October

October is the tenth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendar. It was originally the eighth month of the Roman calendar until 153 BCE.

Naming October - The Eighth Month

October is the tenth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and has a length of 31 days.  The month kept its original name from the Roman calendar in which octo means “eight” in Latin marking it the eight month of the year.

October 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 - octobre
• Latin name - October mensis - eighth month
• Anglo Saxons - Winterfylleth - winter full moon

History of October

October was originally the eighth month of the Roman calendar. It always had a length of 31 days and became the tenth month of the year when King Numa Pompilius reformed the calendar and added the months of January and February around 700 BCE.

Position in the Year

October is the tenth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendar and was the eighth month in the Roman calendar. It is commonly linked with the autumn season in the Northern Hemisphere and spring in the Southern Hemisphere. Its seasonal equivalent is April in the Northern Hemisphere.

October starts on the same day of the week as January in common years, but does not start on the same day of the week as any other month in leap years. October ends on the same day of the week as February every year and January in common years only.

Symbols

October's birth flower is the calendula.

The birthstone for October is the opal and it is said that the opal will crack if it is worn by someone who was not born in October.