CEBU, Philippines – October was originally the eighth month of the Roman calendar. It comes from the Latin word “octo” meaning eight. Later, it became the 10th month when January and February were added to the Calendar. The Saxons called the month Wintirfyllith because it had the first full moon of the winter season.
Symbols of October
Birthstone: Opal and pink tourmaline
Flower: Calendula
Zodiac signs: Libra and Scorpio
October in Other Languages
Chinese (Mandarin) - shíyuè
Danish - oktober
French - octobre
Italian - ottobre
Latin - October
Spanish - octubre
Filipino - Oktubre
Historical Names
Roman - October
Saxon - Wintirfyllith
Germanic - Wein-mond (Wine month)
Fun Facts about October
• It is the second Autumn month.
• In the Northern Hemisphere, it is similar to April in the Southern Hemisphere.
• The leaves of trees often begin to change their colors during this month.
• The NBA (National Basketball League) and the NHL (National Hockey League) both begin their seasons in October.
• There are many health observances that have October as their national month. These include Healthy Lungs, Breast Cancer, Lupus, Spina Bifida, Blindness, and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
• The United Kingdom celebrates the 21st as Apple Day.
In the Philippines
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
National Book Fair Month
October 5 – World Teacher’s Day
October 19 – Masskara Festival, Bacolod City, Negros Occidental
October 24 – The United Nations Day
October 31 – Halloween
Sources: ducksters.com, teach-nology.com