Did you know that the word novem in November means nine in Latin? Putting two and two together will tell you that at a point in time, November was the ninth month of the calendar. So, what changed? How did it become the eleventh month?
If you have been following our articles on the months of the year, then this will be pretty easy for you to answer; but if not, you are not too late, the ship hasn’t left the harbour yet. Let’s go on a journey!
On the Hunt For November
November was the ninth month of the ancient Roman calendar, and was named at a time when the calendar year began with March. It became the eleventh month of the year when King Numa Pompilius reformed the calendar around 713 BC, adding January and February to the Roman calendar.
This change caused months which were named with numbers – Septem (7th), Octo (8th), Novem (9th), and Decem (10th) – to be bumped forward by two months than their numbers indicate. It should be noted also that at that time, the Roman calendar was only 10 months long with a total of 304 days.
November thus became the eleventh month of the year in the Julian calendar (established by Julius Caesar in 45 BC), and in the Gregorian calendar (established by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582) which we use till date.
Quick Facts
- November’s birth flower is the chrysanthemum, while the birthstone for November is topaz and citrine.
- The Tuesday following the first Monday in November is Election Day in the United States.
- The fourth Thursday in November is Thanksgiving Day in the United States, while the Friday following this Thursday is Black Friday in the United States and around the world.
