Spring is a beautiful time of year when the chill of winter fades and flowers start to bloom. In ancient Rome, it was also a time for soldiers to go to war. March (Martius in Latin) was named after Mars, the Roman god of war, as this period was generally when the weather became mild enough to go to battle. Originally, March was counted as the first month of the 10-month Roman calendar, and the Roman new year was celebrated on the ides of March (March 15). That changed when the 12-month calendar was created under Numa Pompilius, the second king of Rome (715-673 BCE) when January and February were added.
There’s debate over April’s name origin (it was Aprilis in Latin on the Roman calendar). One theory claims it’s derived from the Latin verb aperire, meaning “to open,” inspired by the idea that spring is when buds begin to open and flowers bloom. Another theory proposes April was named after the Latin apero, meaning “second,” as it was the second month of the year before January and February were added. A third theory posits that “April” came from the word Apru, an Etruscan variant of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty. Alas, as with most ancient etymological mysteries, we’re left wondering which version is true, but it’s also possible all of them influenced the moden word “April.”
Finally, let’s look at May and June to wrap up spring and early summer. May (Maius in Latin) comes from Maia, the Roman goddess of fertility and spring, likely chosen in relation to the natural world blooming in spring. June is named after Juno, the Roman goddess of childbirth. In Latin, this month is called Iuno, which is how it was referred to for centuries. The word “June” wasn’t coined until the 1600s, when the letter “J” was the last letter added to the modern Latin alphabet.
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