Januarywas named after the goal Janus. Janus was a strange god with two faces thatcould look in two directions. He could look forward and back at the same time, sohe was the god of beginnings and endings.
January, the first month of the year,is a time at which one looks forward to the New Year and back to the old year.
The nameFebruary comes from a Roman celebration called Februarius and Februa is a kindof whip used on that occasion to 'punish' those females who are supposed to beinfertile. Toward the end of February, after the long winter months,
peoplebegin to think of spring cleaning. This probably was the origin of the name ofthe month.
The thirdmonth, March, was named after the Roman god of war, Mars. Mars was a stronggod, and the Roman people always connected him with thunder and lightning. Picturesof Mars always show him with lightning above his head.
The exactorigin of the word April is not known. The word probably comes from the Latinword aperire, meaning "to open". In the month of April, the skiesopen and give us rain. The rain aids in the opening of life among trees, grass,and flowers.
5、May——五月
罗马神话中的女神玛雅Maia,专门司管春天和生命。罗马人用她的名字命名5月。
May wasnamed after the young and beautiful goddess of the fields, Maia. Maia was themother of the god Mercury.
Theseventh month of the year, July, was named after Julius Caesar. Caesar was afamous general who became dictator of Rome. He himself was born in July, theseventh month of the new calendar.
AfterJulius Caesar, his grandnephew Augustus became the ruler of Rome. Augustus'real name was Octavian, but when he became emperor, the people wished to pleasehim. They gave him the title of Augustus, meaning "noble", and theynamed the eighth month, August, after him.
Themonths of September, October, November, and December need little explanation Inour calendar today, they are the ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth months.
Butin the old calendar before Julius Caesar, they were the seventh, eighth, ninth,and tenth months. Their names therefore came from the Latin words for seventh, eighth,ninth, and tenth.