FEBRUARY:  - and see below about the very special information about this year!

 

Where does the name February come from ?

 

It comes from the Latin word FEBRUARE, which means PURIFICATION . It was in this month that the Romans organised their purification parties. The main one took place on February 15.

 

 

Some people believe that the name rather comes from the pre-Roman Etruscan god FEBRUUS.  But the one does not exclude the other.

 

The old Danish word for this month was BLIDEMÅNED .   Blid normally means soft. But in this case it meant light and white ( snow ).

 

Originally the Romans only had ten months in a year. The first month was March. The two winter months did not count. But around 713 BC king Numa Pompilius introduced January as well as February. In this way the year was more in line with the lunar year.

 

This calendar was many centuries later replaced by the Gregorian calendar, where February is the second month of each year. It was introduced in Denmark around 1700.

 

See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

  http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html

 

PS: This year – 2016 – February is very special. It will only be the same again in 823 years from now!   Why?   Because it has 4 Mondays, 4 Tuesdays, 4 Wednesdays, 4 Thursdays, 4 Fridays, 4 Saturdays and 4 Sundays!

MARCH:

 

The month of March is named after the Roman god for war, Mars .

 

In the old Roman calendar until 153 BC March was the first month of the year.

 

In the Nordic countries this month was called THOR MONTH – named after the Nordic god for wars, Thor .

 

A number of old Danish weather warnings are linked to this month:

 

• A mild January and an equally mild February will mean a cold March
• Thunderstorm in March will give snow and cold weather in April
• Much fog in March will give frost in April and a wet and chilly summer
• Swallows in March mean a warm summer
• March is never worse than it brings at least 9 good days

 

See more about the names of the 12 months:    

 

http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html

February:

Where does the name February come from ?

It comes from the Latin word FEBRUARE, which means PURIFICATION. It was in this month that the Romans organised their purification parties. The main one took place on February 15.

Some people believe that the name rather comes from the pre-Roman Etruscan god FEBRUUS.  But the one does not exclude the other.

The old Danish word for this month was BLIDEMÅNED.  Blid normally means soft. But in this case it meant light and white ( snow ).

Originally the Romans only had ten months in a year. The first month was March. The two winter months did not count. But around 713 BC king Numa Pompilius introduced January as well as February. In this way the year was more in line with the lunar year.

This calendar was many centuries later replaced by the Gregorian calendar, where February is the second month of each year. It was introduced in Denmark around 1700.

See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

 http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html

JANUARY:

 

The name January is named after the Roman god JANUS ( Ianuarius ). He was the god for all beginning. He is associated with door openings, town gates, etc. The gates to his temple in Rome should never be closed, when Rome was at war.  Janus was equipped with two faces, an old and a new one. In this way he was able to look back as well as forward.  The word itself comes from the Latin word for door:  ianua.

 

The old Danish word for this month was GLUGMÅNED. It comes from the Danish word glug, which means peephole. You were looking into the new year.

 

The old Saxon name for January was WULF-MONATH – meaning Wolf Month. Charlemagne called it WINTARMANOTH  ( Winter Month )

 

Originally the calendar of the Romans had only 10 months. The first month of the year was March. The winter months were not counted. But about 713 BC king Numa Pompilius introduced January as well as February. In this way the calendar ran parallel to the Lunar Calendar.

 

 

There are a number of old Danish weather warnings for the month of January:

 

• Heavy snowfall in January will give a good harvest
• Much rain in January will make the fields empty
• A dry January will make a dry July
• When January and February are mild March will be cold
• Strong winds in January mean a mild March
• A mild January will give frost in March and April

 

 

See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

  http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html

NOVEMBER:

 

The name November comes from the word novem. This is the Latin name for the figure nine . The reason is that this month was the 9 ^th month in the old Roman calendar, which originally was made by king Numa Pompilius around 500 BC. In this calendar March was the first month in the year.

 

This calendar was many centuries later replaced by the Gregorian calendar, where January is the first month of each year and where November consequently is month no. 11. This calendar was introduced from around 1580. It Denmark it happened in the year 1700.

 

In the old days this month was in Denmark ( and the other Nordic countries, I believe ) called SLAGTEMÅNED ( SLAUGHTER MONTH ).   Why ? Because the weather was now so cold that there were no risk in slaughtering the animals and salt the meat for the winter.

 

 

 

If you look at the weather as it actually has been over the years you have a number of interesting weather records when Denmark is concerned:

 

·          1919: Coldest November: + 0,7degrees in average ( from +10,1 to – 16,1 degrees )

·          2006: Warmest November:  +8,6 degrees in average ( from +16,6 to – 6,7 degrees )

·          1993: The lowest number of hours of sunshine in November:  19 hours

·          1989: The highest number of hours of sunshine in October:  99 hours

 

 

See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

  http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html

JULY:

This month is named after Julius Caesar. He was born on 13 July in year 100 BC. After he in 46 BC had become the ruler of the Roman empire, he implemented a major reform of the calendar. The Roman year had so far been based on the Moon Year starting on what is known today as   March 1. The month of July was then called Quintilis , which is Latin and means the 5 ^th month. Now Caesar based the new calendar on the Solar Year - starting on January 1. And he named the month of his own birth after himself, namely JULY. It is this so-called Julian calendar, which in 1582 was adjusted by Pope Gregory XIII. In this way we got the so-called Gregorian calendar we use today.

July is incidentally the name of this month to virtually all Germanic and Roman languages: Juli (Danish, German, Norwegian, Swedish, Dutch / Flemish, Spanish); July (English); Juillet (French): Lugnio (Italian); Julho ( Portuguese); Iulie (Romanian).

In the calendar of the Vikings   this month was called Ormemåned   ( The Month of Worms ). The previous month was called Hay Month and the one afterwards Harvest Month . Why Month of Worms ? Probably because it is just in this month that all sorts of animals crawl all over the place: Spiders, beetles, worms, snails, vipers, grass snakes, tadpoles, chicks, etc.

There are also some old Danish weather warnings attached to this month: Many white clouds in the sky provides a rigorous winter with lots of snow. And another warning : When July is warm and clear,   Christmas usually becomes cold.

The so-called Hundedage   ( Days of Dogs ) start on 22 July and last until 22 August. They are normally the hottest part of the summer. And they have their name from the fact that the constallation Big Dog ( where you can find the dog star Sirius ) just in that period is closest to the sun. The myth says that it is the star which heats up the sun to higher temperatures than normal. The myth also says that it is during this period that meat becomes rotten , milk turns acid and the dogs become fierce and run away.

A special weather warning for the Days of Dogs says that the Days of Dogs will end as they start.

See more about the names of all 12 months:    

 

http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html

APRIL:

 

The name April comes from the Latin word APERIRE. It means to open up. This means that the soil is ready to be sowed. The year now really opens up towards spring and summer.

 

In the Nordic countries this month was in the old days also called the Month of Grass  ( Græsmåned ) or the Month of the Sheep ( Fåremåned ). Why ? Because this was ( and is ) the month, when the sheep and the cattle get out on grass again after the long winter.

 

April also has a number of old weather warnings:

 

·         Swallows in April means a warm summer

·         If April starts mild, it will end cold

·         A beautiful April is followed by a bad May

 

      See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

      http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html     

February:

 

Where does the name February come from ?

 

It comes from the Latin word FEBRUARE, which means PURIFICATION. It was in this month that the Romans organised their purification parties. The main one took place on February 15.

 

 

Some people believe that the name rather comes from the pre-Roman Etruscan god FEBRUUS.  But the one does not exclude the other.

 

The old Danish word for this month was BLIDEMÅNED.  Blid normally means soft. But in this case it meant light and white ( snow ).

 

Originally the Romans only had ten months in a year. The first month was March. The two winter months did not count. But around 713 BC king Numa Pompilius introduced January as well as February. In this way the year was more in line with the lunar year.

 

This calendar was many centuries later replaced by the Gregorian calendar, where February is the second month of each year. It was introduced in Denmark around 1700.

 

See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

 http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html

JANUARY:

 

The name January is named after the Roman god JANUS ( Ianuarius ). He was the god for all beginning. He is associated with door openings, town gates, etc. The gates to his temple in Rome should never be closed, when Rome was at war.  Janus was equipped with two faces, an old and a new one. In this way he was able to look back as well as forward.  The word itself comes from the Latin word for door:  ianua.

 

The old Danish word for this month was GLUGMÅNED. It comes from the Danish word glug, which means peephole. You were looking into the new year.

 

The old Saxon name for January was WULF-MONATH – meaning Wolf Month. Charlemagne called it WINTARMANOTH  ( Winter Month )

 

Originally the calendar of the Romans had only 10 months. The first month of the year was March. The winter months were not counted. But about 713 BC king Numa Pompilius introduced January as well as February. In this way the calendar ran parallel to the Lunar Calendar.

 

 

There are a number of old Danish weather warnings for the month of January:

 

• Heavy snowfall in January will give a good harvest
• Much rain in January will make the fields empty
• A dry January will make a dry July
• When January and February are mild March will be cold
• Strong winds in January mean a mild March
• A mild January will give frost in March and April

 

 

See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

 http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html

DECEMBER:

The name December comes from the word decem. This is the Latin name for the figure ten. The reason is that this month was the 10^th month in the old Roman calendar, which originally was made by king Numa Pompilius around 500 BC. In this calendar March was the first month in the year.

 

This calendar was many centuries later replaced by the Gregorian calendar, where January is the first month of each year and where December consequently is month no. 12. This calendar was introduced from around 1580. It Denmark it happened in the year 1700.

 

In the old days this month was in Denmark ( and the other Nordic countries, I believe ) called KRISTMÅNED ( CHRIST MONTH ).  Or CHRISTMAS MONTH.

 

There are several old Danish weather warnings for the month of December:

 

·         A cold December with lots of snow will often mean that the next summer will be very good and fertile

·         If December is very cold the harvest next year will be very good

·         If the weather is good in the beginning of the month it will last until Christmas

 

If you look at the weather as it actually has been over the years you have a number of interesting weather records when Denmark is concerned:

 

·         1981:  Coldest December: - 4,0 degrees in average

·         2006:  Warmest December:  + 7,0 degrees in average

·         1953:  Highest temperature in December:  + 14,5 degrees

·         1981:  Coldest temperature in December:  - 25,6 degrees

·         1890:  Most dry December:  7 mm rain

·         1985:  Most wet December:  140 mm rain

 

 

See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

 http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html

NOVEMBER:

 

The name November comes from the word novem. This is the Latin name for the figurenine. The reason is that this month was the 9^th month in the old Roman calendar, which originally was made by king Numa Pompilius around 500 BC. In this calendar March was the first month in the year.

 

This calendar was many centuries later replaced by the Gregorian calendar, where January is the first month of each year and where November consequently is month no. 11. This calendar was introduced from around 1580. It Denmark it happened in the year 1700.

 

In the old days this month was in Denmark ( and the other Nordic countries, I believe ) called SLAGTEMÅNED ( SLAUGHTER MONTH ).  Why ? Because the weather was now so cold that there were no risk in slaughtering the animals and salt the meat for the winter.

 

 

 

If you look at the weather as it actually has been over the years you have a number of interesting weather records when Denmark is concerned:

 

·           1919: Coldest November: + 0,7degrees in average ( from +10,1 to – 16,1 degrees )

·           2006: Warmest November:  +8,6 degrees in average ( from +16,6 to – 6,7 degrees )

·           1993: The lowest number of hours of sunshine in November:  19 hours

·           1989: The highest number of hours of sunshine in October:  99 hours

 

 

See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

  http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html

SEPTEMBER :

The name September comes from the Latin word Septem, which means seven. This month was the year’s seventh month, according to the old Roman Numa calendar. The years began on  March 1. In our contemporary calendar this month as we know is the 9th of the year.

The old Danish name for this month is Fiskemåned ( Fish Month ). The reason was now that the fishermen caught the fat autumn herrings, which were salted and stored for the winter. These herrings were also a welcome product for the fast period  in the Catholic countries. The scale of the export of these fat autumn herrings was the economic basis of Denmark's position as a superpower in the 17^th century.

September also had its own specific verses in the old days in Denmark:

Now, the farmers can treat the grain,
And the fishermen catch the herring fresh.
Lard I like much to eat
and lovely sheep's milk and goat's milk too.

The old Danish weather warnings also have something to contribute to September:

• It will be a mild weather at Christmas, if the migratory birds have gone before September is over
• Thunderstorms this month promise a cold Christmas with a lot of snow
• Many acorn on the oaks warn about snow and cold weather at Christmas

There are two so-called Tycho Brahes Days this month: the 16th and the 18^th.

The day’s length in Denmark decreases by 2 hours and 16 minutes during the month. The lowest temperature in September was measured in 1886 and was at minus 5.6 degrees. The highest temperature was measured in 1906 and was at 32.3 degrees. The rain for the whole month has been between 18 mm (1947) and 162 mm (1994).

September 23  is autumnal, i.e. that day and night are of equal length.

Finally, in September that migratory birds fly south. And the eels begin their long journey to the Saragossa Sea near Latin America.

 

See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

 http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html

JULY: 

This month is named after Julius Caesar. He was born on 13 July in year 100 BC. After he in 46 BC had become the ruler of the Roman empire, he implemented a major reform of the calendar. The Roman year had so far been based on the Moon Year starting on what is known today as  March 1. The month of July was then called Quintilis, which is Latin and means the 5^th month. Now Caesar based the new calendar on the Solar Year - starting on January 1. And he named the month of his own birth after himself, namely JULY. It is this so-called Julian calendar, which in 1582 was adjusted by Pope Gregory XIII. In this way we got the so-called Gregorian calendar we use today. 

July is incidentally the name of this month to virtually all Germanic and Roman languages:Juli (Danish, German, Norwegian, Swedish, Dutch / Flemish, Spanish); July (English);Juillet (French): Lugnio (Italian); Julho ( Portuguese); Iulie (Romanian). 

In the calendar of theVikings  this month was called Ormemåned  ( The Month of Worms ). The previous month was called Hay Month and the one afterwards Harvest Month. Why Month of Worms ? Probably because it is just in this month that all sorts of animals crawl all over the place: Spiders, beetles, worms, snails, vipers, grass snakes, tadpoles, chicks, etc.

There are also some old Danish weather warnings attached to this month: Many white clouds in the sky provides a rigorous winter with lots of snow. And another warning : When July is warm and clear,  Christmas usually becomes cold. 

The so-called Hundedage  ( Days of Dogs ) start on 22 July and last until 22 August. They are normally the hottest part of the summer. And they have their name from the fact that the constallation BigDog ( where you can find the dog star Sirius ) just in that period is closest to the sun. The myth says that it is the star which heats up the sun to higher temperatures than normal. The myth also says that it is during this period that meat becomes rotten , milk turns acid and the dogs become fierce and run away. 

A special weather warning for the Days of Dogs says that the Days of Dogs will end as they start.

See more about the names of all 12 months:   

 

http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html

JUNE:

 

The month of June has its name from the Roman goddess JUNO. She was the daughter of Saturn and married to Jupiter. Together they had the children Juventas, Mars and Vulcan. Juno was the goddess for happiness in marriages. That is why people earlier believed that the month of June was particularly good to get married in.

 

Juno was also called the Queen of Heaven and of the Earth. And she was the goddess and protector of Rome and the Roman Empire.

 

There are no special old weather warnings covering the whole of this month.

 

People said, though, often in the old days:

 

In June both heat and rain

is what the farmer likes the most

 

See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html       

May:

  The month of May has its name from the Roman goddess MAYA. She was the goddess for fertility and for nature. In ancient Rome a big festival was organised every year on May 1. A priest had to sacrifice a pregnant pig in the honour of Maya. Maya was the daughter of Atlas ( the guy who as a punishment had to carry the firmament on his shoulders ). And she was married to Vulcan. Together they had the son Mercury.

  In the Scandinavian countries this month was in the old days also called the FLOWER MONTHS  ( Blomstermåned ). The reason was that nature “exploded” in May. Everything is sprouts and grows.

Way back in pre-Christian times the month was called Cuckoo Month. Why? Because now was the time when the cuckoo returned after the winter.

May is called more or less the same in all European languages:  May ( English ); Mai ( German, French and Romanian ); Mayo ( Spanish ); Maggio ( Italian ); Máj ( Czech ); Maj ( Danish, Norwegian and Swedish ).

May is over the centyries also known for all its festivals. In Scandinavia people often selected a socalled “Duke of May” among the young men in the village. His job was to organise the festivals. 

Children who are born during the month of May are in many countries something special. In England they are considered to be more wet than children born in other parts of the year. And in Norway people consider children born in May as specially blessing children.

 

  Some old Danish weather warnings are connected to the month of May:

·         If May is wet the barns will be full

·         Frost in May will give a small harvest

·         A warm May will not make the farmer happy

·         Rain in May will give a good harvest and a dry June

APRIL:

 

The name April comes from the Latin word APERIRE. It means to open up. This means that the soil is ready to be sowed. The year now really opens up towards spring and summer.

 

In the Nordic countries this month was in the old days also called the Month of Grass  ( Græsmåned ) or the Month of the Sheep ( Fåremåned ). Why ? Because this was ( and is ) the month, when the sheep and the cattle get out on grass again after the long winter.

 

April also has a number of old weather warnings:

 

·         Swallows in April means a warm summer

·         If April starts mild, it will end cold

·         A beautiful April is followed by a bad May

 

      See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

      http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html       

MARCH:

 

The month of March is named after the Roman god for war, Mars.

 

In the old Roman calendar until 153 BC March was the first month of the year.

 

In the Nordic countries this month was called THOR MONTH – named after the Nordic god for wars, Thor.

 

A number of old Danish weather warnings are linked to this month:

 

• A mild January and an equally mild February will mean a cold March
• Thunderstorm in March will give snow and cold weather in April
• Much fog in March will give frost in April and a wet and chilly summer
• Swallows in March mean a warm summer
• March is never worse than it brings at least 9 good days

 

See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html

February:

Where does the name February come from ?

It comes from the Latin word FEBRUARE, which means PURIFICATION. It was in this month that the Romans organised their purification parties. The main one took place on February 15.

Some people believe that the name rather comes from the pre-Roman Etruscan god FEBRUUS.  But the one does not exclude the other.

The old Danish word for this month was BLIDEMÅNED.  Blid normally means soft. But in this case it meant light and white ( snow ).

Originally the Romans only had ten months in a year. The first month was March. The two winter months did not count. But around 713 BC king Numa Pompilius introduced January as well as February. In this way the year was more in line with the lunar year.

This calendar was many centuries later replaced by the Gregorian calendar, where February is the second month of each year. It was introduced in Denmark around 1700.

See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

 http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html

JANUARY:

The name January is named after the Roman god JANUS ( Ianuarius ). He was the god for all beginning. He is associated with door openings, town gates, etc. The gates to his temple in Rome should never be closed, when Rome was at war.  Janus was equipped with two faces, an old and a new one. In this way he was able to look back as well as forward.  The word itself comes from the Latin word for door:  ianua.

 

The old Danish word for this month was GLUGMÅNED. It comes from the Danish word glug, which means peephole. You were looking into the new year.

 

The old Saxon name for January was WULF-MONATH – meaning Wolf Month. Charlemagne called it WINTARMANOTH  ( Winter Month )

 

Originally the calendar of the Romans had only 10 months. The first month of the year was March. The winter months were not counted. But about 713 BC king Numa Pompilius introduced January as well as February. In this way the calendar ran parallel to the Lunar Calendar.

 

 

There are a number of old Danish weather warnings for the month of January:

 

• Heavy snowfall in January will give a good harvest
• Much rain in January will make the fields empty
• A dry January will make a dry July
• When January and February are mild March will be cold
• Strong winds in January mean a mild March
• A mild January will give frost in March and April

 

 

See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

 http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html

DECEMBER:

The name December comes from the word decem. This is the Latin name for the figure ten. The reason is that this month was the 10^th month in the old Roman calendar, which originally was made by king Numa Pompilius around 500 BC. In this calendar March was the first month in the year.

 

This calendar was many centuries later replaced by the Gregorian calendar, where January is the first month of each year and where December consequently is month no. 12. This calendar was introduced from around 1580. It Denmark it happened in the year 1700.

 

In the old days this month was in Denmark ( and the other Nordic countries, I believe ) called KRISTMÅNED ( CHRIST MONTH ).  Or CHRISTMAS MONTH.

 

There are several old Danish weather warnings for the month of December:

 

·         A cold December with lots of snow will often mean that the next summer will be very good and fertile

·         If December is very cold the harvest next year will be very good

·         If the weather is good in the beginning of the month it will last until Christmas

 

If you look at the weather as it actually has been over the years you have a number of interesting weather records when Denmark is concerned:

 

·         1981:  Coldest December: - 4,0 degrees in average

·         2006:  Warmest December:  + 7,0 degrees in average

·         1953:  Highest temperature in December:  + 14,5 degrees

·         1981:  Coldest temperature in December:  - 25,6 degrees

·         1890:  Most dry December:  7 mm rain

·         1985:  Most wet December:  140 mm rain

 

 

See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

 http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html

NOVEMBER:

 

The name November comes from the word novem. This is the Latin name for the figure nine. The reason is that this month was the 9^th month in the old Roman calendar, which originally was made by king Numa Pompilius around 500 BC. In this calendar March was the first month in the year.

 

This calendar was many centuries later replaced by the Gregorian calendar, where January is the first month of each year and where November consequently is month no. 11. This calendar was introduced from around 1580. It Denmark it happened in the year 1700.

 

In the old days this month was in Denmark ( and the other Nordic countries, I believe ) called SLAGTEMÅNED ( SLAUGHTER MONTH ).  Why ? Because the weather was now so cold that there were no risk in slaughtering the animals and salt the meat for the winter.

 

 

 

If you look at the weather as it actually has been over the years you have a number of interesting weather records when Denmark is concerned:

 

·          1919: Coldest November: + 0,7degrees in average ( from +10,1 to – 16,1 degrees )

·          2006: Warmest November:  +8,6 degrees in average ( from +16,6 to – 6,7 degrees )

·          1993: The lowest number of hours of sunshine in November:  19 hours

·          1989: The highest number of hours of sunshine in October:  99 hours

 

 

See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

  http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html

OCTOBER:

 

The name October comes from the word octo. This is the Latin name for the figure eight. The reason is that this month was the 8^th month in the old Roman calendar, which originally was made by king Numa Pompilius around 500 BC. In this calendar March was the first month in the year.

 

This calendar was many centuries later replaced by the Gregorian calendar, where January is the first month of each year and where October consequently is month no. 10. This calendar was introduced from around 1580. It Denmark it happened in the year 1700.

 

In the old days this month was in Denmark ( and the other Nordic countries, I believe ) called SÆDEMÅNED ( SEED MONTH ).  Why ? Because this was the month when the winter seed   ( i.e. rye ) had to be sowed.

 

 

 

And here is the old verse of this month:

 

Now you have to plough and sow the rye

and fill up the casks with new lovely wine.

Now cold times will be part of our daily life,

so a warming stove is just what I like

 

 

There are also a number of old Danish weather warnings for this month:

 

·          October is bad tempered because the old summer has passed away

·          If the trees do not let their leaves go this month, it will be a very cold winter

 

And if you look at the weather as it actually has been over the years you have a number of interesting weather records when Denmark is concerned:

 

·          1905: Coldest October: + 5,2 degrees in average ( from +14,6 to – 8,9 degrees )

·          2006: Warmest October:  +12,2 degrees in average ( from +20,5 to – 0,9 degrees )

·          1976: The lowest number of hours of sunshine in October:  26 hours

·          2005: The highest number of hours of sunshine in October:  162 hours

 

 

See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

  http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html

JUNE:

 

The month of June has its name from the Roman goddess JUNO. She was the daughter of Saturn and married to Jupiter. Together they had the children Juventas, Mars and Vulcan. Juno was the goddess for happiness in marriages. That is why people earlier believed that the month of June was particularly good to get married in.

 

Juno was also called the Queen of Heaven and of the Earth. And she was the goddess and protector of Rome and the Roman Empire.

 

There are no special old weather warnings covering the whole of this month.

 

People said, though, often in the old days:

 

In June both heat and rain

is what the farmer likes the most

 

See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html       

May:

 

The month of May has its name from the Roman goddess MAYA. She was the goddess for fertility and for nature. In ancient Rome a big festival was organised every year on May 1. A priest had to sacrifice a pregnant pig in the honour of Maya. Maya was the daughter of Atlas ( the guy who as a punishment had to carry the firmament on his shoulders ). And she was married to Vulcan. Together they had the son Mercury.

 

In the Scandinavian countries this month was in the old days also called the FLOWER MONTHS  ( Blomstermåned ). The reason was that nature “exploded” in May. Everything is sprouts and grows.

 

Way back in pre-Christian times the month was called Cuckoo Month. Why? Because now was the time when the cuckoo returned after the winter.

 

May is called more or less the same in all European languages:  May ( English ); Mai ( German, French and Romanian ); Mayo ( Spanish ); Maggio ( Italian ); Máj ( Czech ); Maj ( Danish, Norwegian and Swedish ).

 

May is over the centyries also known for all its festivals. In Scandinavia people often selected a socalled “Duke of May” among the young men in the village. His job was to organise the festivals. 

Children who are born during the month of May are in many countries something special. In England they are considered to be more wet than children born in other parts of the year. And in Norway people consider children born in May as specially blessing children.

 

 

Some old Danish weather warnings are connected to the month of May:

 

·          If May is wet the barns will be full

·          Frost in May will give a small harvest

·          A warm May will not make the farmer happy

·          Rain in May will give a good harvest and a dry June

APRIL:

The name April comes from the Latin word APERIRE. It means to open up. This means that the soil is ready to be sowed. The year now really opens up towards spring and summer.

 

In the Nordic countries this month was in the old days also called the Month of Grass  ( Græsmåned ) or the Month of the Sheep ( Fåremåned ). Why ? Because this was ( and is ) the month, when the sheep and the cattle get out on grass again after the long winter.

 

April also has a number of old weather warnings:

 

·        Swallows in April means a warm summer

·        If April starts mild, it will end cold

·        A beautiful April is followed by a bad May

 

      See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

      http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html       

 

 

MARCH:

 

The month of March is named after the Roman god for war, Mars.

 

In the old Roman calendar until 153 BC March was the first month of the year.

 

In the Nordic countries this month was called THOR MONTH – named after the Nordic god for wars, Thor.

 

A number of old Danish weather warnings are linked to this month:

 

• A mild January and an equally mild February will mean a cold March
• Thunderstorm in March will give snow and cold weather in April
• Much fog in March will give frost in April and a wet and chilly summer
• Swallows in March mean a warm summer
• March is never worse than it brings at least 9 good days

 

See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html

 

February:

Where does the name February come from ?

It comes from the Latin word FEBRUARE, which means PURIFICATION. It was in this month that the Romans organised their purification parties. The main one took place on February 15.


Some people believe that the name rather comes from the pre-Roman Etruscan god FEBRUUS.  But the one does not exclude the other.

The old Danish word for this month was BLIDEMÅNED.  Blid normally means soft. But in this case it meant light and white ( snow ).

Originally the Romans only had ten months in a year. The first month was March. The two winter months did not count. But around 713 BC king Numa Pompilius introduced January as well as February. In this way the year was more in line with the lunar year.

This calendar was many centuries later replaced by the Gregorian calendar, where February is the second month of each year. It was introduced in Denmark around 1700.

See more about the names of the 12 months:    

 http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html

JANUARY:

 

The name January is named after the Roman god JANUS ( Ianuarius ). He was the god for all beginning. He is associated with door openings, town gates, etc. The gates to his temple in Rome should never be closed, when Rome was at war.  Janus was equipped with two faces, an old and a new one. In this way he was able to look back as well as forward.  The word itself comes from the Latin word for door:  ianua.

 

The old Danish word for this month was GLUGMÅNED. It comes from the Danish word glug, which means peephole. You were looking into the new year.

 

The old Saxon name for January was WULF-MONATH – meaning Wolf Month. Charlemagne called it WINTARMANOTH  ( Winter Month )

 

Originally the calendar of the Romans had only 10 months. The first month of the year was March. The winter months were not counted. But about 713 BC king Numa Pompilius introduced January as well as February. In this way the calendar ran parallel to the Lunar Calendar.

 

 

There are a number of old Danish weather warnings for the month of January:

 

• Heavy snowfall in January will give a good harvest
• Much rain in January will make the fields empty
• A dry January will make a dry July
• When January and February are mild March will be cold
• Strong winds in January mean a mild March
• A mild January will give frost in March and April

 

 

See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

  http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html

NOVEMBER:

 

The name November comes from the word novem. This is the Latin name for the figure nine. The reason is that this month was the 9^th month in the old Roman calendar, which originally was made by king Numa Pompilius around 500 BC. In this calendar March was the first month in the year.

 

This calendar was many centuries later replaced by the Gregorian calendar, where January is the first month of each year and where November consequently is month no. 11. This calendar was introduced from around 1580. It Denmark it happened in the year 1700.

 

In the old days this month was in Denmark ( and the other Nordic countries, I believe ) called SLAGTEMÅNED ( SLAUGHTER MONTH ).  Why ? Because the weather was now so cold that there were no risk in slaughtering the animals and salt the meat for the winter.

 

 

 

If you look at the weather as it actually has been over the years you have a number of interesting weather records when Denmark is concerned:

 

·         1919: Coldest November: + 0,7degrees in average ( from +10,1 to – 16,1 degrees )

·         2006: Warmest November:  +8,6 degrees in average ( from +16,6 to – 6,7 degrees )

·         1993: The lowest number of hours of sunshine in November:  19 hours

·         1989: The highest number of hours of sunshine in October:  99 hours

 

 

See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

  http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html

OCTOBER:

 

The name October comes from the word octo. This is the Latin name for the figure eight. The reason is that this month was the 8^th month in the old Roman calendar, which originally was made by king Numa Pompilius around 500 BC. In this calendar March was the first month in the year.

 

This calendar was many centuries later replaced by the Gregorian calendar, where January is the first month of each year and where October consequently is month no. 10. This calendar was introduced from around 1580. It Denmark it happened in the year 1700.

 

In the old days this month was in Denmark ( and the other Nordic countries, I believe ) called SÆDEMÅNED ( SEED MONTH ).  Why ? Because this was the month when the winter seed   ( i.e. rye ) had to be sowed.

 

 

 

And here is the old verse of this month:

 

Now you have to plough and sow the rye

and fill up the casks with new lovely wine.

Now cold times will be part of our daily life,

so a warming stove is just what I like

 

 

There are also a number of old Danish weather warnings for this month:

 

·     October is bad tempered because the old summer has passed away

·     If the trees do not let their leaves go this month, it will be a very cold winter

 

And if you look at the weather as it actually has been over the years you have a number of interesting weather records when Denmark is concerned:

 

·         1905: Coldest October: + 5,2 degrees in average ( from +14,6 to – 8,9 degrees )

·         2006: Warmest October:  +12,2 degrees in average ( from +20,5 to – 0,9 degrees )

·         1976: The lowest number of hours of sunshine in October:  26 hours

·         2005: The highest number of hours of sunshine in October:  162 hours

 

 

See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

  http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html

SEPTEMBER :

The name September comes from the Latin word Septem, which means seven. This month was the year’s seventh month, according to the old Roman Numa calendar. The years began on  March 1. In our contemporary calendar this month as we know is the 9th of the year.

The old Danish name for this month is Fiskemåned ( Fish Month ). The reason was now that the fishermen caught the fat autumn herrings, which were salted and stored for the winter. These herrings were also a welcome product for the fast period  in the Catholic countries. The scale of the export of these fat autumn herrings was the economic basis of Denmark's position as a superpower in the 17^th century.

September also had its own specific verses in the old days in Denmark:

Now, the farmers can treat the grain,
And the fishermen catch the herring fresh.
Lard I like much to eat
and lovely sheep's milk and goat's milk too.

The old Danish weather warnings also have something to contribute to September:

• It will be a mild weather at Christmas, if the migratory birds have gone before September is over
• Thunderstorms this month promise a cold Christmas with a lot of snow
• Many acorn on the oaks warn about snow and cold weather at Christmas

There are two so-called Tycho Brahes Days this month: the 16th and the 18^th.

The day’s length in Denmark decreases by 2 hours and 16 minutes during the month. The lowest temperature in September was measured in 1886 and was at minus 5.6 degrees. The highest temperature was measured in 1906 and was at 32.3 degrees. The rain for the whole month has been between 18 mm (1947) and 162 mm (1994).

September 23  is autumnal, i.e. that day and night are of equal length.

Finally, in September that migratory birds fly south. And the eels begin their long journey to the SaragossaSea near Latin America.

 

See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

  http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html

AUGUST :

 

This month is named after the Roman emperor Augustus. He ruled in the period 31 BC to 14 AD. The name means The Elevated. He was born in Rome in the year 63 BC and was called Gaius Octavius before he became emperor. He died of natural causes (unlike the vast majority of Roman emperors) as a 51-year-old in the year 14 AD. He was Caesar’s adopted child.

It is a frequent misunderstanding that it was Emperor Augustus, who was to blame for that the month of August has 31 days. The legend tells he would not accept that the month he renamed after himself should be shorter than July, which was named after his predecessor and adoptive father, Julius Caesar.

The change was previously done by Caesar in the year 45 BC. He extended this month, which originally had only 29 days, with two days. He took them from the month of February. Perhaps to prolong the summer J

The Latin name of this month was Sextilis (with reference to the fact that it was the sixth month in the previous Roman calendar. It started on 1 March.

 

The old Danish name for this month is MONTH OF HARVEST.

The farmers, of course, preferred to do their harvesting in good weather. An old Danish weather warning says that thunder in August means a lot of disease to humans and animals.

In the old days in Denmark a number of interesting habits were important during the harvest period in August. One of them was that if a stranger came into the field, where the harvesting took place, all the men would stop working, line up in a long row and hang their caps on the scythes. Then the farm foreman would make 3 loud strokes with his scythe sharpener, and everybody would sharpen their scythes at the same time. For this show the guest had to pay with a bottle of aquavit J  

 

Another old, permanent habit was this one:  The last sheaf, which was harvested, was in Jutland called  The Old Man  and on the Danish islands called The Harvest Hag.

The Old Man was often in the darkness of the night brought to a neighbour who was not yet finished with the harvest. On the sheaf was added a letter, which, under certain circumstances promised help to the slow farmer.

 

What The Harvest Hag is concerned the girls doing the sheafing were not enthusiastic about finishing the very last sheaf. Why? Because the girl, who did it, had to dance the first dance at the annual harvest ball with The Harvest Hag (i.e. the sheaf ) as her dancing partner.  

 

The so-called Hundedage  ( Days of Dogs ) started on 22 July and last for three weeks until 22 August. They are normally the hottest part of the summer. And they have their name from the fact that the constellation BigDog ( where you can find the dog star Sirius ) just in that period is closest to the sun. The myth says that it is the star, which heats up the sun to higher temperatures than normal. The myth also says that it is during this period that meat becomes rotten, milk turns acid, and the dogs become fierce and run away.

A special weather warning for the Days of Dogs says that the Days of Dogs will end as they start.

See more about the names of all 12 months:   

 

http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html

JULY:

This month is named after Julius Caesar. He was born on 13 July in year 100 BC. After he in 46 BC had become the ruler of the Roman empire, he implemented a major reform of the calendar. The Roman year had so far been based on the Moon Year starting on what is known today as  March 1. The month of July was then called Quintilis, which is Latin and means the 5^th month. Now Caesar based the new calendar on the Solar Year - starting on January 1. And he named the month of his own birth after himself, namely JULY. It is this so-called Julian calendar, which in 1582 was adjusted by Pope Gregory XIII. In this way we got the so-called Gregorian calendar we use today.

July is incidentally the name of this month to virtually all Germanic and Roman languages: Juli (Danish, German, Norwegian, Swedish, Dutch / Flemish, Spanish); July (English); Juillet (French): Lugnio (Italian); Julho ( Portuguese); Iulie (Romanian).

In the calendar of theVikings  this month was called Ormemåned  ( The Month of Worms ). The previous month was called Hay Month and the one afterwards Harvest Month. Why Month of Worms ? Probably because it is just in this month that all sorts of animals crawl all over the place: Spiders, beetles, worms, snails, vipers, grass snakes, tadpoles, chicks, etc.

There are also some old Danish weather warnings attached to this month: Many white clouds in the sky provides a rigorous winter with lots of snow. And another warning : When July is warm and clear,  Christmas usually becomes cold.

The so-called Hundedage  ( Days of Dogs ) start on 22 July and last until 22 August. They are normally the hottest part of the summer. And they have their name from the fact that the constallation BigDog ( where you can find the dog star Sirius ) just in that period is closest to the sun. The myth says that it is the star which heats up the sun to higher temperatures than normal. The myth also says that it is during this period that meat becomes rotten , milk turns acid and the dogs become fierce and run away.

A special weather warning for the Days of Dogs says that the Days of Dogs will end as they start.

See more about the names of all 12 months:   

 

http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html

JUNE:

 

The month of June has its name from the Roman goddess JUNO. She was the daughter of Saturn and married to Jupiter. Together they had the children Juventas, Mars and Vulcan. Juno was the goddess for happiness in marriages. That is why people earlier believed that the month of June was particularly good to get married in.

 

Juno was also called the Queen of Heaven and of the Earth. And she was the goddess and protector of Rome and the Roman Empire.

 

There are no special old weather warnings covering the whole of this month.

 

People said, though, often in the old days:

 

In June both heat and rain

is what the farmer likes the most

 

See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html  

May:

 

The month of May has its name from the Roman goddess MAYA. She was the goddess for fertility and for nature. In ancient Rome a big festival was organised every year on May 1. A priest had to sacrifice a pregnant pig in the honour of Maya. Maya was the daughter of Atlas ( the guy who as a punishment had to carry the firmament on his shoulders ). And she was married to Vulcan. Together they had the son Mercury.

 

In the Scandinavian countries this month was in the old days also called the FLOWER MONTHS  ( Blomstermåned ). The reason was that nature “exploded” in May. Everything is sprouts and grows.

 

Way back in pre-Christian times the month was called Cuckoo Month. Why? Because now was the time when the cuckoo returned after the winter.

 

May is called more or less the same in all European languages:  May ( English ); Mai ( German, French and Romanian ); Mayo ( Spanish ); Maggio ( Italian ); Máj ( Czech ); Maj ( Danish, Norwegian and Swedish ).

 

May is over the centyries also known for all its festivals. In Scandinavia people often selected a socalled “Duke of May” among the young men in the village. His job was to organise the festivals. 

Children who are born during the month of May are in many countries something special. In England they are considered to be more wet than children born in other parts of the year. And in Norway people consider children born in May as specially blessing children.

 

 

Some old Danish weather warnings are connected to the month of May:

 

·        If May is wet the barns will be full

·        Frost in May will give a small harvest

·        A warm May will not make the farmer happy

·        Rain in May will give a good harvest and a dry June

APRIL:

The name April comes from the Latin word APERIRE. It means to open up. This means that the soil is ready to be sowed. The year now really opens up towards spring and summer.

 

In the Nordic countries this month was in the old days also called the Month of Grass  ( Græsmåned ) or the Month of the Sheep ( Fåremåned ). Why ? Because this was ( and is ) the month, when the sheep and the cattle get out on grass again after the long winter.

 

April also has a number of old weather warnings:

 

·         Swallows in April means a warm summer

·         If April starts mild, it will end cold

·         A beautiful April is followed by a bad May

 

      See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

      http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html      

MARCH:

 

The month of March is named after the Roman god for war, Mars.

 

In the old Roman calendar until 153 BC March was the first month of the year.

 

In the Nordic countries this month was called THOR MONTH – named after the Nordic god for wars, Thor.

 

A number of old Danish weather warnings are linked to this month:

 

• A mild January and an equally mild February will mean a cold March
• Thunderstorm in March will give snow and cold weather in April
• Much fog in March will give frost in April and a wet and chilly summer
• Swallows in March mean a warm summer
• March is never worse than it brings at least 9 good days

 

See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html

February:

 

Where does the name February come from ?

 

It comes from the Latin word FEBRUARE, which means PURIFICATION. It was in this month that the Romans organised their purification parties. The main one took place on February 15.

 

 

Some people believe that the name rather comes from the pre-Roman Etruscan god FEBRUUS.  But the one does not exclude the other.

 

The old Danish word for this month was BLIDEMÅNED.  Blid normally means soft. But in this case it meant light and white ( snow ).

 

Originally the Romans only had ten months in a year. The first month was March. The two winter months did not count. But around 713 BC king Numa Pompilius introduced January as well as February. In this way the year was more in line with the lunar year.

 

This calendar was many centuries later replaced by the Gregorian calendar, where February is the second month of each year. It was introduced in Denmark around 1700.

 

See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

  http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html

JANUARY:

 

The name January is named after the Roman god JANUS ( Ianuarius ). He was the god for all beginning. He is associated with door openings, town gates, etc. The gates to his temple in Rome should never be closed, when Rome was at war.  Janus was equipped with two faces, an old and a new one. In this way he was able to look back as well as forward.  The word itself comes from the Latin word for door:  ianua.

 

The old Danish word for this month was GLUGMÅNED. It comes from the Danish word glug, which means peephole. You were looking into the new year.

 

The old Saxon name for January was WULF-MONATH – meaning Wolf Month. Charlemagne called it WINTARMANOTH  ( Winter Month )

 

Originally the calendar of the Romans had only 10 months. The first month of the year was March. The winter months were not counted. But about 713 BC king Numa Pompilius introduced January as well as February. In this way the calendar ran parallel to the Lunar Calendar.

 

 

There are a number of old Danish weather warnings for the month of January:

 

• Heavy snowfall in January will give a good harvest
• Much rain in January will make the fields empty
• A dry January will make a dry July
• When January and February are mild March will be cold
• Strong winds in January mean a mild March
• A mild January will give frost in March and April

 

 

See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

  http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html

DECEMBER:

 

The name December comes from the word decem. This is the Latin name for the figure ten. The reason is that this month was the 10^th month in the old Roman calendar, which originally was made by king Numa Pompilius around 500 BC. In this calendar March was the first month in the year.

 

This calendar was many centuries later replaced by the Gregorian calendar, where January is the first month of each year and where December consequently is month no. 12. This calendar was introduced from around 1580. It Denmark it happened in the year 1700.

 

In the old days this month was in Denmark ( and the other Nordic countries, I believe ) called KRISTMÅNED ( CHRIST MONTH ).  Or CHRISTMAS MONTH.

 

There are several old Danish weather warnings for the month of December:

 

·          A cold December with lots of snow will often mean that the next summer will be very good and fertile

·          If December is very cold the harvest next year will be very good

·          If the weather is good in the beginning of the month it will last until Christmas

 

If you look at the weather as it actually has been over the years you have a number of interesting weather records when Denmark is concerned:

 

·          1981:  Coldest December: - 4,0 degrees in average

·          2006:  Warmest December:  + 7,0 degrees in average

·          1953:  Highest temperature in December:  + 14,5 degrees

·          1981:  Coldest temperature in December:  - 25,6 degrees

·          1890:  Most dry December:  7 mm rain

·          1985:  Most wet December:  140 mm rain

 

 

See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

  http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html

 

NOVEMBER:

 

The name November comes from the word novem. This is the Latin name for the figure nine. The reason is that this month was the 9^th month in the old Roman calendar, which originally was made by king Numa Pompilius around 500 BC. In this calendar March was the first month in the year.

 

This calendar was many centuries later replaced by the Gregorian calendar, where January is the first month of each year and where November consequently is month no. 11. This calendar was introduced from around 1580. It Denmark it happened in the year 1700.

 

In the old days this month was in Denmark ( and the other Nordic countries, I believe ) called SLAGTEMÅNED ( SLAUGHTER MONTH ).  Why ? Because the weather was now so cold that there were no risk in slaughtering the animals and salt the meat for the winter.

 

 

 

If you look at the weather as it actually has been over the years you have a number of interesting weather records when Denmark is concerned:

 

·         1919: Coldest November: + 0,7degrees in average ( from +10,1 to – 16,1 degrees )

·         2006: Warmest November:  +8,6 degrees in average ( from +16,6 to – 6,7 degrees )

·         1993: The lowest number of hours of sunshine in November:  19 hours

·         1989: The highest number of hours of sunshine in October:  99 hours

 

 

See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

  http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html

OCTOBER:

 

The name October comes from the word octo. This is the Latin name for the figure eight. The reason is that this month was the 8^th month in the old Roman calendar, which originally was made by king Numa Pompilius around 500 BC. In this calendar March was the first month in the year.

 

This calendar was many centuries later replaced by the Gregorian calendar, where January is the first month of each year and where October consequently is month no. 10. This calendar was introduced from around 1580. It Denmark it happened in the year 1700.

 

In the old days this month was in Denmark ( and the other Nordic countries, I believe ) called SÆDEMÅNED ( SEED MONTH ).  Why ? Because this was the month when the winter seed   ( i.e. rye ) had to be sowed.

 

 

 

And here is the old verse of this month:

 

Now you have to plough and sow the rye

and fill up the casks with new lovely wine.

Now cold times will be part of our daily life,

so a warming stove is just what I like

 

 

There are also a number of old Danish weather warnings for this month:

 

·     October is bad tempered because the old summer has passed away

·     If the trees do not let their leaves go this month, it will be a very cold winter

 

And if you look at the weather as it actually has been over the years you have a number of interesting weather records when Denmark is concerned:

 

·         1905: Coldest October: + 5,2 degrees in average ( from +14,6 to – 8,9 degrees )

·         2006: Warmest October:  +12,2 degrees in average ( from +20,5 to – 0,9 degrees )

·         1976: The lowest number of hours of sunshine in October:  26 hours

·         2005: The highest number of hours of sunshine in October:  162 hours

 

 

See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

  http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html

SEPTEMBER :

The name September comes from the Latin word Septem, which means seven. This month was the year’s seventh month, according to the old Roman Numa calendar. The years began on  March 1. In our contemporary calendar this month as we know is the 9th of the year.

The old Danish name for this month is Fiskemåned ( Fish Month ). The reason was now that the fishermen caught the fat autumn herrings, which were salted and stored for the winter. These herrings were also a welcome product for the fast period  in the Catholic countries. The scale of the export of these fat autumn herrings was the economic basis of Denmark's position as a superpower in the 17^th century.

September also had its own specific verses in the old days in Denmark:

Now, the farmers can treat the grain,
And the fishermen catch the herring fresh.
Lard I like much to eat
and lovely sheep's milk and goat's milk too.

The old Danish weather warnings also have something to contribute to September:

• It will be a mild weather at Christmas, if the migratory birds have gone before September is over
• Thunderstorms this month promise a cold Christmas with a lot of snow
• Many acorn on the oaks warn about snow and cold weather at Christmas

There are two so-called Tycho Brahes Days this month: the 16th and the 18^th.

The day’s length in Denmark decreases by 2 hours and 16 minutes during the month. The lowest temperature in September was measured in 1886 and was at minus 5.6 degrees. The highest temperature was measured in 1906 and was at 32.3 degrees. The rain for the whole month has been between 18 mm (1947) and 162 mm (1994).

September 23  is autumnal, i.e. that day and night are of equal length.

Finally, in September that migratory birds fly south. And the eels begin their long journey to the SaragossaSea near Latin America.

 

See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

  http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html

AUGUST :

 

This month is named after the Roman emperor Augustus. He ruled in the period 31 BC to 14 AD. The name means The Elevated. He was born in Rome in the year 63 BC and was called Gaius Octavius before he became emperor. He died of natural causes (unlike the vast majority of Roman emperors) as a 51-year-old in the year 14 AD. He was Caesar’s adopted child.

It is a frequent misunderstanding that it was Emperor Augustus, who was to blame for that the month of August has 31 days. The legend tells he would not accept that the month he renamed after himself should be shorter than July, which was named after his predecessor and adoptive father, Julius Caesar.

The change was previously done by Caesar in the year 45 BC. He extended this month, which originally had only 29 days, with two days. He took them from the month of February. Perhaps to prolong the summer J

The Latin name of this month was Sextilis (with reference to the fact that it was the sixth month in the previous Roman calendar. It started on 1 March.

 

The old Danish name for this month is MONTH OF HARVEST.

The farmers, of course, preferred to do their harvesting in good weather. An old Danish weather warning says that thunder in August means a lot of disease to humans and animals.

In the old days in Denmark a number of interesting habits were important during the harvest period in August. One of them was that if a stranger came into the field, where the harvesting took place, all the men would stop working, line up in a long row and hang their caps on the scythes. Then the farm foreman would make 3 loud strokes with his scythe sharpener, and everybody would sharpen their scythes at the same time. For this show the guest had to pay with a bottle of aquavit J  

 

Another old, permanent habit was this one:  The last sheaf, which was harvested, was in Jutland called  The Old Man  and on the Danish islands called The Harvest Hag.

The Old Man was often in the darkness of the night brought to a neighbour who was not yet finished with the harvest. On the sheaf was added a letter, which, under certain circumstances promised help to the slow farmer.

 

What The Harvest Hag is concerned the girls doing the sheafing were not enthusiastic about finishing the very last sheaf. Why? Because the girl, who did it, had to dance the first dance at the annual harvest ball with The Harvest Hag (i.e. the sheaf ) as her dancing partner.  

 

The so-called Hundedage  ( Days of Dogs ) started on 22 July and last for three weeks until 22 August. They are normally the hottest part of the summer. And they have their name from the fact that the constellation BigDog ( where you can find the dog star Sirius ) just in that period is closest to the sun. The myth says that it is the star, which heats up the sun to higher temperatures than normal. The myth also says that it is during this period that meat becomes rotten, milk turns acid, and the dogs become fierce and run away.

A special weather warning for the Days of Dogs says that the Days of Dogs will end as they start.

See more about the names of all 12 months:   

 

http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html

JULY:

This month is named after Julius Caesar. He was born on 13 July in year 100 BC. After he in 46 BC had become the ruler of the Roman empire, he implemented a major reform of the calendar. The Roman year had so far been based on the Moon Year starting on what is known today as  March 1. The month of July was then called Quintilis, which is Latin and means the 5^th month. Now Caesar based the new calendar on the Solar Year - starting on January 1. And he named the month of his own birth after himself, namely JULY. It is this so-called Julian calendar, which in 1582 was adjusted by Pope Gregory XIII. In this way we got the so-called Gregorian calendar we use today.

July is incidentally the name of this month to virtually all Germanic and Roman languages: Juli (Danish, German, Norwegian, Swedish, Dutch / Flemish, Spanish); July (English); Juillet (French): Lugnio (Italian); Julho ( Portuguese); Iulie (Romanian).

In the calendar of theVikings  this month was called Ormemåned  ( The Month of Worms ). The previous month was called Hay Month and the one afterwards Harvest Month. Why Month of Worms ? Probably because it is just in this month that all sorts of animals crawl all over the place: Spiders, beetles, worms, snails, vipers, grass snakes, tadpoles, chicks, etc.

There are also some old Danish weather warnings attached to this month: Many white clouds in the sky provides a rigorous winter with lots of snow. And another warning : When July is warm and clear,  Christmas usually becomes cold.

The so-called Hundedage  ( Days of Dogs ) start on 22 July and last until 22 August. They are normally the hottest part of the summer. And they have their name from the fact that the constallation BigDog ( where you can find the dog star Sirius ) just in that period is closest to the sun. The myth says that it is the star which heats up the sun to higher temperatures than normal. The myth also says that it is during this period that meat becomes rotten , milk turns acid and the dogs become fierce and run away.

A special weather warning for the Days of Dogs says that the Days of Dogs will end as they start.

See more about the names of all 12 months:   

 

http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html

JUNE:

 

The month of June has its name from the Roman goddess JUNO. She was the daughter of Saturn and married to Jupiter. Together they had the children Juventas, Mars and Vulcan. Juno was the goddess for happiness in marriages. That is why people earlier believed that the month of June was particularly good to get married in.

 

Juno was also called the Queen of Heaven and of the Earth. And she was the goddess and protector of Rome and the Roman Empire.

 

There are no special old weather warnings covering the whole of this month.

 

People said, though, often in the old days:

 

In June both heat and rain

is what the farmer likes the most

 

See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html  

May:

 

The month of May has its name from the Roman goddess MAYA. She was the goddess for fertility and for nature. In ancient Rome a big festival was organised every year on May 1. A priest had to sacrifice a pregnant pig in the honour of Maya. Maya was the daughter of Atlas ( the guy who as a punishment had to carry the firmament on his shoulders ). And she was married to Vulcan. Together they had the son Mercury.

 

In the Scandinavian countries this month was in the old days also called the FLOWER MONTHS  ( Blomstermåned ). The reason was that nature “exploded” in May. Everything is sprouts and grows.

 

Way back in pre-Christian times the month was called Cuckoo Month. Why? Because now was the time when the cuckoo returned after the winter.

 

May is called more or less the same in all European languages:  May ( English ); Mai ( German, French and Romanian ); Mayo ( Spanish ); Maggio ( Italian ); Máj ( Czech ); Maj ( Danish, Norwegian and Swedish ).

 

May is over the centyries also known for all its festivals. In Scandinavia people often selected a socalled “Duke of May” among the young men in the village. His job was to organise the festivals. 

Children who are born during the month of May are in many countries something special. In England they are considered to be more wet than children born in other parts of the year. And in Norway people consider children born in May as specially blessing children.

 

 

Some old Danish weather warnings are connected to the month of May:

 

·     If May is wet the barns will be full

·     Frost in May will give a small harvest

·     A warm May will not make the farmer happy

·     Rain in May will give a good harvest and a dry June

APRIL:

 

The name April comes from the Latin word APERIRE. It means to open up. This means that the soil is ready to be sowed. The year now really opens up towards spring and summer.

 

In the Nordic countries this month was in the old days also called the Month of Grass  ( Græsmåned ) or the Month of the Sheep ( Fåremåned ). Why ? Because this was ( and is ) the month, when the sheep and the cattle get out on grass again after the long winter.

 

April also has a number of old weather warnings:

 

·     Swallows in April means a warm summer

·     If April starts mild, it will end cold

·     A beautiful April is followed by a bad May

 

      See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

      http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html       

MARCH:

 

The month of March is named after the Roman god for war, Mars.

 

In the old Roman calendar until 153 BC March was the first month of the year.

 

In the Nordic countries this month was called THOR MONTH – named after the Nordic god for wars, Thor.

 

A number of old Danish weather warnings are linked to this month:

 

• A mild January and an equally mild February will mean a cold March
• Thunderstorm in March will give snow and cold weather in April
• Much fog in March will give frost in April and a wet and chilly summer
• Swallows in March mean a warm summer
• March is never worse than it brings at least 9 good days

 

See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html

February:

 

Where does the name February come from ?

 

It comes from the Latin word FEBRUARE, which means PURIFICATION. It was in this month that the Romans organised their purification parties. The main one took place on February 15.

 

 

Some people believe that the name rather comes from the pre-Roman Etruscan god FEBRUUS.  But the one does not exclude the other.

 

The old Danish word for this month was BLIDEMÅNED.  Blid normally means soft. But in this case it meant light and white ( snow ).

 

Originally the Romans only had ten months in a year. The first month was March. The two winter months did not count. But around 713 BC king Numa Pompilius introduced January as well as February. In this way the year was more in line with the lunar year.

 

This calendar was many centuries later replaced by the Gregorian calendar, where February is the second month of each year. It was introduced in Denmark around 1700.

 

See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

  http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html

JANUARY:

 

The name January is named after the Roman god JANUS ( Ianuarius ). He was the god for all beginning. He is associated with door openings, town gates, etc. The gates to his temple in Rome should never be closed, when Rome was at war.  Janus was equipped with two faces, an old and a new one. In this way he was able to look back as well as forward.  The word itself comes from the Latin word for door:  ianua.

 

The old Danish word for this month was GLUGMÅNED. It comes from the Danish word glug, which means peephole. You were looking into the new year.

 

The old Saxon name for January was WULF-MONATH – meaning Wolf Month. Charlemagne called it WINTARMANOTH  ( Winter Month )

 

Originally the calendar of the Romans had only 10 months. The first month of the year was March. The winter months were not counted. But about 713 BC king Numa Pompilius introduced January as well as February. In this way the calendar ran parallel to the Lunar Calendar.

 

 

There are a number of old Danish weather warnings for the month of January:

 

• Heavy snowfall in January will give a good harvest
• Much rain in January will make the fields empty
• A dry January will make a dry July
• When January and February are mild March will be cold
• Strong winds in January mean a mild March
• A mild January will give frost in March and April

 

 

See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

  http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html

DECEMBER:

 

The name December comes from the word decem. This is the Latin name for the figure ten. The reason is that this month was the 10^th month in the old Roman calendar, which originally was made by king Numa Pompilius around 500 BC. In this calendar March was the first month in the year.

 

This calendar was many centuries later replaced by the Gregorian calendar, where January is the first month of each year and where December consequently is month no. 12. This calendar was introduced from around 1580. It Denmark it happened in the year 1700.

 

In the old days this month was in Denmark ( and the other Nordic countries, I believe ) called KRISTMÅNED ( CHRIST MONTH ).  Or CHRISTMAS MONTH.

 

There are several old Danish weather warnings for the month of December:

 

·     A cold December with lots of snow will often mean that the next summer will be very good and fertile

·     If December is very cold the harvest next year will be very good

·     If the weather is good in the beginning of the month it will last until Christmas

 

If you look at the weather as it actually has been over the years you have a number of interesting weather records when Denmark is concerned:

 

·         1981:  Coldest December: - 4,0 degrees in average

·         2006:  Warmest December:  + 7,0 degrees in average

·         1953:  Highest temperature in December:  + 14,5 degrees

·         1981:  Coldest temperature in December:  - 25,6 degrees

·         1890:  Most dry December:  7 mm rain

·         1985:  Most wet December:  140 mm rain

 

 

See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

  http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html

NOVEMBER:

 

The name November comes from the word novem. This is the Latin name for the figure nine. The reason is that this month was the 9^th month in the old Roman calendar, which originally was made by king Numa Pompilius around 500 BC. In this calendar March was the first month in the year.

 

This calendar was many centuries later replaced by the Gregorian calendar, where January is the first month of each year and where November consequently is month no. 11. This calendar was introduced from around 1580. It Denmark it happened in the year 1700.

 

In the old days this month was in Denmark ( and the other Nordic countries, I believe ) called SLAGTEMÅNED ( SLAUGHTER MONTH ).  Why ? Because the weather was now so cold that there were no risk in slaughtering the animals and salt the meat for the winter.

 

 

 

If you look at the weather as it actually has been over the years you have a number of interesting weather records when Denmark is concerned:

 

·         1919: Coldest November: + 0,7degrees in average ( from +10,1 to – 16,1 degrees )

·         2006: Warmest November:  +8,6 degrees in average ( from +16,6 to – 6,7 degrees )

·         1993: The lowest number of hours of sunshine in November:  19 hours

·         1989: The highest number of hours of sunshine in October:  99 hours

 

 

See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

  http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html

OCTOBER:

 

The name October comes from the word octo. This is the Latin name for the figure eight. The reason is that this month was the 8^th month in the old Roman calendar, which originally was made by king Numa Pompilius around 500 BC. In this calendar March was the first month in the year.

 

This calendar was many centuries later replaced by the Gregorian calendar, where January is the first month of each year and where October consequently is month no. 10. This calendar was introduced from around 1580. It Denmark it happened in the year 1700.

 

In the old days this month was in Denmark ( and the other Nordic countries, I believe ) called SÆDEMÅNED ( SEED MONTH ).  Why ? Because this was the month when the winter seed   ( i.e. rye ) had to be sowed.

 

 

 

And here is the old verse of this month:

 

Now you have to plough and sow the rye

and fill up the casks with new lovely wine.

Now cold times will be part of our daily life,

so a warming stove is just what I like

 

 

There are also a number of old Danish weather warnings for this month:

 

·         October is bad tempered because the old summer has passed away

·         If the trees do not let their leaves go this month, it will be a very cold winter

 

And if you look at the weather as it actually has been over the years you have a number of interesting weather records when Denmark is concerned:

 

·         1905: Coldest October: + 5,2 degrees in average ( from +14,6 to – 8,9 degrees )

·         2006: Warmest October:  +12,2 degrees in average ( from +20,5 to – 0,9 degrees )

·         1976: The lowest number of hours of sunshine in October:  26 hours

·         2005: The highest number of hours of sunshine in October:  162 hours

 

 

See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

  http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html

SEPTEMBER :

The name September comes from the Latin word Septem, which means seven. This month was the year’s seventh month, according to the old Roman Numa calendar. The years began on  March 1. In our contemporary calendar this month as we know is the 9th of the year.

The old Danish name for this month is Fiskemåned ( Fish Month ). The reason was now that the fishermen caught the fat autumn herrings, which were salted and stored for the winter. These herrings were also a welcome product for the fast period  in the Catholic countries. The scale of the export of these fat autumn herrings was the economic basis of Denmark's position as a superpower in the 17^th century.

September also had its own specific verses in the old days in Denmark:

Now, the farmers can treat the grain,
And the fishermen catch the herring fresh.
Lard I like much to eat
and lovely sheep's milk and goat's milk too.

The old Danish weather warnings also have something to contribute to September:

• It will be a mild weather at Christmas, if the migratory birds have gone before September is over
• Thunderstorms this month promise a cold Christmas with a lot of snow
• Many acorn on the oaks warn about snow and cold weather at Christmas

There are two so-called Tycho Brahes Days this month: the 16th and the 18^th.

The day’s length in Denmark decreases by 2 hours and 16 minutes during the month. The lowest temperature in September was measured in 1886 and was at minus 5.6 degrees. The highest temperature was measured in 1906 and was at 32.3 degrees. The rain for the whole month has been between 18 mm (1947) and 162 mm (1994).

September 23  is autumnal, i.e. that day and night are of equal length.

Finally, in September that migratory birds fly south. And the eels begin their long journey to the SaragossaSea near Latin America.

 

See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

  http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html

AUGUST :

 

This month is named after the Roman emperor Augustus. He ruled in the period 31 BC to 14 AD. The name means The Elevated. He was born in Rome in the year 63 BC and was called Gaius Octavius before he became emperor. He died of natural causes (unlike the vast majority of Roman emperors) as a 51-year-old in the year 14 AD. He was Caesar’s adopted child.

It is a frequent misunderstanding that it was Emperor Augustus, who was to blame for that the month of August has 31 days. The legend tells he would not accept that the month he renamed after himself should be shorter than July, which was named after his predecessor and adoptive father, Julius Caesar.

The change was previously done by Caesar in the year 45 BC. He extended this month, which originally had only 29 days, with two days. He took them from the month of February. Perhaps to prolong the summer J

The Latin name of this month was Sextilis (with reference to the fact that it was the sixth month in the previous Roman calendar. It started on 1 March.

 

The old Danish name for this month is MONTH OF HARVEST.

The farmers, of course, preferred to do their harvesting in good weather. An old Danish weather warning says that thunder in August means a lot of disease to humans and animals.

In the old days in Denmark a number of interesting habits were important during the harvest period in August. One of them was that if a stranger came into the field, where the harvesting took place, all the men would stop working, line up in a long row and hang their caps on the scythes. Then the farm foreman would make 3 loud strokes with his scythe sharpener, and everybody would sharpen their scythes at the same time. For this show the guest had to pay with a bottle of aquavit J  

 

Another old, permanent habit was this one:  The last sheaf, which was harvested, was in Jutland called  The Old Man  and on the Danish islands called The Harvest Hag.

The Old Man was often in the darkness of the night brought to a neighbour who was not yet finished with the harvest. On the sheaf was added a letter, which, under certain circumstances promised help to the slow farmer.

 

What The Harvest Hag is concerned the girls doing the sheafing were not enthusiastic about finishing the very last sheaf. Why? Because the girl, who did it, had to dance the first dance at the annual harvest ball with The Harvest Hag (i.e. the sheaf ) as her dancing partner.  

 

The so-called Hundedage  ( Days of Dogs ) started on 22 July and last for three weeks until 22 August. They are normally the hottest part of the summer. And they have their name from the fact that the constellation BigDog ( where you can find the dog star Sirius ) just in that period is closest to the sun. The myth says that it is the star, which heats up the sun to higher temperatures than normal. The myth also says that it is during this period that meat becomes rotten, milk turns acid, and the dogs become fierce and run away.

A special weather warning for the Days of Dogs says that the Days of Dogs will end as they start.

See more about the names of all 12 months:   

 

http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html

NAME OF THE MONTHS

 

Why are they called so ?

  JANUARY:

 

The name January is named after the Roman god JANUS ( Ianuarius ). He was the god for all beginning. He is associated with door openings, town gates, etc. The gates to his temple in Rome should never be closed, when Rome was at war.  Janus was equipped with two faces, an old and a new one. In this way he was able to look back as well as forward.  The word itself comes from the Latin word for door:  ianua.

 

The old Danish word for this month was GLUGMÅNED. It comes from the Danish word glug, which means peephole. You were looking into the new year.

 

The old Saxon name for January was WULF-MONATH – meaning Wolf Month. Charlemagne called it WINTARMANOTH  ( Winter Month )

 

Originally the calendar of the Romans had only 10 months. The first month of the year was March. The winter months were not counted. But about 713 BC king Numa Pompilius introduced January as well as February. In this way the calendar ran parallel to the Lunar Calendar.

 

 

There are a number of old Danish weather warnings for the month of January:

 

• Heavy snowfall in January will give a good harvest
• Much rain in January will make the fields empty
• A dry January will make a dry July
• When January and February are mild March will be cold
• Strong winds in January mean a mild March
• A mild January will give frost in March and April

 

 

See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

  http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html

 

February:

 

Where does the name February come from ?

 

It comes from the Latin word FEBRUARE, which means PURIFICATION. It was in this month that the Romans organised their purification parties. The main one took place on February 15.

 

 

Some people believe that the name rather comes from the pre-Roman Etruscan god FEBRUUS.  But the one does not exclude the other.

 

The old Danish word for this month was BLIDEMÅNED.  Blid normally means soft. But in this case it meant light and white ( snow ).

 

Originally the Romans only had ten months in a year. The first month was March. The two winter months did not count. But around 713 BC king Numa Pompilius introduced January as well as February. In this way the year was more in line with the lunar year.

 

This calendar was many centuries later replaced by the Gregorian calendar, where February is the second month of each year. It was introduced in Denmark around 1700.

 

See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

  http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html

 

MARCH:

 

The month of March is named after the Roman god for war, Mars.

 

In the old Roman calendar until 153 BC March was the first month of the year.

 

In the Nordic countries this month was called THOR MONTH – named after the Nordic god for wars, Thor.

 

A number of old Danish weather warnings are linked to this month:

 

• A mild January and an equally mild February will mean a cold March
• Thunderstorm in March will give snow and cold weather in April
• Much fog in March will give frost in April and a wet and chilly summer
• Swallows in March mean a warm summer
• March is never worse than it brings at least 9 good days

 

See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html

April:  

The name April comes from the Latin word APERIRE. It means to open up. This means that the soil is ready to be sowed. The year now really opens up towards spring and summer.

 

In the Nordic countries this month was in the old days also called the Month of Grass  ( Græsmåned ) or the Month of the Sheep ( Fåremåned ). Why ? Because this was ( and is ) the month, when the sheep and the cattle get out on grass again after the long winter.

 

April also has a number of old weather warnings:

 

·    Swallows in April means a warm summer

·    If April starts mild, it will end cold

·    A beautiful April is followed by a bad May

 

      See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

      http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html    



   

May:

 

The month of May has its name from the Roman goddess MAYA. She was the goddess for fertility and for nature. In ancient Rome a big festival was organised every year on May 1. A priest had to sacrifice a pregnant pig in the honour of Maya. Maya was the daughter of Atlas ( the guy who as a punishment had to carry the firmament on his shoulders ). And she was married to Vulcan. Together they had the son Mercury.

 

In the Scandinavian countries this month was in the old days also called the FLOWER MONTHS  ( Blomstermåned ). The reason was that nature “exploded” in May. Everything is sprouts and grows.

 

Way back in pre-Christian times the month was called Cuckoo Month. Why? Because now was the time when the cuckoo returned after the winter.

 

May is called more or less the same in all European languages:  May ( English ); Mai ( German, French and Romanian ); Mayo ( Spanish ); Maggio ( Italian ); Máj ( Czech ); Maj ( Danish, Norwegian and Swedish ).

 

May is over the centyries also known for all its festivals. In Scandinavia people often selected a socalled “Duke of May” among the young men in the village. His job was to organise the festivals. 

Children who are born during the month of May are in many countries something special. In England they are considered to be more wet than children born in other parts of the year. And in Norway people consider children born in May as specially blessing children.

 

 

Some old Danish weather warnings are connected to the month of May:

 

·        If May is wet the barns will be full

·        Frost in May will give a small harvest

·        A warm May will not make the farmer happy

·        Rain in May will give a good harvest and a dry June

 

JUNE:

 

The month of June has its name from the Roman goddess JUNO. She was the daughter of Saturn and married to Jupiter. Together they had the children Juventas, Mars and Vulcan. Juno was the goddess for happiness in marriages. That is why people earlier believed that the month of June was particularly good to get married in.

 

Juno was also called the Queen of Heaven and of the Earth. And she was the goddess and protector of Rome and the Roman Empire.

 

There are no special old weather warnings covering the whole of this month.

 

People said, though, often in the old days:

 

In June both heat and rain

is what the farmer likes the most

 

See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html     

JULY:

This month is named after Julius Caesar. He was born on 13 July in year 100 BC. After he in 46 BC had become the ruler of the Roman empire, he implemented a major reform of the calendar. The Roman year had so far been based on the Moon Year starting on what is known today as  March 1. The month of July was then called Quintilis, which is Latin and means the 5^th month. Now Caesar based the new calendar on the Solar Year - starting on January 1. And he named the month of his own birth after himself, namely JULY. It is this so-called Julian calendar, which in 1582 was adjusted by Pope Gregory XIII. In this way we got the so-called Gregorian calendar we use today.

July is incidentally the name of this month to virtually all Germanic and Roman languages: Juli (Danish, German, Norwegian, Swedish, Dutch / Flemish, Spanish); July (English); Juillet (French): Lugnio (Italian); Julho ( Portuguese); Iulie (Romanian).

In the calendar of theVikings  this month was called Ormemåned  ( The Month of Worms ). The previous month was called Hay Month and the one afterwards Harvest Month. Why Month of Worms ? Probably because it is just in this month that all sorts of animals crawl all over the place: Spiders, beetles, worms, snails, vipers, grass snakes, tadpoles, chicks, etc.

There are also some old Danish weather warnings attached to this month: Many white clouds in the sky provides a rigorous winter with lots of snow. And another warning: When July is warm and clear,  Christmas usually becomes cold.

The so-called Hundedage ( Days of Dogs ) start on 22 July and last until 22 August. They are normally the hottest part of the summer. And they have their name from the fact that the constallation BigDog ( where you can find the dog star Sirius ) just in that period is closest to the sun. The myth says that it is the star which heats up the sun to higher temperatures than normal. The myth also says that it is during this period that meat becomes rotten , milk turns acid and the dogs become fierce and run away.

A special weather warning for the Days of Dogs says that the Days of Dogs will end as they start.

See more about the names of all 12 months:   

 

http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html

 

Back to the front page:  www.simplesite.com/kimbrer    

 

AUGUST:

 

This month is named after the Roman emperor Augustus. He ruled in the period 31 BC to 14 AD. The name means The Elevated. He was born in Rome in the year 63 BC and was called Gaius Octavius before he became emperor. He died of natural causes (unlike the vast majority of Roman emperors) as a 51-year-old in the year 14 AD. He was Caesar’s adopted child.

It is a frequent misunderstanding that it was Emperor Augustus, who was to blame for that the month of August has 31 days. The legend tells he would not accept that the month he renamed after himself should be shorter than July, which was named after his predecessor and adoptive father, Julius Caesar.

The change was previously done by Caesar in the year 45 BC. He extended this month, which originally had only 29 days, with two days. He took them from the month of February. Perhaps to prolong the summer J

The Latin name of this month was Sextilis (with reference to the fact that it was the sixth month in the previous Roman calendar. It started on 1 March.

 

The old Danish name for this month is MONTH OF HARVEST.

The farmers, of course, preferred to do their harvesting in good weather. An old Danish weather warning says that thunder in August means a lot of disease to humans and animals.

In the old days in Denmark a number of interesting habits were important during the harvest period in August. One of them was that if a stranger came into the field, where the harvesting took place, all the men would stop working, line up in a long row and hang their caps on the scythes. Then the farm foreman would make 3 loud strokes with his scythe sharpener, and everybody would sharpen their scythes at the same time. For this show the guest had to pay with a bottle of aquavit J 

 

Another old, permanent habit was this one:  The last sheaf, which was harvested, was in Jutland called  The Old Man  and on the Danish islands called The Harvest Hag.

The Old Man was often in the darkness of the night brought to a neighbour who was not yet finished with the harvest. On the sheaf was added a letter, which, under certain circumstances promised help to the slow farmer.

 

What The Harvest Hag is concerned the girls doing the sheafing were not enthusiastic about finishing the very last sheaf. Why? Because the girl, who did it, had to dance the first dance at the annual harvest ball with The Harvest Hag (i.e. the sheaf ) as her dancing partner. 

 

The so-called Hundedage  ( Days of Dogs ) started on 22 July and last for three weeks until 22 August. They are normally the hottest part of the summer. And they have their name from the fact that the constellation BigDog ( where you can find the dog star Sirius ) just in that period is closest to the sun. The myth says that it is the star, which heats up the sun to higher temperatures than normal. The myth also says that it is during this period that meat becomes rotten, milk turns acid, and the dogs become fierce and run away.

A special weather warning for the Days of Dogs says that the Days of Dogs will end as they start.

See more about the names of all 12 months:   

 

http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html  

SEPTEMBER:

The name September comes from the Latin word Septem, which means seven. This month was the year’s seventh month, according to the old Roman Numa calendar. The years began on  March 1. In our contemporary calendar this month as we know is the 9th of the year.

The old Danish name for this month is Fiskemåned ( Fish Month ). The reason was now that the fishermen caught the fat autumn herrings, which were salted and stored for the winter. These herrings were also a welcome product for the fast period  in the Catholic countries. The scale of the export of these fat autumn herrings was the economic basis of Denmark's position as a superpower in the 17^th century.

September also had its own specific verses in the old days in Denmark:

Now, the farmers can treat the grain,
And the fishermen catch the herring fresh.
Lard I like much to eat
and lovely sheep's milk and goat's milk too.

The old Danish weather warnings also have something to contribute to September:

• It will be a mild weather at Christmas, if the migratory birds have gone before September is over
• Thunderstorms this month promise a cold Christmas with a lot of snow
• Many acorn on the oaks warn about snow and cold weather at Christmas

There are two so-called Tycho Brahes Days this month: the 16th and the 18^th.

The day’s length in Denmark decreases by 2 hours and 16 minutes during the month. The lowest temperature in September was measured in 1886 and was at minus 5.6 degrees. The highest temperature was measured in 1906 and was at 32.3 degrees. The rain for the whole month has been between 18 mm (1947) and 162 mm (1994).

September 23  is autumnal, i.e. that day and night are of equal length.

Finally, in September that migratory birds fly south. And the eels begin their long journey to the SaragossaSea near Latin America.

 

See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

  http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html


OCTOBER:

The name October comes from the word octo. This is the Latin name for the figure eight. The reason is that this month was the 8^th month in the old Roman calendar, which originally was made by king Numa Pompilius around 500 BC. In this calendar March was the first month in the year.

 

This calendar was many centuries later replaced by the Gregorian calendar, where January is the first month of each year and where October consequently is month no. 10. This calendar was introduced from around 1580. It Denmark it happened in the year 1700.

 

In the old days this month was in Denmark ( and the other Nordic countries, I believe ) called SÆDEMÅNED ( SEED MONTH ).  Why ? Because this was the month when the winter seed   ( i.e. rye ) had to be sowed.

 

 

 

And here is the old verse of this month:

 

Now you have to plough and sow the rye

and fill up the casks with new lovely wine.

Now cold times will be part of our daily life,

so a warming stove is just what I like

 

 

There are also a number of old Danish weather warnings for this month:

 

·     October is bad tempered because the old summer has passed away

·     If the trees do not let their leaves go this month, it will be a very cold winter

 

And if you look at the weather as it actually has been over the years you have a number of interesting weather records when Denmark is concerned:

 

·         1905: Coldest October: + 5,2 degrees in average ( from +14,6 to – 8,9 degrees )

·         2006: Warmest October:  +12,2 degrees in average ( from +20,5 to – 0,9 degrees )

·         1976: The lowest number of hours of sunshine in October:  26 hours

·         2005: The highest number of hours of sunshine in October:  162 hours

 

 

See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

  http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html

NOVEMBER:

 

The name November comes from the word novem. This is the Latin name for the figure nine. The reason is that this month was the 9^th month in the old Roman calendar, which originally was made by king Numa Pompilius around 500 BC. In this calendar March was the first month in the year.

 

This calendar was many centuries later replaced by the Gregorian calendar, where January is the first month of each year and where November consequently is month no. 11. This calendar was introduced from around 1580. It Denmark it happened in the year 1700.

 

In the old days this month was in Denmark ( and the other Nordic countries, I believe ) called SLAGTEMÅNED ( SLAUGHTER MONTH ).  Why ? Because the weather was now so cold that there were no risk in slaughtering the animals and salt the meat for the winter.

 

 

 

If you look at the weather as it actually has been over the years you have a number of interesting weather records when Denmark is concerned:

 

·         1919: Coldest November: + 0,7degrees in average ( from +10,1 to – 16,1 degrees )

·         2006: Warmest November:  +8,6 degrees in average ( from +16,6 to – 6,7 degrees )

·         1993: The lowest number of hours of sunshine in November:  19 hours

·         1989: The highest number of hours of sunshine in October:  99 hours

 

 

See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

  http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html

DECEMBER:

 

The name December comes from the word decem. This is the Latin name for the figure ten. The reason is that this month was the 10^th month in the old Roman calendar, which originally was made by king Numa Pompilius around 500 BC. In this calendar March was the first month in the year.

 

This calendar was many centuries later replaced by the Gregorian calendar, where January is the first month of each year and where December consequently is month no. 12. This calendar was introduced from around 1580. It Denmark it happened in the year 1700.

 

In the old days this month was in Denmark ( and the other Nordic countries, I believe ) called KRISTMÅNED ( CHRIST MONTH ).  Or CHRISTMAS MONTH.

 

There are several old Danish weather warnings for the month of December:

 

·     A cold December with lots of snow will often mean that the next summer will be very good and fertile

·     If December is very cold the harvest next year will be very good

·     If the weather is good in the beginning of the month it will last until Christmas

 

If you look at the weather as it actually has been over the years you have a number of interesting weather records when Denmark is concerned:

 

·         1981:  Coldest December: - 4,0 degrees in average

·         2006:  Warmest December:  + 7,0 degrees in average

·         1953:  Highest temperature in December:  + 14,5 degrees

·         1981:  Coldest temperature in December:  - 25,6 degrees

·         1890:  Most dry December:  7 mm rain

·         1985:  Most wet December:  140 mm rain

 

 

See more about the names of the 12 months:   

 

  http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_months.html