. It was in that great country that the local sages developed a solar calendar consisting of names that were directly related to the Roman gods, emperors and ordinary figures. As a result, it was taken as a basis.

In general, there are different versions of how and for what reason the Roman calendar predominantly supplanted the Old Slavonic calendar, but the main one is still religious.

It is believed that the Orthodox Church so diligently sought to eradicate paganism, in the end it affected even the calendar. Since at that time Rus had a close relationship with Byzantium, it was precisely the Roman calendar that came to our court.

In our modern preserved the essence of the Roman calendar, which lasted 12 months, the only difference, however, relates to the beginning of the year.

Seasons they were the same as now, and they were located in the same sequence, referring to the same time of year. But some changes have occurred, although they should not be considered as fundamental. The fact is that the ancient Romans were originally the first in the year was March.

Section 3. Winter months of the year

December for the Romans was simply considered "tenth", but the ancient Slavs called it jelly. In principle, it is understandable why: as a rule, this month it became cold or cold, the rivers froze, and movements due to low temperatures and heavy precipitation became practically impossible. Local residents remained hostages of their own homes, and trade and war almost stopped.

How many months of the year, even a child knows, and even a baby is able to remember the first. Why? Because of the celebration of the New Year, of course.

January was January in honor of the two-faced God Janus, who was rightfully considered the god of all beginnings and connected the past and the future. He was also the keeper of the entrances and exits to various rooms and into the afterlife. By the way, Janus is known as the patron of travelers and a brave road keeper, he was revered by Italian sailors, who believed that he had taught people to create the first ships.

In general, in the ancient Slavic calendar, January was called "sechin". The word came from the verb "cut", which meant to cut down the forest. As a rule, all blanks for construction and preparation of sown areas were carried out in the winter. It was in January and the third name - "blueprint", which meant "the appearance of the blue sky after a very long cloudiness."

February comes from the Latin word Februa, which literally means "a festival of cleansing." It was in this month that the rite of purification was performed and sins were expiated. There is a version that the name of the month is associated with the god of the underworld called Februs.

In the Old Slavonic version, February sounds like a fierce, that is, a month of frosts and blizzards.

Section 4. Spring months of the year

March has received such name in honor of Mars - the god of war. This deity was highly revered by the Romans, and since military campaigns were usually planned along with warm spring days, this name arose.

In the Old Slavic calendar March was called "birch". The name is logically understandable, since it was at this time that the trees cut down in winter were burnt to coal, mostly birches. In some versions, March was also called "dry", as the time for the drying of the land from the snows came.

The history of the name of the month of April goes to the Latin word Aprilis. As far as we know, in translation it means "disclosure". This is understandable, because it was at this time that the kidneys on the trees opened. But there is, incidentally, an alternative version of the origin of the name from another Latin word apricus, which means warmed by the sun. True, you will agree, the essence of this almost does not change.

Our ancestors referred to April as an equally beautiful name, "flower", since it was the month when everything was blooming.

May was named after the goddess of spring named Maya. By the way, the Romans identified this goddess with the Italian goddess Maesta, who is the patroness of the fertile land. Often in May, this goddess was offered sacrifices.

According to the ancient Slavonic calendar, May was called "herb " , that is, the month of active growth of herbs.

Section 5. "Summer, oh, summer ..."

June was named after the goddess Juno, who was the wife of Jupiter. She was considered the patroness of women. But there is a second opinion that this name is associated with the first consul of Ancient Rome named Junius Brutus.

The calendar of our ancestors called this month "wormwood". The name comes from the word worm. It's simple: this is the month of gathering insect pests in their gardens and in the kitchen gardens. In addition, in the southern regions it is June - the time of reddening of the cherry.

July, most likely, named after the famous Julius Caesar, in principle, it was he who started all this reform of the calendar. Earlier this month was called "Quintilis" or "The Fifth".

The ancient Slavs called the month "lipen, " since it was at this time that the linden bloomed.

Augustus is named in honor of Emperor Augustus, it was he who made his own corrections to the Roman calendar. Until now, the month was called "Sextilis" or "Sixth".

Section 6. September, October, November - the time of autumn withering

With these months the situation is very simple. The Romans did not invent new names for them, they simply correspond to their number in order. Although, to give some nominal names tried before repeatedly. After all, many emperors wanted to perpetuate their names on the calendar.

Such months of the year as September, October, November, respectively, denote the Latin ordinal numbers: the seventh, the eighth, the ninth.

The ancient Slavs called September the word "firs", for this was the height of the heyday of the heather. October was called a leaf fall, as it was the time of yellowing and falling leaves. November was called the "chest " because of the frozen track on the road.