August
August is the eighth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendar.
The Months of the Year
Naming August - Augustus Caesar’s Month
August is the eighth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and has a length of 31 days. The month of August was originally named Sextilis in Latin since it was the sixth month in the ancient Roman calendar. The name of the month was changed to August in honor of Augustus Caesar in 8 BCE.
- Latin name - Augustus mensis - Month of Augustus
- Latin - sextilis mensis - Sixth month
- Anglo-Saxons - Weod Monath - Weed month
History of August
August was originally Sextilis, the sixth month in the Roman calendar and consisted of 31 days. It became the eighth month with a length of 29 days around 700 BCE when January and February were added to the year. Julius Caesar added two days to the month around 45 BCE. It was later renamed to honor Augustus Caesar in 8 BCE.
Position in the Year
August is the eighth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendar and is 31 days long. It is considered the busiest time for tourism because it falls in the main school summer holiday period. It is the seasonal equivalent of February in the Northern hemisphere.
August does not start on the same day of the week as any other month in the year in common years, but ends on the same day of the week as November every year. During leap years, August starts on the same day as February and still ends on same day as November.
Symbols
Its birth flower is the gladiolus or poppy which represents beauty, strength, love, marriage and family.
The birthstone for August is the peridot or onyx.
Other calendars
More information
Calendar tools
- Calendar for 2013
- Calendar Generator – Create a calendar for any year
- Repeating Calendars – Which years share the same calendar?
- Weekday Calculator – What Day is this Date? – Find the weekday for any date.