In the modern-day Gregorian calendar, October is the tenth month with a length of 31 days. In common years, similar to January, October also begins on the same day and ends-up on the same day as January and February but during the leap year, it doesn’t start on the same day as any other month.
History of October
October always consists of 31 days. When the month of January and February were added to the Julian calendar it pushed the month of October towards the end of the Solar year and it became the tenth month of the year which had a duration of 365.24 days long.
Therefore, the Julian calendar didn’t accurately reflect the length of a year on the Earth. That’s why it was substituted for the Gregorian calendar. Nowadays, the Gregorian calendar works much better at keeping up the revolutions of our planets around the Sun. However, this calendar is also not even perfect.
How is it named October?
In the older version of the Ancient Roman calendar, which was further replaced in 450 BCE by the Julian calendar, it is always considered as the tenth month of the year whether in the Julian and as well as the Gregorian calendar.
The name of October is being derived from ‘octo’, and the meaning of it is “eight” in Latin.
The other names of October are as follows:
- In Anglo-Saxons, it is known as Winterfylleth which means the winter full moon.
- In Middle English, it is called Octobre.
- & in the Latin name, it is referred to as October Mensis which means the eighth month.
October – The Fall & Spring Month
In the Northern Hemisphere, October is the month after the Autumnal Equinox and is the month of fall but, as either side of the equator are usually opposites in terms of seasons therefore, in the Southern Hemisphere it is the spring season in October. However, April is the seasonal equivalent in both hemispheres during October.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What are the birth flowers and birthstones of the month of October?
Ans. The birth flower of the month of October is the Calendula and the birthstone is Opal.
Q2. Is October ever settled from its tenth position to another?
Ans. Yes, October was first placed on the eighth position before the Julian calendar but thereafter, when January and February were added on, it was shifted to the tenth position.
Q3. What special dates are in the month of October?
Ans. Some special dates in the month of October are listed below:
- 2nd October: Gandhi Jayanti.
- 4th October: World Animal Welfare Day.
- 5th October: World Teacher Day.
- 8th October: Indian Air-force Day.
- 9th October: World Post Office Day.
- 10th October: World Mental Health Day.
- 11th October: International Day of the Girl Child.
- 14th October: World Standards Day.
- 15th October: World Students Day.
- 16th October: World Food Day.
- 17th October: World Poverty Eradication Day.
- 24th October: United Nation Day.
- 31ST October: National Unity Day or Rashtriya Ekta Diwas.
