Months of the Year

A year is divided into 12 months in the Gregorian calendar, the civil calendar used in most countries today. Their names, in order, are January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December. The months do not all have the same length: January, March, May, July, August, October, and December have 31 days; April, June, September, and November have 30; February has 28 days in a common year and 29 in a leap year.

These differences allow the calendar to stay closely aligned with the Earth's movement around the Sun, which takes about 365.24 days. Without adjustments, the calendar would gradually drift away from the seasons. The months help people organize dates, plan activities, and understand where they are in the year.

They are also often associated with seasonal changes, although the seasons do not begin at the same time everywhere. In the Northern Hemisphere, for example, January is generally part of winter, while July is generally part of summer; in the Southern Hemisphere, the seasonal pattern is reversed.

A leap year usually occurs every four years, adding one day to February, but century years are exceptions unless they are divisible by 400. The names of the months have varied historical origins, many inherited from the Roman calendar. Learning their order makes it easier to read dates, follow schedules, and understand longer periods of time.