August Explained

August is the eighth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days.[1]

In the Southern Hemisphere, August is the seasonal equivalent of February in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Northern Hemisphere, August falls in summer. In the Southern Hemisphere, the month falls during winter. In many European countries, August is the holiday month for most workers. Numerous religious holidays occurred during August in ancient Rome.[2]

Certain meteor showers take place in August. The Kappa Cygnids occur in August, with yearly dates varying. The Alpha Capricornids meteor shower occurs as early as July 10 and ends around August 10. The Southern Delta Aquariids occur from mid-July to mid-August, with the peak usually around July 28–29. The Perseids, a major meteor shower, typically takes place between July 17 and August 24, with the peak days varying yearly. The star cluster of Messier 30 is best observed around August.

Among the aborigines of the Canary Islands, especially among the Guanches of Tenerife, the month of August received the name of Beñesmer or Beñesmen, which was also the harvest festival held that month.[3] [4]

The month was originally named Sextilis in Latin because it was the 6th month in the original ten-month Roman calendar under Romulus in 753 BC, with March being the first month of the year. About 700 BC, it became the eighth month when January and February were added to the year before March by King Numa Pompilius, who also gave it 29 days. Julius Caesar added two days when he created the Julian calendar in, giving it its modern length of 31 days.

In 8 BC, the month was renamed in honor of Emperor Augustus.[5] According to a Senatus consultum quoted by Macrobius, he chose this month because it was the time of several of his great triumphs, including the conquest of Egypt.[6] Commonly repeated lore has it that August has 31 days because Augustus wanted his month to match the length of Julius Caesar's July, but this is an invention of the 13th century scholar Johannes de Sacrobosco. Sextilis had 31 days before it was renamed. It was not chosen for its length.[7] [8]

Symbols

August's birthstones are the peridot, sardonyx, and spinel.[9] Its birth flower is the gladiolus or poppy, meaning beauty, strength of character, love, marriage and family.[10] The Western zodiac signs are Leo (until August 22) and Virgo (from August 23 onward).[11] [12]

Observances

This list does not necessarily imply official status or general observance.

Non-Gregorian: dates

(All Baha'i, Islamic, and Jewish observances begin at sundown before the listed date and end at sundown on the date in question unless otherwise noted.)

Month-long

United States month-long

Food months in the United States

Moveable Gregorian

Second to last Sunday in July and the following two weeks

1st Saturday

1st Sunday

First full week of August

1st Monday

1st Tuesday

1st Friday

2nd Saturday

Sunday on or closest to August 9

2nd Sunday

2nd Monday

2nd Tuesday

3rd Saturday

3rd Sunday

3rd Monday

3rd Friday

Last Thursday

Last Sunday

Last Monday

Fixed Gregorian

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Web site: August month Britannica . 2023-12-16 . www.britannica.com . en.
  2. [Supplicia canum]
  3. Book: Abréu Galindo, Juan de . Juan de Abréu Galindo . Historia de la conquista de las siete islas de Gran Canaria . 1848 . 1632 . Imprenta, Litografía y Librería Isleña . Santa Cruz de Tenerife . October 5, 2017 . December 12, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181212135233/https://mdc.ulpgc.es/cdm/ref/collection/MDC/id/70784 . dead .
  4. Book: Torriani, Leonardo . Leonardo Torriani . Descripción e historia del reino de las Islas Canarias: antes Afortunadas, con el parecer de sus fortificaciones . 1959 . 1590 . Goya Ediciones . Santa Cruz de Tenerife . October 5, 2017 . November 23, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181123065752/https://mdc.ulpgc.es/cdm/ref/collection/MDC/id/44103 . dead .
  5. Web site: Keeping Time: Months and the Modern Calendar . Live Science. May 16, 2014.
  6. Web site: Year of Julius Caesar, A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities (1890), William Smith, LLD, William Wayte, G. E. Marindin, Ed..
  7. Roscoe . Lamont . 1919 . The Roman calendar and its reformation by Julius Caesar . . 27 . 583–595, esp. 585–587 . 1919PA.....27..579P . Sacrobosco's theory is discussed on pages 585–587.
  8. Book: Nothaft, C. Philipp E. . 2018 . Scandalous Error: Calendar Reform and Calendrical Astronomy in Medieval Europe . Oxford University Press . 122 . 9780198799559 . 10.1093/oso/9780198799559.001.0001.
  9. Web site: Why the American Gem Society. American Gem Society.
  10. https://archive.today/20120911093344/http://www.shgresources.com/gems/birthflowers/ Birth months, flowers, and gemstones
  11. The Earth passes the junction of the signs at 15:44 UT/GMT August 22, 2020. It will pass again at 21:34 UT/GMT on August 22, 2021.
  12. Web site: Astrology Calendar . yourzodiacsign. Signs in UT/GMT for 1950–2030.
  13. Web site: American Adventures Month. Canton Public Library. August 2022 .
  14. Web site: Children's Eye Health and Safety Month.
  15. Web site: Online Events.
  16. Web site: August is Get Ready for Kindergarten Month!. Committee for Economic Development of The Conference Board.
  17. Web site: Celebrating Filipino Language and Culture . 2015-07-29 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304041137/https://www.remithome.com/newsletter-august-2012.html . March 4, 2016 . mdy .
  18. Web site: AANS.
  19. Web site: Psoriasis Awareness Month – Take Action, One Day at a Time – National Psoriasis Foundation.
  20. Web site: Cure SMA – Home.
  21. Web site: 12th annual National Black Business Month. National Black Business Month.
  22. Web site: August is Vision & Learning Month – College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD).
  23. Web site: National Immunization Awareness Month – NIAM – CDC.
  24. Web site: August Is Officially Princess Peach Month, According To Nintendo Of America. August 8, 2014 .
  25. Web site: August is National Water Quality Month. GoodSpeaks.
  26. Web site: MHprofessional.com.
  27. Web site: Food Days, Weeks, Months – August . . UNL Food .
  28. Bober, Mike. Celebrate National Goat Cheese Month with Local Favorites, dcfoodies.com
  29. Web site: Why Is National Panini Month In August?. August 20, 2012. Food Republic.
  30. Web site: National Science Week 2020.

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