Quizzical Months

[Hippy]

Continuing the 'First day of the Month' thread below...

[Hippy]

I could not add to that thread so..

Quizmonster, I merely cited my sources. I think I agree with you about the length of time that the tradition seems to have been around. I reported that the sources suggested that the superstition dated back much further. That was all.

The calculation of years is a larger subject, but our present system with January being the first month was decided by Roman edict in 46BC. This would have been imposed on occupied Britain. I think the equivalence of April 1st being the start of the ancient year is used due to its proximity to the vernal equinox.

September (seventh), October (eighth), and November (ninth) were shifted due to the later insertion of July (Julius Caesar) in 44BC and August (Augustus Caesar) in 8BC wanting months named after them. The earlier convention of 30 and 31 day months alternating was upset by Augustus whose vanity would not allow his month to have fewer days than Julius Caesar's. A day was taken from February and inserted into August and a day each taken from September and November and given to October and December to avoid three 31 day month occurring consecutively.

[Quizmonster]

Hippy, It was your sources rather than you, personally, that I was taking issue with. Based on the dates you've now given, Roman children in Colchester would presumably have been using the incantation: "Cuniculi albi!" whilst children of Boudicca's tribe, just outside town, would have called out whatever that translated to in the Iceni's lingo...and so on across the country!

Universal education in Britain did not start until the late 19th century, so 'schoolchildren' - and hence their lore - were virtually non-existent prior to that time. Yes, there were a few public and 'dame' schools but the vast generality of kids had no real opportunity to develop and spread such incantations. Let's just happily agree on 'late 19th century' as the most probable date for the origin of saying: 'White rabbits' for luck on the 1st of each month. Cheers