By R.Swathi
On 1st September, my WhatsApp groups came alive with videos of the iconic theme song from the film Come September, a personal favourite. The month itself holds a certain magic, a peculiar charm that has always fascinated me, and its name is as unique as its spirit.
While most months are dedicated to gods or events, September, October, November, and December simply take their names from numbers—7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th months respectively.
- March: named after Mars, the Roman god of war.
- April: from aperire, Latin for ‘to open’, signifying spring.
- May: after the Greek goddess Maia.
- June: after Juno, the Roman goddess of marriage and childbirth.
- July and August: tributes to Julius Caesar and Emperor Augustus.
The change for September came in around 700 BCE when King Numa Pompilius added January (named after Janus, the god of beginnings and endings) and February (from februa, the purification ritual) to the Roman calendar. The year’s beginning shifted from March to January, pushing September to its current position as the ninth month, an enduring title that is now a historical curiosity.
As a child, I was fascinated by this month, thanks to the rhyme “30 days hath September…” I often wondered why it begins with September—if you know, do write in!
September has always felt like the most vibrant month. For Hindus, it marks a season of back-to-back festivals and rituals. The Annai Vailankanni feast in our own neighbourhood brings a special sense of communal celebration. Yet, amidst all this, it is also a time of half-yearly exams and a barrage of birthday parties. What a terrible contradiction—to have your birthday during exams! And yet, it is the month with the largest number of births, a phenomenon that hospitals in Western countries have dubbed it the ‘September Baby Boom’.
What a happening month indeed! As the song of its arrival ushers in a whirlwind of new beginnings, it reminds us that every ending ushers in a new beginning—a brilliant transition into the hopeful promise of the October Sky.
