Why Call It Ten When It Looks Like a Twelve?
Because ancient Romans couldn’t math. That’s the short answer. Ready to unpack this delightful mess of history, mythology, and pure chaos where Romans had an idyllic and absurd romance with time itself? Do you know why December is called December—and what it’s called in Spanish? Buckle up while getting ready to uncover the truth how December got its name.
¨Diciembre: 10 es 12¨: ¡Su Telenovela Favorita!
Stick with us and you’ll learn everything about December. Let’s uncover why it’s called December (meaning ten) when in reality was the twelfth month. Spoiler: It involves emperors, calendar reforms, and the Roman habit of ignoring winter entirely.
Romans Loved Romance!
Romans loved their traditions—even when they made no sense. Roman just loved drama and drama loved them back! That’s why we now call them romance languages—toxic, maybe, but romance after all.
December became a strange survivor of Roman calendar reforms, enduring tweaks from both emperors and popes. Toss in some festive chaos, and voilà—December as we know it!
The Misnomer of the Millennium
December, as you know, comes from the Latin decem, meaning “ten.” Makes sense, except that it’s the twelfth month. So what happened?
The Romans, operating on a ten-month calendar, used to live their lives blissfully unaware that the Earth inconveniently insists on taking a little over 365 days to orbit the sun.
Roman Simplicity at its Best!
Way back when Rome was just a scrappy little city-state (circa 753 BCE), their calendar had ten months. It started with Martius (March) and ended with December (ten). Why ten? Because the Romans apparently decided winter wasn’t worth counting—and it was too boring anyway. They just sat around, waiting for spring to reboot the year.
The Original Romulus Calendar:
A Ten-Month Masterpiece: This early Roman calendar is often referred to as the “Romulan calendar”. It consisted of ten months, totaling 304 days. The other months in the Romulan calendar were:
| Month | Day | Month | Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Martius | 31 days | Sextilis | 30 days |
| Aprilis | 30 days | September | 30 days |
| Maius | 31 days | October | 31 days |
| Junius | 30 days | November | 30 days |
| Quintilis | 31 days | December | 30 days |
Notice anything missing? Yep, January and February weren’t even a thing yet! After December, Romans entered an unstructured void of winter days, waiting for March to reset the cycle.
But this wasn’t sustainable—especially for scheduling things like taxes or wars.
Numa Pompilius: The Calendar Overthinker
By 713 BCE, King Numa Pompilius noticed that ignoring two whole months was bad math. So, he added Ianuarius (January) and Februarius (February) to fill the winter void. Great! Except now December was the twelfth month, but nobody bothered to rename it.
Why? The Romans were many things—engineers, warriors, philosophers—but rebranding experts they were not. Latin grammar was hard enough, and Romans were too busy conquering stuff. Now you finally uncover the truth about how December got its name.
Numa’s Disclaimer
Fun fact: Even after Numa’s reform, the calendar was still messy. It was 355 days long, so every few years, the Romans threw in an extra month called Mercedonius to catch up. Imagine your year suddenly growing a bonus February. Chaos!
Julius Caesar Fixes (Most of) the Problem
Fast-forward to 46 BCE. Julius Caesar, tired of the calendar being wildly out of sync with the seasons, introduced the Julian calendar. With the help of astronomers, he:
- Standardized the year to 365 days with a leap year every four years.
- Locked December into its permanent spot as the twelfth month.
However, he left the name “December” alone because changing it would’ve been a branding nightmare. Also, Caesar was probably more focused on his political and military reforms than on renaming months. (Let’s cut him some slack; the man had a lot on his plate.)
The Gregorian Calendar: Tweaking Perfection
By the 16th century, the Julian calendar was drifting off course again. Pope Gregory XIII swooped in with the Gregorian calendar in 1582, fine-tuning leap years and aligning the calendar with the solar year. December remained the twelfth month, still rocking its ancient misnomer. Why change a name that had already been confusing people for over a millennium?
What Did the Romans Do in December?
Party Like It’s Saturnalia: Now, let’s talk festivities. December wasn’t just about huddling around fires and wondering if winter would ever end. It was the season of Saturnalia, the OG holiday season, held in honor of Saturn, the god of agriculture. Think of it as Christmas meets Mardi Gras, with a dash of “upside-down day.”
- When? Originally a one-day event on December 17, it eventually expanded into a weeklong extravaganza because Romans were the masters of “Why stop when it’s fun?”
- What happened?
- Social roles flipped: Slaves became masters for a day (though, let’s be real, probably still cooked the feast).
- Gambling was encouraged.
- Gifts were exchanged—cheap trinkets, candles, and gag gifts. (Yes, gag gifts. Romans were that ahead of the curve.) Doesn’t remind you of present times?
- People wore goofy hats and colorful clothing, abandoning their usual “serious Roman” vibes.
Saturnalia was so rowdy that the Christian church later tried to tone it down by rebranding it as Christmas. Nice try, but the chaotic spirit lives on in-office holiday parties and ugly sweater contests.
December Around the World
While the Romans were throwing Saturnalia ragers, other cultures also had their reasons to celebrate December.
- Yule (Northern Europe): The Norse celebrated Yule, a festival of fire, feasting, and family to welcome the winter solstice. Picture this: a giant Yule log burning for 12 days straight, feasts of roasted meat, and a lot of ale. Fun fact: Yule traditions inspired Christmas customs like the Yule log dessert. (Because what’s better than turning a massive piece of burning wood into cake?)
- Dongzhi (China): Ancient Chinese marked the winter solstice with Dongzhi, a festival celebrating balance and harmony. Families reunited to eat dumplings (bless them) and warm up as they awaited longer days.
- Zoroastrian Midwinter Festivals: Ancient Persians celebrated a festival called Yalda, which marked the longest night of the year. They believed light would triumph over darkness, so they stayed up all night eating pomegranates and nuts. No “Netflix and chill,” but close enough.
- Christian Christmas (December 25): As Christianity spread, December 25 became the date for celebrating Christ’s birth. Fun fact: This date was chosen to co-opt existing pagan solstice festivals like Saturnalia. Why compete when you can join in and add a nativity scene?
December’s Iconic Moments in History
Let’s not forget the historical heavy hitters of December:
- December 25, 800 CE: Charlemagne was crowned Holy Roman Emperor. Imagine being handed an empire as a Christmas gift. No socks or ties for this guy.
- December 7, 1941: The attack on Pearl Harbor. A reminder that December isn’t all tinsel and joy.
- December 31, 1999: The world collectively panicked about Y2K. (Spoiler: Nothing happened.)
Why December Topds the Calendar!
Although it faces a numerical identity crisis, December has become a cultural heavyweight. It’s the month of hope (new year ahead!), reflection (how did that happen this year?), and relentless holiday cheer.
Whether you’re lighting candles, decking halls, or hiding from relatives, December has something for everyone.
And that’s why it’s called December: a weird, wonderful, misnamed month full of history, celebrations, and proof that humans have been improvising since forever.
December’s Legacy in Language and Culture
Despite all the changes in calendars and civilizations, December’s name has survived through millennia. It’s a time capsule of Roman life, carrying echoes of their numerical system and festivals. From ancient bonfires to modern fairy lights, December reminds us that humanity has always loved a good end-of-year party.
Explore the Richness of December in Spanish
As we look back at history, it’s clear that our understanding of time, festivals, and traditions is deeply tied to language.
If you’re curious about how December and other cultural holidays are celebrated in the Spanish-speaking world, Kasa de Franko offers a range of classes that bring language learning to life.
Go Beyond December!
Our classes explore the cultural richness behind the calendar months, from the Roman influence to the modern-day celebrations, all while immersing you in Spanish.
If you are curious about the names of other months and the history behind the Roman calendar, check out our sections Leap Year and Days & Months on Kasa de Franko Blog.
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At Kasa de Franko, learning Spanish is not just about grammar and vocabulary—it’s about embracing the stories, the traditions, and the culture that make language learning an adventure.
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If you’re ready to learn Spanish in a fun, immersive, and authentic way, join us at Kasa de Franko—where every month of the year is an opportunity to discover something new, and Spanish is just the beginning. Into spicy Spanish? Check out when Mike Cocke gets to uncover the truth about how December got its name
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