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The Irish calendar is the
Gregorian calendar The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It was introduced in October 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian calendar. The principal change was to space leap years d ...
as it is in use in
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...
, but also incorporating Irish cultural festivals and views of the division of the seasons, presumably inherited from earlier Celtic calendar traditions. For example, the pre-Christian Celtic year began on 1 November, although in common with the rest of the Western world, the year now begins on 1 January. *Winter (" Geimhreadh") - November, December, January ('' Samhain, Nollaig, Eanáir'') *Spring (" Earrach") - February, March, April ( Imbolc, then ''Feabhra, Márta, Aibreán'') *Summer (" Samhradh") - May, June, July ('' Bealtaine, Meitheamh, Iúil'') *Autumn (" Fómhar" ''Harvest'') - August, September, October (''
Lúnasa Lughnasadh or Lughnasa ( , ) is a Gaelic festival marking the beginning of the harvest season. Historically, it was widely observed throughout Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. In Modern Irish it is called , in gd, Lùnastal, and in gv, ...
, Meán Fómhair, Deireadh Fómhair'') In English-language Julian calendars and its derivatives, the months are based on names from
Classical mythology Classical mythology, Greco-Roman mythology, or Greek and Roman mythology is both the body of and the study of myths from the ancient Greeks and ancient Romans as they are used or transformed by cultural reception. Along with philosophy and poli ...
, such as the name "February" which derives from the Roman purification rite, Februa. In the Irish calendar, the names of the months in the
Irish language Irish (Standard Irish: ), also known as Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Insular Celtic branch of the Celtic language family, which is a part of the Indo-European language family. Irish is indigenous to the island of Ireland and was ...
refer to Celtic religion and mythology, and generally predate the arrival of Christianity. The words for May ('' Bealtaine''), August (''
Lúnasa Lughnasadh or Lughnasa ( , ) is a Gaelic festival marking the beginning of the harvest season. Historically, it was widely observed throughout Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. In Modern Irish it is called , in gd, Lùnastal, and in gv, ...
'') and November ('' Samhain''), are the names of Gaelic
religious festivals A religious festival is a time of special importance marked by adherents to that religion. Religious festivals are commonly celebrated on recurring cycles in a calendar year or lunar calendar. The science of religious rites and festivals is know ...
. In addition, the names for September (''Meán Fómhair'') and October (''Deireadh Fómhair'') translate directly as "middle of harvest" and "end of harvest". Christianity has also left its mark on the Irish months: the name for December (''Nollaig'') derives from Latin ''natalicia'' (birthday), referring to the birth of Christ.Wiktionary.com Historical texts suggest that, during Ireland's Gaelic era, the day began and ended at
sunset Sunset, also known as sundown, is the daily disappearance of the Sun below the horizon due to Earth's rotation. As viewed from everywhere on Earth (except the North and South poles), the equinox Sun sets due west at the moment of both the spr ...
.Koch, John T. ''Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia''. ABC-CLIO (2006). Page 330. Through contact with the Romans, the seven-day
week A week is a unit of time equal to seven days. It is the standard time period used for short cycles of days in most parts of the world. The days are often used to indicate common work days and rest days, as well as days of worship. Weeks are of ...
was borrowed by continental
Celts The Celts (, see pronunciation for different usages) or Celtic peoples () are. "CELTS location: Greater Europe time period: Second millennium B.C.E. to present ancestry: Celtic a collection of Indo-European peoples. "The Celts, an ancient ...
, and then spread to the people of Ireland. In Irish, four days of the week have names derived from
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...
, while the other three relate to the
fasting Fasting is the abstention from eating and sometimes drinking. From a purely physiological context, "fasting" may refer to the metabolic status of a person who has not eaten overnight (see " Breakfast"), or to the metabolic state achieved after ...
done by early Gaelic Christians.Koch, John T. ''Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia''. ABC-CLIO (2006). Page 331. * ''Dé Luain'' - from Latin ''dies Lunae'' * ''Dé Máirt'' - from Latin ''dies Martis'' * ''Dé Céadaoin'' - referring to Gaelic fasting: from ''céad'' (first) ''aoin'' (fast) i.e. the first fast of the week * ''Déardaoin'' - the day between the fasts * ''Dé hAoine'' - the day of the fast * ''Dé Sathairn'' - from Latin ''dies Saturni'' * ''Dé Domhnaigh'' - from Latin ''dies Dominicus'' (an alternative Latin name for Sunday, ''dies Solis'' being more common)


See also

*
Calendar of saints The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context do ...
* Celtic calendar * Coligny calendar *
Gregorian calendar The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It was introduced in October 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian calendar. The principal change was to space leap years d ...
*
Liturgical year The liturgical year, also called the church year, Christian year or kalendar, consists of the cycle of liturgical seasons in Christian churches that determines when feast days, including celebrations of saints, are to be observed, and wh ...
*
The Old Cows Days/The Days of the Brindled Cow In the Irish Calendar The Old Cows Days/The Days of the Brindled Cow are the last days of March and the first three days of April; in . The term comes from a folk tale, illustrating the unpredictability of the weather at this time of year in ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gaelic Calendar Specific calendars
Calendar A calendar is a system of organizing days. This is done by giving names to periods of time, typically days, weeks, months and years. A date is the designation of a single and specific day within such a system. A calendar is also a phy ...
Calendar A calendar is a system of organizing days. This is done by giving names to periods of time, typically days, weeks, months and years. A date is the designation of a single and specific day within such a system. A calendar is also a phy ...
Calendar A calendar is a system of organizing days. This is done by giving names to periods of time, typically days, weeks, months and years. A date is the designation of a single and specific day within such a system. A calendar is also a phy ...
Calendar A calendar is a system of organizing days. This is done by giving names to periods of time, typically days, weeks, months and years. A date is the designation of a single and specific day within such a system. A calendar is also a phy ...
Manx culture
Calendar A calendar is a system of organizing days. This is done by giving names to periods of time, typically days, weeks, months and years. A date is the designation of a single and specific day within such a system. A calendar is also a phy ...