How many months are there in the Gregorian and Julian calendars?

The Gregorian calendar, like the Julian calendar before it, has twelve months: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December. The mean month length of the Gregorian calendar is 30.436875 days.

The knuckles of the four fingers of one's hand and the spaces between them can be used to remember the lengths of the months. By making a fist, each month will be listed as one proceeds across the hand. All months landing on a knuckle are 31 days long and those landing between them are not.

When the knuckle of the index finger is reached (July), go back to the first knuckle (or over to the first knuckle on the other fist, held next to the first) and continue with August. This physical mnemonic has been taught to primary school students for many decades.

More Info: en.wikipedia.org

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18 Comments

Maria Whitton

30 days hath September, April, June and November All the rest have 31 Excepting February alone, which has 28 days clear, And 29 in each leap year.

Marie Robson

January was named after Janus, a two headed god with one face looking back and the other looking forward. March for Mars, June,supposedly for Juno, July -Julius Caesar. August for Augustus, September was the 7th month, October the 8th, November 9th and December was the 10th month. This bears out that were originally ten months in the year.,

John W Shreve

Bad Nora, I had a business math teacher who taught us that.

Bad Nora

I like the knuckle thing!

Grant McIntosh

Maudeen Merrill, I've got a tomb ???? Nobody told me !

Irish Kiwi

Admit it. Who said 14 ?

Jaimi McEntire

Julie Allen, The original roman calendar had 10 months, and "Winter" which was not a month. January and February were added at the beginning, made from the non-month "winter". This is why October is the 10th month, when it quite literally means "The 8th month".

Doris Dallaire

I always learned the knuckle thing, that was the French Canadian way rather than the English poem thing Diane Herbert Wall,

Sue Hardie

I agree that threw me, Rashi Rosenzweig,

Julie Allen

Jaimi McEntire, Caesar, advised by the Alexandrian astronomer Sosigenes, introduced the Egyptian solar calendar, taking the length of the solar year as 365 1/4 days. The year was divided into 12 months, all of which had either 30 or 31 days except February, which contained 28 days in common (365 day) years and 29 in every fourth year (a leap year, of 366 days). - Britannica

Julie Allen

Rashi Rosenzweig, The Gregorian calendar has the same months and month lengths as the Julian calendar,

Mic Fenst

Jaimi McEntire, I learned it that the Julian calendar added July and August for Julius and Augustus, thereby messing up the numerical sept, oct, nov and dec order.