November

November is the eleventh month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendar. It was originally the ninth month of the Roman calendar until 153 BCE.

Naming November - The Ninth Month

November is the eleventh month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and has a length of 30 days.  The month kept its original name from the Latin novem meaning “nine” which marked it the ninth month of the year in the Roman calendar.

November 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 - novembre
• Latin name - novembris mensis - ninth month
• Old English - Blotmanad - Blood month

History of November

November was originally the ninth month of the Roman calendar and consisted of 30 days. It became the eleventh month of the year with a length of 29 days when King Numa Pompilius reformed the calendar and added the months of January and February around 700 BCE. During the Julian calendar reform, a day was added to November making it 30 days long again.

Position in the Year

November is the eleventh month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendar and was the ninth month in the Roman calendar. It is the seasonal equivalent of May in the Northern Hemisphere.

November starts on the same day of the week as February in common years and March every year. November ends on the same day of the week as August every year.

Symbols

November’s birth flower is the chrysanthemum.

The birthstone for November is the topaz.