Where Do The Names Of The Months Come From?

The month, an astronomical unit of time, is used in the calendar as a reference for the period it takes for the Moon to go around the Earth, even though this orbit is not exact.

The months of the Gregorian and Julian calendar come from the Roman Calendar, which originally had 10 months and began in the month of the god Mars, March. It is said that it was Numa Pompilio (753-674 BC), the second king of Rome, who added two more months: January and February; dividing the year into twelve lunar months.

January

The month of January takes its name from the Roman god Janus, god of two faces. Two-faced Janus had the ability to see the future as the past, with one face he looks at the past year while with the other he faces the one to come. He was also the god of doors, which is why he is often depicted with a key in his hand. The iconography of biface Janus extends over time and it is easy to find it in Romanesque or later representations as iconography for the month of January.

February

The month of February takes its name from the purification festival of Ancient Rome, known as "Februa", later incorporated into the Lupercal. Due to the popularity of this festival, the god Februus, god of the dead and purification, was born as a "personification" of the ritual.