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The month is a unit of time
Time

Time is a component of the measurement used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify the motions of objects....
, used with calendar
Calendar

A calendar is a system of organize days for a social, religious, commercial or administrative purpose. This organization is done by giving names to periods of time ? typically days, weeks, months and years....
s, which is approximately as long as some natural period
Orbital period

The orbital Periodicity is the time taken for a given object to make one complete orbit about another object.When mentioned without further qualification in astronomy this refers to the sidereal period of an astronomical object, which is calculated with respect to the stars....
 related to the motion of the Moon
Moon

The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite and the List of natural satellites by diameter satellite in the Solar System. The average centre-to-centre distance from the Earth to the Moon is km, about thirty times the diameter of the Earth....
; month and Moon are cognate
Cognate

Cognates in linguistics are words that have a common etymology origin.An example of cognates within the same language would be English shirt vs....
s. The traditional concept arose with the cycle of moon phases; such months (lunation
Lunation

Lunation is the mean time for one lunar phase cycle .  It is on average 29.530589 days, or 29 d 12 h 44 min 3 s.  The length of this cycle is linked to many phenomena in nature....
s) are synodic months and last approximately 29.53 day
Day

A day is a units of measurement of time equivalent to approximately 24 hours. It is not an International System of Units unit but it is accepted for use with SI....
s. From excavated tally sticks, researchers have deduced that people counted days in relation to the Moon's phases as early as the Paleolithic
Paleolithic

The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic or "Old Stone" era is a Prehistory era distinguished by the development of the first stone tools, and covers roughly 99% of human history....
 age.






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The month is a unit of time
Time

Time is a component of the measurement used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify the motions of objects....
, used with calendar
Calendar

A calendar is a system of organize days for a social, religious, commercial or administrative purpose. This organization is done by giving names to periods of time ? typically days, weeks, months and years....
s, which is approximately as long as some natural period
Orbital period

The orbital Periodicity is the time taken for a given object to make one complete orbit about another object.When mentioned without further qualification in astronomy this refers to the sidereal period of an astronomical object, which is calculated with respect to the stars....
 related to the motion of the Moon
Moon

The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite and the List of natural satellites by diameter satellite in the Solar System. The average centre-to-centre distance from the Earth to the Moon is km, about thirty times the diameter of the Earth....
; month and Moon are cognate
Cognate

Cognates in linguistics are words that have a common etymology origin.An example of cognates within the same language would be English shirt vs....
s. The traditional concept arose with the cycle of moon phases; such months (lunation
Lunation

Lunation is the mean time for one lunar phase cycle .  It is on average 29.530589 days, or 29 d 12 h 44 min 3 s.  The length of this cycle is linked to many phenomena in nature....
s) are synodic months and last approximately 29.53 day
Day

A day is a units of measurement of time equivalent to approximately 24 hours. It is not an International System of Units unit but it is accepted for use with SI....
s. From excavated tally sticks, researchers have deduced that people counted days in relation to the Moon's phases as early as the Paleolithic
Paleolithic

The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic or "Old Stone" era is a Prehistory era distinguished by the development of the first stone tools, and covers roughly 99% of human history....
 age. Synodic months, based on the Moon's orbital period
Orbital period

The orbital Periodicity is the time taken for a given object to make one complete orbit about another object.When mentioned without further qualification in astronomy this refers to the sidereal period of an astronomical object, which is calculated with respect to the stars....
, are still the basis of many calendars today, and are used to divide the year
Year

A year is the time between two recurrences of an event related to the orbit of the Earth around the Sun. By extension, this can be applied to any planet: for example, a "Martian year" is the time in which Mars completes its own orbit....
.

Sidereal month

The period of the Moon's orbit as defined with respect to the celestial sphere (known as esthers) is known as a sidereal month because it is the time it takes the Moon to return to a given position among the star
Star

A star is a massive, luminous ball of Plasma that is held together by its own gravity. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth....
s : 27.321661 days (27 d 7 h 43 min 11.5 s). This type of month has been observed among cultures in the Middle East, India, and China in the following way: they divided the sky into 27 or 28 lunar mansions, identified by the prominent star(s) in them.

Tropical month

It is customary to specify positions of celestial bodies with respect to the vernal equinox
Equinox

Equinoxes occur twice a year, when the tilt of the Earth's axis is inclined neither away from nor toward the Sun, causing the Sun to be located vertically above a point on the equator....
. Because of precession
Precession

Precession refers to a change in the direction of the axis of a rotation object. In physics, there are two types of precession, torque-free and torque-induced, the latter being discussed here in more detail....
, this point moves back slowly along the ecliptic
Ecliptic

The ecliptic is the apparent path that the Sun traces out in the sky during the year. As it appears to move in the sky in relation to the stars, the apparent path aligns with the planets throughout the course of the year....
. Therefore it takes the Moon less time to return to an ecliptic longitude of zero than to the same point amidst the fixed stars: 27.321582 days (27 d 7 h 43 min 4.7 s). This slightly shorter period is known as tropical month; cf. the analogous tropical year
Tropical year

A tropical year is the length of time that the Sun takes to return to the same position in the cycle of seasons, as seen from Earth; for example, the time from vernal equinox to vernal equinox, or from summer solstice to summer solstice....
 of the Sun
Sun

The Sun , a G V star, is the star at the center of the Solar System. The Earth and other matter orbit the Sun, which by itself accounts for about 98.6% of the Solar System's mass....
.

Anomalistic month

Like all orbits, the Moon's orbit is an ellipse rather than a circle. However, the orientation (as well as the shape) of this orbit is not fixed. In particular, the position of the extreme points (the line of the apsides
Apsis

In celestial mechanics, an apsis, plural apsides is the point of greatest or least distance of the elliptical orbit of an object from its center of attraction, which is generally the center of mass of the system....
: perigee and apogee), makes a full circle (lunar precession
Lunar precession

There are two important precessional motions in the Orbit of the Moon.The long axis of the moon's elliptical orbit precessiones about once in just under 9 years....
) in about nine years. It takes the Moon longer to return to the same apsis because it moved ahead during one revolution. This longer period is called the anomalistic month, and has an average length of 27.554551 days (27 d 13 h 18 min 33.2 s). The apparent diameter of the Moon varies with this period, and therefore this type has some relevance for the prediction of eclipse
Eclipse

An eclipse is an astronomical event that occurs when one celestial object moves into the shadow of another. The term is derived from the ancient Greek noun , from verb , "I cease to exist," a combination of prefix , from preposition , "out," and of verb , "I am absent"....
s (see Saros
Saros

Saros or S?ros may refer to:*Saros cycle, a method for predicting solar eclipses*SS Saros, a shipwreck off the southeast coast of Australia...
), whose extent, duration, and appearance (whether total or annular) depend on the exact apparent diameter of the Moon. The apparent diameter of the full moon
Full moon

Full moon is a lunar phase that occurs when the Moon is on the opposite side of the Earth from the Sun. More precisely, a full moon occurs when the geocentric apparent longitudes of the Sun and Moon differ by 180 degrees; the Moon is then in opposition with the Sun....
 varies with the full moon cycle
Full moon cycle

The full moon cycle is a cycle of about 14 lunations over which full moons vary in apparent size and age . The sequence is*Full moon big - *Full moon young - ...
 which is the beat period of the synodic and anomalistic month, and also the period after which the apsides point to the Sun again.

Draconic month

Also called the nodical month. The orbit of the moon lies in a plane that is tilted with respect to the plane of the ecliptic: it has an inclination
Inclination

Inclination in general is the angle between a reference plane and another plane or Axis_of_rotation of direction. The axial tilt is expressed as the angle made by the planet's axis and a line drawn through the planet's center perpendicular to the orbital plane....
 of about five degrees. The line of intersection of these planes defines two points on the celestial sphere: the ascending node, when the moon's path crosses the ecliptic as the moon moves into the northern hemisphere, and descending node when the moon's path crosses the ecliptic as the moon moves into the southern hemisphere. The draconic or nodical month is the average interval between two successive transits of the moon through its ascending node. Because of the sun's gravitational pull on the moon, the moon's orbit gradually rotates westward on its axis, which means the nodes gradually rotate around the earth. As a result, the time it takes the moon to return to the same node is shorter than a sidereal month. It lasts 27.212220 days (27 d 5 h 5 min 35.8 s). The plane of the moon's orbit precesses
Precession

Precession refers to a change in the direction of the axis of a rotation object. In physics, there are two types of precession, torque-free and torque-induced, the latter being discussed here in more detail....
 over a full circle in about 18.6 years.

Because the moon's orbit is inclined with respect to the ecliptic, the sun, moon, and earth are in line only when the moon is at one of the nodes. Whenever this happens a solar or lunar eclipse
Eclipse

An eclipse is an astronomical event that occurs when one celestial object moves into the shadow of another. The term is derived from the ancient Greek noun , from verb , "I cease to exist," a combination of prefix , from preposition , "out," and of verb , "I am absent"....
 is possible. The name "draconic" refers to a mythical dragon, said to live in the nodes and eat the sun or moon during an eclipse.

Synodic month

This is the average period of the Moon's revolution with respect to the sun. The synodic month is responsible for the moon's phases
Lunar phase

Lunar phase refers to the appearance of the illuminated portion of the Moon as seen by an observer, usually on Earth. The lunar phases vary cyclically as the Moon orbits the Earth, according to the changing relative positions of the Earth, Moon, and Sun....
, because the Moon's appearance depends on the position of the Moon with respect to the Sun as seen from the Earth. While the moon is orbiting the earth, the Earth is progressing in its orbit around the Sun. This means that after completing a sidereal month the Moon must move a little farther to reach the new position of the Earth with respect to the Sun. This longer period is called the synodic month (sun hodo, meaning "with the way [of the sun]"). Because of perturbations in the orbits of the Earth and Moon, the actual time between lunation
Lunation

Lunation is the mean time for one lunar phase cycle .  It is on average 29.530589 days, or 29 d 12 h 44 min 3 s.  The length of this cycle is linked to many phenomena in nature....
s may range from about 29.27 to about 29.83 days. The long-term average duration is 29.530589 days (29 d 12 h 44 min 2.9 s). The synodic month is used in the Metonic cycle
Metonic cycle

The Metonic cycle or Enneadecaeteris in astronomy and calendar studies is a particular approximate Least common multiple of the tropical year and the Month#Synodic month....
.

Month lengths

Here is a list of the average length of the various astronomical lunar months. These are not constant, so a first-order (linear) approximation of the secular change is provided:

Valid for the epoch J2000.0 (1 January 2000 12:00 TT
Terrestrial Time

Terrestrial Time is the modern astronomical time standard for the passage of time on the surface of the Earth . Since time moves at different rates for observers in different locations , and "the surface of the Earth" is not a single point in space, TT is a theoretical ideal; its measurement is approximated by the International Atomic Time...
):

Note: time expressed in Ephemeris Time
Ephemeris time

The term ephemeris time is in itself apt to refer to time in connection with any Astronomical Ephemeris. It has been used more specifically to refer:-...
 (more precisely Terrestrial Time
Terrestrial Time

Terrestrial Time is the modern astronomical time standard for the passage of time on the surface of the Earth . Since time moves at different rates for observers in different locations , and "the surface of the Earth" is not a single point in space, TT is a theoretical ideal; its measurement is approximated by the International Atomic Time...
) with days of 86,400 SI
Si

Si, si, or SI may refer to :...
 second
Second

The second , sometimes abbreviated sec., is the name of a units of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units SI base unit of time....
s. y is years since the epoch (2000), expressed in Julian years of 365.25 days. Note that for calendrical calculations, one would probably use days measured in the time scale of Universal Time
Universal Time

Universal Time is a timescale based on the rotation of the Earth. It is a modern continuation of Greenwich Mean Time , i.e., the mean solar time on the meridian of Royal Observatory, Greenwich, and GMT is sometimes used loosely as a synonym for UTC....
, which follows the somewhat unpredictable rotation of the Earth, and progressively accumulates a difference with ephemeris time called ?T
Delta T

?T, Delta T, delta-T, deltaT, or DT is the time difference obtained by subtracting Universal Time from Terrestrial Time....
.

Calendrical consequences

For more details on this topic, see lunar calendar
Lunar calendar

A lunar calendar is a calendar that is based on cycles of the moon phase. The only widely used purely lunar calendar is the Islamic calendar or Hijri calendar, whose year always consists of 12 lunar months....
 and lunisolar calendar
Lunisolar calendar

A lunisolar calendar is a calendar in many cultures whose date indicates both the moon phase and the time of the solar year. If the solar year is defined as a tropical year then a lunisolar calendar will give an indication of the season; if it is taken as a sidereal year then the calendar will predict the constellation near which the full moo...
.


At the simplest level, all lunar calendars are based on the approximation that 2 lunations last 59 days: a 30 day full month followed by a 29 day hollow month — but this is only marginally accurate and quickly needs correction by using larger cycles, or the equivalent of leap days.

Second, the synodic month does not fit easily into the year
Year

A year is the time between two recurrences of an event related to the orbit of the Earth around the Sun. By extension, this can be applied to any planet: for example, a "Martian year" is the time in which Mars completes its own orbit....
, which makes constructing accurate, rule-based lunisolar calendars difficult. The most common solution to this problem is the Metonic cycle
Metonic cycle

The Metonic cycle or Enneadecaeteris in astronomy and calendar studies is a particular approximate Least common multiple of the tropical year and the Month#Synodic month....
, which takes advantage of the fact that 235 lunations are approximately 19 tropical year
Tropical year

A tropical year is the length of time that the Sun takes to return to the same position in the cycle of seasons, as seen from Earth; for example, the time from vernal equinox to vernal equinox, or from summer solstice to summer solstice....
s (which add up to not quite 6940 days). However, a Metonic calendar (such as the Hebrew calendar
Hebrew calendar

The Hebrew calendar or Jewish calendar is a lunisolar calendar used by Jews, now predominantly for religious purposes. It is used to reckon the Jewish New Year and dates for Jewish holidays, and also to determine appropriate Torah reading of Torah portions, Yahrzeits , and daily Psalm reading, among many ceremonial uses....
) will drift against the seasons by about 1 day every 200 years.

The problems of creating reliable lunar calendars may explain why solar calendar
Solar calendar

A solar calendar is a calendar whose dates indicate the position of the earth on its revolution around the sun ....
s, having months which no longer relate to the phase of the moon, and being based only on the motion of the sun against the sky, have generally replaced lunar calendars for civil use in most societies.

Months in various calendars


Beginning of the lunar month

The Hellenic calendars, the Hebrew Lunisolar calendar
Hebrew calendar

The Hebrew calendar or Jewish calendar is a lunisolar calendar used by Jews, now predominantly for religious purposes. It is used to reckon the Jewish New Year and dates for Jewish holidays, and also to determine appropriate Torah reading of Torah portions, Yahrzeits , and daily Psalm reading, among many ceremonial uses....
 and the Islamic Lunar calendar
Islamic calendar

The Islamic calendar or Muslim calendar or Hijri calendar is a lunar calendar used to date events in many predominantly Muslim countries, and used by Muslims everywhere to determine the proper day on which to celebrate Islamic holy days and festivals....
 started the month with the first appearance of the thin crescent of the new moon
New moon

In astronomical terminology, the new moon is the lunar phase that occurs when the Moon, in its monthly orbital motion around Earth, lies between Earth and the Sun, and is therefore in Conjunction with the Sun as seen from Earth....
.

However, the motion of the Moon in its orbit
ORBit

ORBit is a Common Object Request Broker Architecture 2.4 compliant Object Request Broker . It features mature C , C++ and Python bindings, and less developed bindings for Perl, Lisp , Pascal , Ruby , and Tcl....
 is very complicated and its period is not constant. The date and time of this actual observation depends on the exact geographical longitude as well as latitude, atmospheric conditions, the visual acuity of the observers, etc. Therefore the beginning and lengths of months in these calendars can not be accurately predicted.

While some like the Karaites Jews still rely on actual moon observations, most people use the Gregorian solar calendar
Gregorian calendar

The Gregorian calendar is the internationally accepted civil calendar. It was first proposed by the Calabrian doctor Aloysius Lilius, and decreed by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom it was named, on 24 February 1582 by the papal bull Inter gravissimas....
.

Julian and Gregorian calendars

The Gregorian calendar
Gregorian calendar

The Gregorian calendar is the internationally accepted civil calendar. It was first proposed by the Calabrian doctor Aloysius Lilius, and decreed by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom it was named, on 24 February 1582 by the papal bull Inter gravissimas....
, like the Julian calendar
Julian calendar

The Julian calendar, a reform of the Roman calendar, was introduced by Julius Caesar in 46 BC, and came into force in 45 BC . It was chosen after consultation with the astronomer Sosigenes of Alexandria and was probably designed to approximate the tropical year, known at least since Hipparchus....
 before it, has twelve months:
  1. January, 31 day
    Day

    A day is a units of measurement of time equivalent to approximately 24 hours. It is not an International System of Units unit but it is accepted for use with SI....
    s
  2. February, 28 days, 29 in leap year
    Leap year

    A leap year is a year containing one or more extra days in order to keep the calendar year synchronized with the astronomical year or seasonal year....
    s
  3. March, 31 days
  4. April, 30 days
  5. May, 31 days
  6. June, 30 days
  7. July, 31 days
  8. August, 31 days
  9. September, 30 days
  10. October, 31 days
  11. November, 30 days
  12. December, 31 days


The average month in the Gregorian calendar has a length of 30.4167 days or 4.345 weeks in a non-leap year and 30.5 days or 4.357 weeks in a leap year, or 30.436875 days in a mean Gregorian month overall (365.2425 ÷ 12).

Months existing in the Roman calendar
Roman calendar

The Roman calendar changed its form several times in the time between founding of Rome and the fall of the Roman Empire. This article generally discusses the early Roman or 'pre-Julian' calendars....
 in the past include:
  • Mercedonius
    Mercedonius

    Mercedonius, also known as Intercalaris, was the intercalary month added in leap years of the Roman calendar. The resulting year was either 377 or 378 days long....
    , an occasional month after February to realign the calendar.
  • Quintilis
    Quintilis

    In the 10-month Roman calendar, Quintilis is after Junius , and Quintilis is Latin for "fifth" from the phrase "quintilis mensis" ....
    , renamed to July in honour of Julius Caesar
    Julius Caesar

    'Gaius Julius Caesar' , July 13, 100 BC ? March 15, 44 BC,) was a Roman Republic military and political leader. He played a critical role in the transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
    .
  • Sextilis
    Sextilis

    Sextilis was the original Latin name for the sixth month in the Roman calendar. It was renamed Augustus in 8 BC in honor of the first Roman emperor, Augustus Caesar because it came after the month of July and because of several fortunate events that occurred in his life during this month: the Battle of Pharsalus, his first admission to...
    , renamed to August in honour of Augustus.


The famous mnemonic
Mnemonic

A mnemonic device is a memory aid. Commonly met mnemonics are often verbal, something such as a very short poem or a special word used to help a person remember something, particularly lists, but may be visual, kinesthetic or auditory....
 Thirty days hath September is the most common way of teaching the lengths of the months in the English-speaking world.

The knuckles of the four fingers of one's hand and the spaces between them can be used to remember the lengths of the months. By making a fist, each month will be listed as one proceeds across the hand. All months landing on a knuckle are 31 days long and those landing between them are not. When the knuckle of the index finger is reached (July), go back to the first knuckle (or over to the first knuckle on the other fist, held next to the first) and continue with August. This physical mnemonic has been taught to primary school students for many decades.

Calends, nones, and ides
The ides
Ides

Ides may refer to:* Ides, a day in the Roman calendar#Months that marked the approximate middle of the month. Specifically, this may refer to the Ides of March, the date of Julius Caesar's assassination....
 occur on the thirteenth day in eight of the months, but in March, May, July, and October, they occur on the fifteenth. The nones always occur 8 days before the ides, i.e., on the fifth or the seventh. The calends are always the first day of the month.

Hebrew Calendar

The Hebrew calendar
Hebrew calendar

The Hebrew calendar or Jewish calendar is a lunisolar calendar used by Jews, now predominantly for religious purposes. It is used to reckon the Jewish New Year and dates for Jewish holidays, and also to determine appropriate Torah reading of Torah portions, Yahrzeits , and daily Psalm reading, among many ceremonial uses....
 has 12 or 13 months.
  1. Nisan
    Nisan

    Nisan is the seventh month of the civil year and the first month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. The name of the month is Babylonian; in the Torah it is called the month of the Aviv, referring to a stage in the ripening of barley which occurs during the month....
    , 30 days ????
  2. Iyyar, 29 days ????
  3. Sivan
    Sivan

    Sivan is the ninth month of the civil year and the third month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. It is a spring month of 30 days....
    , 30 days ????
  4. Tammuz
    Tammuz (month)

    Tammuz is the tenth month of the civil year and the fourth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. It is a summer month of 29 days....
    , 29 days ????
  5. Av
    AV

    Av may mean:* Av , a month in the Hebrew calendar* Av is a common abbreviation for aperture priority on a camera mode dial.aV may mean:...
    , 30 days ??
  6. Elul
    Elul

    Elul is the twelfth month of the Jewish civil year and the sixth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. It is a summer month of 29 days....
    , 29 days ????
  7. Tishri, 30 days ????
  8. Heshvan, 29/30 days ????
  9. Kislev
    Kislev

    For the Warhammer Fantasy location see Kislev Kislev is the third month of the civil year and the ninth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar....
    , 29/30 days ????
  10. Tevet
    Tevet

    Tebet is the fourth month of the civil year and the tenth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. It follows Kislew and precedes Shebat....
    , 29 days ???
  11. Shevat
    Shevat

    Shevat is the fifth month of the civil year and the eleventh month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. It is a winter month of 30 days....
    , 30 days ???
  12. Adar 1, 30 days, intercalary
    Intercalation

    Intercalation is the insertion of a leap day, week or month into some calendar years to make the calendar follow the seasons or moon phases. Lunisolar calendars may require intercalations of both days and months....
     month ??? ?
  13. Adar 2, 29 days ??? ?


Adar 1 is only added 7 times in 19 years. In ordinary years, Adar 2 is simply called Adar.

French Republican calendar

This calendar was proposed during the French Revolution, and used by the French government for about twelve years from late 1793. There were twelve months of 30 days each, grouped into three ten-day weeks called décades. The five or six extra days needed to approximate the tropical year were placed after the months at the end of each year. A period of four years ending on a leap day was to be called a Franciade. It began at the autumn equinox:
  • Autumn:
  1. Vendémiaire
    Vendémiaire

    Vend?miaire was the first month in the French Republican Calendar. The month was named after the French language word vendange .Vend?miaire was the first month of the autumn quarter ....
  2. Brumaire
    Brumaire

    Brumaire was the second month in the French Republican Calendar. The month was named after the French language word brume which occurs frequently in France at that time of the year....
  3. Frimaire
    Frimaire

    Frimaire was the third month in the French Republican Calendar. The month was named after the French language word frimas, which means frost....
  • Winter:
  1. Nivôse
    Nivôse

    For the frigate of the French Navy, see Niv?se Niv?se was the fourth month in the French Republican Calendar. The month was named after the Latin word nivosus, which means snow....
  2. Pluviôse
    Pluviôse

    Pluvi?se was the fifth month in the French Republican Calendar. The month was named after the Latin word pluviosus, which means rain....
  3. Ventôse
    Ventôse

    Vent?se was the sixth month in the French Republican Calendar. The month was named after the Latin word ventosus, which means windy.Vent?se was the third month of the winter quarter ....
  • Spring:
  1. Germinal
    Germinal (French Republican Calendar)

    Germinal was the seventh month in the French Republican Calendar. The month was named after the Latin word germen, which means germination...
  2. Floréal
    Floreal

    Floreal is a municipality in the state of S?o Paulo in Brazil. The population in 2004 is 3,057 and the area is 204.23 km?....
  3. Prairial
    Prairial

    Prairial was the ninth month in the French Republican Calendar. This month was named after the French language word pasture, which means meadow....
  • Summer:
  1. Messidor
    Messidor

    Messidor was the tenth month in the French Republican Calendar. The month was named after the Latin word messis, which means harvest.Messidor was the first month of the summer quarter ....
  2. Thermidor
    Thermidor

    Thermidor was the eleventh month in the French Republican Calendar. The month was named after the French language word thermal which comes from the Greek word "Thermos" which means heat....
  3. Fructidor
    Fructidor

    Fructidor was the twelfth month in the French Republican Calendar. The month was named after the Latin word fructus, which means fruit....


Iranian/Persian calendar

The Iranian / Persian calendar
Iranian calendar

The Iranian calendar or Solar Hejri is an astronomical solar calendar and one of the longest chronological records in history and is currently used in Iran and Afghanistan as the main official calendar....
, currently used in Iran
Iran

Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran and formerly known internationally as Persian Empire until 1935, is a country in Central Eurasia, located on the northeastern shore of the Persian Gulf and the southern shore of the Caspian Sea....
 and Afghanistan
Afghanistan

Afghanistan , officially the Islamic republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country that is located approximately in the center of Asia....
, also has 12 months. The Persian
Persian language

name=Persian|nativename=|pronunciation=[f??r'si]|image=|caption=Farsi in Perso-Arabic script |states= Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Bahrain....
 names are included in the parentheses.
  1. Farvardin (???????)?, 31 days
  2. Ordibehesht (????????)?, 31 days
  3. Khordad?, 31 days
  4. Tir?, 31 days
  5. Mordad
    Mordad

    Mordad is the fifth month of the Iranian calendar. Mordad has 31 days and in non-leap years begins on 23 July and ends on 22 August. In leap years, Mordad begins on 22 July and ends on 21 August....
    ?, 31 days
  6. Shahrivar
    Shahrivar

    Shahrivar is the sixth month in the Iranian calendar. It consists of 31 days and usually starts on 23 August and ends on 22 September . Shahrivar starts on 22 August and ends on 21 September in a leap year....
    ?, 31 days
  7. Mehr
    Mehr

    Mehr or Mihr or Meher , meaning sun, love, friendship, affection, kindness, blessing or mercy, may refer to:* Mers / Mair, Mihir, Mehr, Mehar is a Hindu warrior caste....
    ?, 30 days
  8. Aban
    Aban

    Apas is the Avestan language term for "the waters", which—in its innumerable aggregate states—is represented by the Apas, the hypostases of the waters....
    ?, 30 days
  9. Azar
    Azar

    Azar may refer to:* Atar, Zoroastrian Fire.* The name of the 9th month of the year of the Zoroastrian calendar and of the Iranian calendar.* In the Islamic view of Abraham, Azar is the name of Ibrahim's father....
    ?, 30 days
  10. Dey
    Dey

    Dey was the title given to the rulers of the Regency of Algiers and Tunis under the Ottoman Empire from 1671 onwards. Twenty-nine deys held office from the establishment of the deylicate until the French conquest in 1830....
    ?, 30 days
  11. Bahman
    Bahman

    Bahman may refer to:* Bahman, the Zoroastrian Amesha Spenta* Bahman, the 11th month of the year in Zoroastrian & Iranian calendars, named after the Zoroastrian concept...
    ?, 30 days
  12. Esfand?, 29 days, 30 in leap years


Islamic calendar

There are also twelve months in the Islamic calendar
Islamic calendar

The Islamic calendar or Muslim calendar or Hijri calendar is a lunar calendar used to date events in many predominantly Muslim countries, and used by Muslims everywhere to determine the proper day on which to celebrate Islamic holy days and festivals....
. They are named as follows:
  1. Muharram ul Haram
    Muharram

    Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar. It is one of the four sacred months of the year in which fighting is prohibited. Since the Islamic calendar is lunar, Muharram moves from year to year when compared with the Gregorian calendar....
     (or shortened to Muharram) ?????
  2. Safar
    Safar

    Safar is the second month in the Islamic calendar.Safar literally means ?the void month?. The origin of this word has two theories: the first says that when the pagan Arabs went on their looting expeditions they would leave their houses empty or ?sifr? meaning void....
      ???
  3. Rabi`-ul-Awwal (Rabi' I) ???? ?????
  4. Rabi`-ul-Akhir (or Rabi` al-T?haany) (Rabi' II) ???? ????? ?? ???? ??????
  5. Jumaada-ul-Awwal (Jumaada I) ????? ?????
  6. Jumaada-ul-Akhir (or Jumaada al-Thaany) (Jumaada II) ????? ????? ?? ????? ??????
  7. Rajab
    Rajab

    Rajab is the seventh month of the Islamic calendar. The lexical definition of Rajaba is "to respect", which is where the word Rajab has been derived from....
     ???
  8. Sha'aban
    Sha'aban

    Sha'aban is the eighth month of the Islamic calendar.This is the month of ?separation?, so called because the pagan Arabs used to disperse in search of water....
      ?????
  9. Ramadhan
    Ramadan (calendar month)

    Ramadan or Ramadhan or Ramazan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar.Ramadan is one of the holy months in the Islamic calendar....
     ?????
  10. Shawwal
    Shawwal

    Shawwal is the tenth month of the lunar Islamic calendar. Shawwal means to ?lift or carry?; so named because she-camels normally would be carrying a fetus at this time of year....
     ?????
  11. Dhul Qadah (or Thou al-Qi`dah) ?? ??????
  12. Dhul Hijja (or Thou al-Hijjah) ?? ?????


Hindu Calendar

The Hindu Calendar
Hindu calendar

The Hindu calendar used in ancient times has undergone many changes in the process of regionalization, and today there are several regional Indian calendars, as well as an Indian national calendar....
 has various systems of naming the months. The months in the lunar calendar are:

  1. Chaitra
    Chaitra

    Chaitra is a month of the Hindu calendar. In Indian national calendar Chaitra is the first month of the year. It begins in March or April, depending upon the position of planet system....
  2. Vaishaakha
  3. Jyaishtha
  4. Aashaadha
    Aashaadha

    Aashaadha is a month of the Hindu calendar. In Indian national calendar, Aashaadh is the fourth month of the year, beginning on 22 June and ending on 22 July....
  5. Shraavana
    Shraavana

    Shraavana is a month of the Hindu calendar, also known as Sawan. In Indian national calendar, Shraavan is the tenth month of the year, beginning on 23 July and ending on 22 August for year 2008....
  6. Bhaadrapada
  7. Aashvayuja
  8. Kaartika
  9. Maargashiirsha
  10. Pausha
    Pausha

    Pausha is a month of the Hindu calendar, also known as Poush and Pushya. In Indian national calendar, Pausha is the tenth month of the year, beginning on 22 December and ending on 20 January....
  11. Maagha
    Maagha

    Maagha might be confused with the nakshatra Magha Maagha is a month of the Hindu calendar. In Indian national calendar, Maagh is the eleventh month of the year, beginning on 21 January and ending on 19 February....
  12. Phaalguna


These are also the names used in the Indian national calendar
Indian national calendar

The Indian national calendar is the official civil calendar in use in India. It is used, alongside the Gregorian calendar, by the Gazette of India, news broadcasts by All India Radio, and calendars and communications issued by the Government of India....
 for the newly redefined months.

The names in the solar calendar are just the names of the zodiac
Zodiac

Zodiac denotes an annual cycle of twelve stations along the ecliptic, the apparent path of the Sun across the heavens through the constellations that divide the ecliptic into twelve equal zones of celestial longitude....
 sign in which the sun travels. They are
  1. Mesha
    Aries (constellation)

    Aries is one of constellations of the zodiac, located between Pisces to the west and Taurus to the east. Its name is Latin for sheep, and its symbol is , representing a ram's horns....
  2. Vrishabha
    Taurus (constellation)

    Taurus is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for cattle, and its symbol is , a stylized bull's head. Taurus is a large and prominent constellation in the northern hemisphere's winter sky, between Aries to the west and Gemini to the east; to the north lie Perseus and Auriga , to the southeast Orion , to the south E...
  3. Mithuna
    Gemini (constellation)

    Gemini is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for "twins", and it is associated with the twins Castor and Pollux in Greek mythology....
  4. Kataka
    Cancer (constellation)

    Cancer is one of the twelve constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for crab and it is commonly represented as such. Its symbol is . Cancer is small and its stars are faint....
  5. Simha
    Leo (constellation)

    Leo is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for lion. Its symbol is , a corruption of the initial letter of ?e?? . Leo lies between dim Cancer to the west and Virgo to the east....
  6. Kanyaa
    Virgo (constellation)

    Virgo is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for virgin, and its symbol is . Lying between Leo to the west and Libra to the east, it is the second largest constellation in the sky....
  7. Tulaa
    Libra (constellation)

    Libra...
  8. Vrishcika
  9. Dhanus
    Sagittarius (constellation)

    Sagittarius is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for the archer, and its symbol is , a stylized arrow. Sagittarius is commonly represented as a centaur drawing a bow....
  10. Makara
  11. Kumbha
    Aquarius (constellation)

    Aquarius Aquarius is one of the oldest of the recognized constellations along the zodiac . It is found in a region often called the Sea due to its profusion of constellations with watery associations such as Cetus the whale, Pisces the fish and Eridanus the river....
  12. Miina
    Pisces (constellation)

    Pisces is a constellation of the zodiac. Its name is the Latin plural for fish, and its symbol is . It lies between Aquarius to the west and Aries to the east....


Tamil calendar
Tamil calendar

The Tamil calendar is used in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry in India, and by the Tamil people population in Malaysia, Singapore and Sri Lanka....

  1. Chitirai
  2. Vaikasi
  3. Aani
  4. Aadi
  5. Aavani
  6. Purratasi
  7. Aiypasi
  8. Kaarthigai
  9. Maargazhi
  10. Thai
  11. Maasi
  12. Panguni


Sinhala calendar

The Sinhala calendar is the Buddhist calendar
Buddhist calendar

The Buddhist calendar is used on mainland Southeast Asia in the countries of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar and Sri Lanka in several related forms....
 in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is an island country in South Asia, located about off the southern coast of India....
 with Sinhala names. Each full moon Poya
Poya

Poya or Poya Day is the name given to a Buddhist public holiday in Sri Lanka which occurs every full moon day. The Full moon is important to Buddhists all around the world, who have adopted the Lunar Calendar for their religious observances....
 day marks the start of a Buddhist lunar month. The first month is Vesak. The Sinhala and Tamil New Year Day is the start of the Hindu solar calendar
Hindu calendar

The Hindu calendar used in ancient times has undergone many changes in the process of regionalization, and today there are several regional Indian calendars, as well as an Indian national calendar....
 (usually 14 April), an event unrelated to the Bhuddist calendar.
  1. Vesak
  2. Poson
  3. Esala
  4. Nikini
  5. Binara
  6. Vap
  7. Il (iL)
  8. Unduvap
  9. Duruthu
  10. Navam
  11. Medin
  12. Bak


Icelandic/Old Norse calendar

The old Icelandic calendar is not in official use anymore, but some Icelandic holidays and annual feasts are still calculated from it. It has 12 months, broken down into two groups of six often termed "winter months" and "summer months". The calendar is peculiar in that the months always start on the same weekday rather than on the same date
Calendar date

A date in a calendar is a reference to a particular day represented within a calendar system. The calendar date allows the specific day to be identified....
. Hence Ţorri always starts on a Friday sometime between January 19 and January 25 (Old style
Julian calendar

The Julian calendar, a reform of the Roman calendar, was introduced by Julius Caesar in 46 BC, and came into force in 45 BC . It was chosen after consultation with the astronomer Sosigenes of Alexandria and was probably designed to approximate the tropical year, known at least since Hipparchus....
: January 9 to January 15) , Góa
Goa

Goa is India's smallest states and territories of India in terms of area and the List of states and territories of India by population. Located on the west coast of India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its western...
 always starts on a Sunday between February 18 and February 24 (Old style
Julian calendar

The Julian calendar, a reform of the Roman calendar, was introduced by Julius Caesar in 46 BC, and came into force in 45 BC . It was chosen after consultation with the astronomer Sosigenes of Alexandria and was probably designed to approximate the tropical year, known at least since Hipparchus....
: February 8 to February 14).
  • Skammdegi ("Short days")
  1. Gormánuđur (mid October - mid November, "slaughter month" or "Gór
    Gor

    Gor, the Counter-Earth, is the alternate-world setting for John Norman Chronicles of Gor, a series of twenty seven novels that combine philosophy, erotica and science fiction....
    's month")
  2. Ýlir (mid November - mid December, "Yule
    Yule

    Yule or Yule-tide is a List of winter festivals that was initially celebrated by the historical Germanic peoples as a Germanic paganism religious festival, though it was later absorbed into, and equated with, the Christianity festival of Christmas....
     month")
  3. Mörsugur (mid December - mid January, "fat sucking month")
  4. Ţorri (mid January - mid February, "frozen snow month")
  5. Góa
    Goa

    Goa is India's smallest states and territories of India in terms of area and the List of states and territories of India by population. Located on the west coast of India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its western...
     (mid February - mid March, "Góa's month, see Nór
    Nor

    selfref|For the Wikipedia policy, see...
    ")
  6. Einmánuđur (mid March - mid April, "lone" or "single month")


  • Náttleysi ("Nightless days")
  1. Harpa (mid April - mid May, Harpa is a female name, probably a forgotten goddess, first day of Harpa is celebrated as Sumardagurinn fyrsti - first day of summer)
  2. Skerpla (mid May - mid June, another forgotten goddess)
  3. Sólmánuđur (mid June - mid July, "sun
    Sun

    The Sun , a G V star, is the star at the center of the Solar System. The Earth and other matter orbit the Sun, which by itself accounts for about 98.6% of the Solar System's mass....
     month")
  4. Heyannir (mid July - mid August, "hay
    Hay

    Hay is a generic term for Poaceae or legumes that have been cut, dried, and stored for use as animal fodder, particularly for grazing animals like cattle, horses, domestic goat, and sheep....
     business month")
  5. Tvímánuđur (mid August - mid September, "two" or "second month")
  6. Haustmánuđur (mid September - mid October, "autumn month")


Old Hungarian calendar

Historically Hungary used a 12-month calendar that appears to have been zodiacal in nature but eventually came to correspond to the Gregorian months as shown below:
  1. Boldogasszony hava (January, ‘month of the happy/blessed lady’)
  2. Böjtelo hava (February, ‘month of early fasting/Lent’ or ‘month before fasting/Lent’)
  3. Böjtmás hava (March, ‘second month of fasting/Lent’)
  4. Szent György hava (April, ‘St. George’s month)
  5. Pünkösd hava (May, ‘Pentecost month’)
  6. Szent Iván hava (June, ‘St. Ivan’s month’)
  7. Szent Jakab hava (July, ‘St. James’ month’)
  8. Kisasszony hava (August, ‘month of the young lady [Blessed Virgin]’)
  9. Szent Mihály hava (September, ‘St. Michael’s month’)
  10. Mindszent hava (October, ‘all saints month’)
  11. Szent András hava (November, ‘St. Andrew’s month’)
  12. Karácsony hava (December, ‘month of Yule/Christmas’)


Old Egyptian calendar

The ancient civil Egyptian calendar had a year that was 365 days long and was divided into 12 months of 30 days each, plus 5 extra days (epagomenes) at the end of the year. The months were divided into 3 "weeks" of ten days each. Because the ancient Egyptian year was almost a quarter of a day shorter than the solar year and stellar events "wandered" through the calendar, it is referred to as Annus Vagus or "Wandering Year".

  1. Thout
  2. Paopi
  3. Hathor
  4. Koiak
  5. Tooba
  6. Emshir
  7. Paremhat
  8. Paremoude
  9. Pashons
  10. Paoni
  11. Epip
  12. Mesori


Nisga'a calendar

The Nisga'a
Nisga'a

The Nisga'a , often formerly spelled Nishga and spelled in the Nisga'a language as Nisga'a, are an Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast nation or First Nation in Canada....
 Calendar coincides with the Gregorian Calendar with each month referring to the type of Harvesting that is done during the month.
  1. K'aliiyee = Going North - referring to the Sun returning to its usual place in the sky
  2. Buxwlaks = Needles Blowing About - February is usually a very windy month in the Nass River Valley
  3. Xsaak = To Eat Oolichans - Oolichans are harvested during this month
  4. Mmaal = Canoes - The river has defrosted, hence canoes are used once more
  5. Yansa'alt = Leaves are Blooming - Warm weather has arrived and leaves on the trees begin to bloom
  6. Miso'o = Sockeye - majority of Sockeye Salmon runs begin this month
  7. Maa'y = Berries - berry picking season
  8. Wii Hoon = Great Salmon - referring to the abundance of Salmon that are now running
  9. Genuugwwikw = Trail of the Marmot - Marmots, Ermines and animals as such are hunted
  10. Xlaaxw = To Eat Trout - trout are mostly eaten this time of year
  11. Gwilatkw = To Blanket - The earth is "blanketed" with snow
  12. Luut'aa = Sit In - the Sun "sits" in one spot for a period of time


Rhyme

Month belongs to the handful of words
List of English words without rhymes

The following is a list of English words without rhymes, or refractory rhymes, i.e. a list of words in the English language which rhyme with no other English words in the strict sense that they are pronounced in the same way from the vowel sound of the main lexical stress syllable onwards....
 which do not rhyme
Rhyme

A rhyme is a repetition of similar sounds in two or more different words and is most often used in poetry and songs. The word "rhyme" may also refer to a short poem, such as a rhyming couplet or other brief rhyming poem such as nursery rhymes....
 in the English language.

See also

  • Table of lunar month correspondences
    Table of lunar month correspondences

    This is a table of lunar month correspondences. The correspondences given are NOT exact; however, aside from the first few days and last few days of a lunar month, they are true ....
  • Maya calendar
  • Chinese calendar
    Chinese calendar

    The Chinese calendar is lunisolar calendar, incorporating elements of a lunar calendar with those of a solar calendar. This measure of time was first introduced by the Babylonians ....
  • Egyptian Calendar
    Egyptian calendar

    The ancient civil Egyptian calendar had a year that was 365 days long and was divided into 12 months of 30 days each, plus 5 extra days at the end of the year....