August

Note: as an adjective (stressed on the second syllable instead of the first), august means honorable.

August is the eighth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days.

August begins (astrologically) with the sun in the sign of Leo and ends in the sign of Virgo. Astronomically speaking, the sun begins in the constellation of Cancer and ends in the constellation of Leo.

August was named in honor of Augustus Caesar. The month reputedly has 31 days because Augustus wanted as many days as Julius Caesar's July. Augustus placed the month where it is because that's when Cleopatra died. Before Augustus renamed August, it was called Sextilis in Latin, since it was the sixth month in the Roman calendar which started in March.

In the pagan wheel of the year August begins at or near Lughnasadh in the northern hemisphere and Imbolc in the southern hemisphere.

In Ireland, (in the Irish language) August is known as Lúnasa, a modern rendition of Lughnasadh, named after the god Lugh and August 1, (Lá Lúnasa) in the Irish Calendar is still regarded as the first day of Autumn. The first Monday in August is one of the public holidays in the Republic of Ireland.

In the old Japanese calendar, the month is called hatsuki (葉月).

In Finnish, the month is called elokuu, meaning "month of reaping".

Trivia

• August begins on the same day of the week as February in a leap year.

• August's flower is the poppy.
• August's birthstone is the peridot.

See also

• Historical anniversaries