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What's in a name?
by W.Holidays
Monday's child is fair of face
Tuesday's child is full of grace
Wednesday's child is full of woe
Thursday's child has far to go
Friday's child is loving and giving
Saturday's child works hard for its living
And the child that's born on the Sabbath day
Is bonny and blithe and good and gay.
 How the months and days of
the week got their names.
January
Derived from the Roman god Janus, god of the sun, the year and
new beginnings. Derived from the Latin Januarius.
February
Named for the Roman festival Februa, the month of expiation
(redemption). In ancient Rome the great feast of expiation and
purification was held on the fifteenth. Derived from the Latin Februarius.
March
Named for the Roman god of War, Mars.
As mad as a March Hare, an old English Saying
derived from the fact that March is the rutting time of hares, when
they are excitable and violent. --Wright.
April
From the Latin Aprillis the month for the Roman
goddess Venus or the Greek Aphro (Aprhrodite).
May
Chosen to honor of the Greek goddess Maia, goddess of fertility and
daughter of Atlas and mother of Mercury by Jupiter. Derived from the
Latin Maius.
June
From the Latin Junius, named for the Roman
goddess Juno.
June beetles and June bugs: a myriad of large
brown beetles in the genus Lachnosterna that begin to fly about the
first of June in the Northern United States.
July
Named for Julius Caesar, who was born in this month. This month was
called Quintilis, (the fifth month) in the old Roman calendar, in which
March was the first month of the year.
August
Named for Augustus Caesar, the first emperor of Rome.
This month was called Sextilis, (the sixth month) in the old Roman
calendar.
September
Although this is the ninth month of the modern calendar it still
retains its name from the old Roman calendar Septem,
meaning seven.
October
The tenth month of the modern calendar that retains its name from the
old Roman calendar Octo, meaning eight.
November
The eleventh month of the modern calendar that retains its name from
the old Roman calendar Novem, meaning nine.
December
The twelfth month of the modern calendar that retains its name from the
old Roman calendar Decem, meaning ten.
Sunday
In ancient days this day was dedicated to the sun and sun worship.
Monday
A day sacred to the moon, dedicated to the moon.
Tuesday
The day of Tiw, the Norse god of war.
Wednesday
Woden's day, the highest god of the Teutonic peoples, similar to the
Roman god, Mercury.
Thursday
Taken from the Scandinavian god Thor, god of thunder.
Friday
Named after the Teutonic
Frigu
(or Frigg) wife of Odin (Wodan); the goddess of marriage and love.
Saturday
Literally translates as Saturn's day, the Roman god of
agriculture and harvest.
Sources:
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary,
1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
Wikipedia.org
modified April 6, 2008
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