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Everyone familiar with weekday and month names appreciates older Roman planetary mythology passed down to our modern era. Western Christianity overlays many Latin meanings and spellings to mix original Jewish lunar calendar notions with solar years.

Week Day and Month Names of the Gregorian Calendar

Week Day Names of the Gregorian Calendar

The seven day week divided the Roman solar calendar subordinate to the seven planetary gods whose movements were believed to regulate the universe. Weekday names are a translated version of the same Latin identifier. Expansion of the Roman Empire into Northern Europe combined Norse and Anglo-Saxon religious astrology. Each of the seven heavenly bodies known: Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn, are represented in the modern Gregorian Calendar week. Earth was thought to be the center of the early solar system. The seven wandering stars helped perpetuate the esteemed seven day week.

Sunday is the Christian Sabbath and the first day of the week. Named after the Sun, Sunday translates from the Latin dies solis, or day of the sun.

Monday is the second day of the week. Named after the Moon, or month, Monday translates from the Latin dies lunae, or day of the moon.

Tuesday is the third day of the week. Tuesday is named for the day of Tiw, or Tiu, which was old Teutonic (Anglo-Saxon) deity. Tiu identifies with the Norse god of war and sky, Tyr, and from the Latin dies Martis. Translated to Mar's day, the Roman planetary god of war is indicated.

Wednesday is the fourth day of the week. The day of Woden is named for the chief Norse god. Old English spells the word as Odin. Translated from the Latin dies Mercuii, or day of Mercury, the name refers to the planetary god of Roman mythology.

Thursday is the fifth day of the week. The day of Thor is named for the Norse god, and is translated from the Latin dies Jovis, or the day of Jove. Jove compares to the Roman planetary god Jupiter, and the Greek god Zues.

Friday is the sixth day of the week. The Norse goddess Frigg, or Frigga, names that day. Frigg was the wife of Wodin, or Odin, and the goddess of marriage. The Latin translation is dies Veneris, or the day of Venus.

Saturday is the Jewish Shabbat, or Sabbath. Beginning just before sunset on Friday, and continuing until the same time on Saturday, the seventh day of the week ends the Jewish week. Saturday is translated from the Latin dies Saturni, or the day of Saturn. In Roman mythology, Saturn was the planetary god of agriculture.

Month Names of the Gregorian Calendar

January is the first month of the Roman Calendar year. January is named after the god Janus in Roman mythology. Janus was a god of portals and beginnings, and had two faces to see opposite directions. All 10 months of the original Roman year used the sexigesimal 36 day length of month. The 10 months were shortened to alternate 31 days with 30 days per month. January was shortened from 36 days to 31 days with the advent of the Julian Calendar.

February is the second month of the Roman Calendar year. Translated from the Latin Februarius Mensis, the month of purification is aptly described. A Roman purificatory festival was celebrated on February 15. The sexigesimal 36 day length of month in the original Roman year of 10 months, adds 36 days during January to place February 15 on the 51st day of the former Roman year. Jewish Calendar influence relates the purification festival to the Feast of First Fruits following the 50 day interval between the day after Passover starting and Shav'ot. Under the original Julian Calendar, February had 29 days assigned with leap day adding the 30th day. Augustus Caesar shortened February to 28 days, or 29 days in leap years.

March is the third month of the Roman Calendar year. Martius mensis is the month named after the planetary god of war, Mars. March has 31 days and once alternated with the initial 30 day leap year length of February.

April is the fourth month of the Roman Calendar year. The month of April begins with the Latin prefix Ap, or ad ; implying to, toward, and as to. Aprilis mensis once returned the alternating sequence to 30 days. The war god Mars equates to the Greek god Ares, or Aries. Aries is the first sign of the zodiac, which begins by general consent at the spring equinox.

May is the fifth month of the Roman Calendar year. Maius mensis was named after the goddess of growth and springtime plants. May complements April, reverting to 31 days.

June is the sixth month of the Roman Calendar year. Junius mensis was named after the Roman Junii , or gens . These names stem from several subdivided families of a house, or clan that share a common ancestor. June alternates with May to provide 30 days.

July is the seventh month of the Roman Calendar year. Julius mensis was inserted by Julius Caesar under the original Julian Calendar. July reciprocates with June to add 31 days in the year.

August is the eighth month of the Roman Calendar year. Augustus mensis inserted by Augustus Caesar under the modified Julian Calendar. August was lengthened from 30 days to 31 days by removing one day from February. The month named after Augustus became the same length as the month named for Julius, or 31 days.

September was the seventh month of the former Roman Calendar year. September was changed to the ninth month of the Julian Calendar year following the additions of July and August. By the Julian Calendar, September has always been assigned 30 days.

October was the eighth month of the former Roman Calendar year. October became the tenth month of the Julian Calendar year following the additions of July and August. October of the Julian Calendar alternates endings with September, and has always been given 31 days.

November was the ninth month of the former Roman Calendar year. November became the eleventh month of Julian Calendar year following the additions of July and August. November has always been assigned 30 days.

December was the tenth month of the former Roman Calendar year. December became the twelfth month of the Julian Calendar year following the additions of July and August. The last day of the year, December 31, has always been an intercalary day, even when the Romans used planetary gods to name the seven days of the week. December provides 31 days that alternate with 30 days in November.

Are you a pastor, educator or a student of the Holy Bible? Timeemits.com seeks anointed people to review and contribute to the Ages_of_Adam ministry. Ancient lunar/solar calendars like the Jewish and Mayan calendars provide the background to understanding early time. Ancient calendars of the Holy Bible use differences between the moon and sun, numerical matching and a 364-day calendar year to describe X-number of days that match with X-number of years. Ages_of_Adam is a free read at timeemits.

Clark Nelson is webmaster for http://www.timeemits.com/Get_More_Time.htm, author of Ages_of_Adam and sequel, Holy_of_Holies. Copyright 2012 Clark Nelson and timeemits.com All Rights Reserved. URL: http://www.timeemits.com/cec/wdmngc.htm