What’s in a name: September edition

Have you ever wondered how the month of September got its name?

What about the reason why the month has 30 days?

As we are entering the last day of August, that means tomorrow is the first day of September. And more than that, we’re going to dive into the history of September, the ninth month on the calendar.

As I mentioned in the history of August blog post, we have been using a variation of the Julian calendar for quite some time. But over the years, we have also seen quite some changes to the calendar we all know today, but did you know that September’s meaning honestly does not make sense anymore?

I’ll break that down and more by answering some of the most intriguing questions about September.

Why is it called September?

The name September unsurprisingly derives from the Latin language, as it comes from the Latin word “septum.” What is interesting about this is the fact that “septum” means seven, but September is actually the ninth month on the calendar.

You may be wondering why September is not the seventh month on the calendar.

Well, it used to be. That was until January and February came along and messed with the order of the months. Since they were added to the beginning of the calendar, it pushed all the other months back twice in number.

The calendar people must have liked the name September though, as they kept it the way it was even though the broken down meaning makes no sense anymore. But, unless you are reading this article then you might not have ever known this fact, and that’s all that mattered to them.

Has September always been September?

As mentioned before, the ninth month on the Gregorian calendar did not used to be September. It was actually November, which is now the 11th month.

Throughout history, September has always had the same name despite not representing the same month per se in the calendar as time has progressed.

What are the zodiac signs in September?

From the first to the 22nd, September is represented by the Virgo zodiac sign. Virgos are said to be “logical, practical and systematic.” Virgos are very gentle and very selfless, but they are also very intelligent and use reasoning in a lot of what they do.

If you were born between September 23rd and the 30th, however, you are considered a Libra, and Libras are said to “adore high art, intellectualism and connoisseurship.” They are all about balance and equilibrium, and many Libras wind up finding partnership in one another rather than another zodiac representative.

Intellect seems to be the name of the game for the two zodiac signs represented by September, and they are all about following the system.

What can I expect from the September night skies?

On September 10 this year, the Harvest Moon will be on display, which is a full, bright moon. It is the closest full moon to the start of autumn, and it got its name from the prominence it played during crop season for farmers, as they used to rely on the moon to get some of the best crops.

Saturn, Venus and Mars all make appearances during the month of September, so be on the lookout for those three planets as well.

What other things represent September?

September’s birth flower is the Forget Me Not, which I feel like is the perfect representation of the month. September seems to be one of the most, if not the most, forgotten months of them all, as it is associated with being the dreaded first full month of the school year.

The sapphire is the second-hardest mineral and can range anywhere on the blue spectrum, and it is also September’s birthstone. It symbolizes “purity and wisdom,” which makes sense as to why it represents September.

What else is there to know about September?

September is the month we celebrate Labor Day and it is also the day we remember one of the biggest tragedies in American history – 9/11.

Outside of those two days, September is a big back-to-school month in history, as fall sports and extracurricular activities kick off.

On top of this, September represents the start of both the NFL and college football seasons, which is something we should not take for granted.

September is also, for reasons completely unknown to and considered ridiculous by our CEO Ross Tucker, the most popular month to get married. A whopping 16 percent of weddings occur in September, which is absolutely crazy, but good for us as it is the perfect time to get a story from our site!

Finally, September has 30 days simply because of Julius Caesar and the way the month lined up in the calendar.

With all this new knowledge on the ninth month on the calendar, you can now ace every online quiz that asks you anything about September.

All that said, enjoy the final day of August and have a happy and safe September!