The Calendrical Holy Daze
What is this thing called the calendar a representation of, truly? It's a bored game called Polyopoly wholly hiding the truth about the holy daze. It's a discombobulation of deities, dictators and dislocations so far removed they've been long since 4gotten. (ever find it peculiar SEPTember and OCTober r not the 7th and 8th months?)The year originally began in March, as spelled out 2 Moses in Exodus 12, during instructions 4 the original Passover. (Full month names of the Hebrew calendar r listed in annotated Bibles.) This tradition was kept thru the beginnings of the Roman calendar (which is the 4father 2 the current method of date-tracking), until Julius Caesar introduced his calendar in 45 BC and moved the year's start 2 January 1.
The original Roman calendar, beginning on March 1, consisted of 10 months of 304 days. The months were: Martius, Aprilis, Maius, Junius, Quintilis, Sextilis, September, October, November, and December (note the current month names in proper numerical order!), followed by an unnamed, unnumbered winter period.
Roman king Numa Pompilius (715-673 BC) is attributed with adding February and January (in that order) between December and Martius, increasing the length of the year to 354 or 355 days. An extra month, Intercalaris ("intercalendar") or Mercedonius, was added 2 make up 4 the 'missing' days in the year. Confusion left some years longer than others, and in 45 BC, Julius Caesar introduced a reformed, solar calendar in an attempt 2 correct. Month lengths were adjusted and Intercalaris was removed. Tho not perfectly accurate (many re4rmed calendars followed in later centuries), the Julian calendar was an improvement. Quintilius was renamed Julius (July) in his own honor, and in 8 BC, Sextilus became Augustus in honor of that Caesar.
Note that 2 of r month names r in honor of dictators. What do the rest mean?
January: (Latin: Januarius) Named 4 the god Janus.
February: (Latin: Februarius) Named after Februa, a Roman purification festival.
March: (Latin: Martius) Named 4 the god Mars.
April: (Latin: Aprilis) Named 4 goddess Aphrodite.
May (L: Maius) Named 4 the goddess Maia.
June: (L: Junius) from Junonius, meaning sacred 2 the goddess Juno.
July: (L: Julius (Caesar)) 4merly Quintilis, from quintus, fifth. 5th month in the old Roman calendar.
August: (L: Augustus.) 4merly Sextilis, from the word sextus, sixth.
September: From septem, seven, the 7th month in the old Roman calendar.
October: From octo, eight; it was the 8th month in the old Roman calendar.
November: From novem, nine, as it was the 9th month.
December: From decem, ten, because it was the 10th month.
Of 12 month names used in the current Christian calendar, 5 deities, 2 dictators and an ancient Roman purification festival r honored! Y????
B prepared 4 a shock when Part 2 lifts the veil surrounding the true origins of the tradition of Christmas... the roots of the word itself will cause many a jawjacking!
In-spect Holy Daze, part 2, here
