October is one freaky month, even without Halloween. We all know October as the tenth
month of the year, but why? Sure it goes after the ninth month, but something doesn't add up. The prefix oct means eight, so why isn’t October the eighth month?
Despite searching our entire building for an insight into the fascinating history of this month, the most informative answer I received was from acclaimed math guru K! When asked if he was familiar with the history of October, he responded. “ Yes, it’s when John Lennon and I were born.” Coincidentally, the month is also his favorite, though not for the usual spooky reasons. In addition to his yearly birthday celebration, K claimed, “I like the change of season, the cool football weather, and the autumn leaves.” Unfortunately K’s mathematical expertise did not extend into calendar knowledge, so I was forced to turn to the internet.
According to the encyclopedia Britannica, October is the tenth month of the Gregorian calendar, the calendar used by most of the world including us. This calendar has been in use since 1582, a whopping 442 years! But October itself was merely brought into this calendar from the Roman calendar, a 10 month calendar used (shockingly) by the Romans. This strange calendar was only 304 days long, with the 10 months having either 30 or 31 days. Interestingly, the first four months of this calendar, (March, April, May, and June) were named after gods, those being Mars, Apru, Maia, and Juno respectively. The following six, (July, August, September, October, November, and December) were named after the chronological order they fell in, being the 5th-10th months. A bit of trivia you might have been dying to know, is that July and August were originally named Quintilis and Sextilis, to fit with the numerical naming scheme.
Our current calendar seems pretty efficient, but what are the people's opinions? Well, nearly everyone felt the same when asked this exhilarating question, I quote student Keirnan Adams as saying, “Probably, yeah. It’s as close to efficient as it should be.” But one brave soul dared to go against the grain, Proclaiming a bold new idea for the world to hear. That man is Thomas Klingerman, who confidently stated, “ I think I saw online that a thirteenth month could make things better.” If ever there were words to inspire confidence! And Tommy was entirely correct! What the video he found on the internet was referencing was the proposed concept of the International Fixed Calendar. According to highly credible sources (Wikipedia) this plan was first presented in 1902, and would divide the year into 13 months, each with 23 days. This calendar would certainly be more organized, with each month being exactly four weeks, with each week beginning on Sunday and ending on Saturday. While this sounds perfect, it’s not without its issues. Because there would only be 364 days in this proposed calendar, an extra day would need to be added on, or two in the case of a leap year. This day or days would not be assigned a weekday, but would instead make up a long weekend at the end of the year. As interesting as this proposed new calendar is, it is likely to remain merely a proposition for a long, long time. Because of this, we might as well try our best and appreciate what our current calendar has to offer.
The month of October is so much more than the month of Halloween. It’s even more than a historically interesting month. October Is a wonderfully crisp time of year, where outdoor activities can be enjoyed without boiling alive, where the scenery is as beautiful as ever. Everyone has things they love about October, from Ella Derr’s love of walking on the crunchy leaves, to Mr. Latsha’s preference for the seasonal apple cider. But perhaps the most appreciative of the fall atmosphere is once again K. When asked his favorite fall activity, K responded, “I enjoy fly fishing in the crisp morning. It makes me feel like I’m genuinely enjoying the outdoors and living life to Its fullest.” And we should all strive to live life to its fullest, no matter what calendar we use, or what month October is. We should strive for enjoyment and appreciation for all this wonderful season has to offer, and with that, I wish you a happy Halloween.
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