October is a curious month. It stands in the tenth place on the calendar, yet its name comes from the Latin word octo, which means “eight.” At first glance, this seems like a mistake. How can the tenth month be called “eight”? The answer lies in the history of the Roman calendar and the way human beings have tried to measure time across centuries.
In the earliest Roman calendar, the year did not begin in January. It began in March, the season of planting and new beginnings. March was followed by April, May, and June. Then came Quintilis, the fifth month, Sextilis, the sixth, September, the seventh, October, the eighth, November, the ninth, and December, the tenth. With this system, October’s name made perfect sense because it really was the eighth month of the year. The calendar had only 304 days, leaving the winter period without formal months. For the Romans, who measured life by farming and festivals, this was not unusual.
Over time, however, the gaps in the calendar became a problem. Festivals no longer matched the right seasons, and the year slipped further and further away from the solar cycle of 365 days. By 45 BCE, Julius Caesar introduced a new system known as the Julian calendar. He added January and February at the start of the year, fixed the length of months more carefully, and brought the year closer to the sun’s path. This reform moved October to the tenth position. But the name, already rooted in tradition, was never changed. The same happened with September, November, and December, whose names still mean seven, nine, and ten, even though they now fall in the ninth, eleventh, and twelfth positions.
For the Romans, October was not only a number but also a season of meaning. It was the month of harvests, when crops were gathered before winter, and a time of preparation for war. A strange festival known as Equus October, or October Horse, was held in the middle of the month. It featured a chariot race in honour of Mars, the god of war, and the strongest horse from the winning team was sacrificed as a sign of strength and protection. This may sound unusual today, but for Romans, October symbolised both the joy of abundance and the seriousness of survival.
The Julian calendar lasted for more than 1,600 years, but like the earlier system, it eventually slipped out of line with the solar year. In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII introduced the Gregorian calendar, which corrected the leap year cycle and is the calendar we use today. Once again, the names of the months remained the same. That is why, even now, October continues to be the “tenth month” in position but the “eighth month” in name.
Today, October carries different meanings across the world. In the northern hemisphere, it is the heart of autumn, a season of falling leaves, cooling weather, and shorter days. In the southern hemisphere, October brings spring, with blooming flowers, bright skies, and warmer afternoons. The same word marks two completely opposite moods, depending on where you live.