December is the twelfth and final month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and is also the last of seven months to have a length of 31 days. "December" comes from the Latin word decem meaning "ten".It was originally the 10th month of the Roman calendar (until 153 BC)
History Of December
December, from the Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry
December got its name from the Latin word decem (meaning ten) because it was originally the tenth month of the year in the calendar of Romulus c.?750 BC which began in March. The winter days following December were not included as part of any month. Later, the months of January and February were created out of the monthless period and added to the beginning of the calendar, but December retained its name.[1]
In Ancient Rome, as one of the four Agonalia, this day in honor of Sol Indiges was held on December 11, as was Septimontium. Dies natalis (birthday) was held at the temple of noTellus on December 13, Consualia was held on December 15, Saturnalia was held December 17–23, Opiconsivia was held on December 19, Divalia was held on December 21, Larentalia was held on December 23, and the dies natalis of Sol Invictus was held on December 25. These dates do not correspond to the modern Gregorian calendar.
The Anglo-Saxons referred to December–January as ??olamonaþ (modern English: "Yule month"). The French Republican Calendar contained December within the months of Frimaire and Nivôse.
The month of December brings many holidays, feasts, and happenings! Learn all about the 12th month on the calendar, a short history, and what the month is known for! From St. Nicholas Day to the Geminid Meteor Shower to Christmas, it’s a busy month of the year.
The Month of December
December is the 12th month (and last month) in our modern-day Gregorian calendar (as it was in the preceding Julian calendar).
However, it was originally the 10th month of the Roman calendar (until 153 BC). Hence, “December” comes from the Latin word decem, meaning “ten.”
Back in Roman times, the calendar only had ten months and began with March! The winter period was not even assigned months because it was not an active time for military, agriculture, or civil life.
The month of December originally consisted of 30 days. When January and February were added to the calendar (around 700 BCE), December was shortened to 29 days. Then, in the subsequent Julian calendar, two days were added to December, making it 31 days long.
The month of December brings the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. This is the shortest day of the year (the day with the least amount of daylight).
In 2022, the solstice occurs on Wednesday, December 21. See our Winter Solstice page to learn more about the first day of winter.
December’s full Moon, the full Cold Moon, appears on Wednesday, December 7, reaching peak illumination at 11:09 P.M. EST.
Look skyward on the night of December 13 after 9 P.M. for a chance to catch a glimpse of the Geminid meteors. The Geminid meteor shower is the most active shower of the year.
This year, the peak of the meteor shower meets a waning gibbous Moon, meaning that the sky will still be affected somewhat by the light of the Moon. If the sky is clear and temperatures aren’t too chilly, it’s still worth venturing outside to try to see the Geminids.
It's hard to believe 2022 is coming to a close, yet here we are. December has a few astronomical treats, including one of the best meteor showers of the year, a chance to see Mars closer than in the last two years and the start of astronomical winter.
There are plenty of astronomy events in the final month of 2022. Here's a look at a few that might make you want to step outside and look up.
The Cold Moon is the last full moon of the year.
December's full moon, known as the "cold moon," happens Dec. 7. With daylight saving time gone, you'll have a little bit more time to gaze at it. The moon will be at its fullest just after 11 p.m. EST.
At the same time we have a full moon on Earth, NASA's Orion spacecraft will be returning from its test flight around the moon. The spacecraft, slated to return humans to the moon in 2025, has been sending back views of the lunar surface and of Earth throughout its nearly 26-day mission.
Mars at its biggest and brightest
In December, Mars makes a comeback of sorts when it will be at its closest point to Earth in 2 years.
On Dec. 8, Mars will be in opposition to Earth. During opposition, Mars and the sun are on opposite sides of Earth, putting the two planets the closest together in their orbits. However, closeness is all relative when talking about the vastness of space. Mars will still be 38.6 million miles away at its closest approach.
This will be the best view of the red planet in two years since Mars opposition last occurred in October 2020.
If your birthday falls on Dec. 21, the date of the winter solstice, you have a little less time to celebrate because it's the shortest amount of daylight of the year.
Ushering in the official start of astronomical winter, the sun will set at 4:48 p.m. EST, beginning the longest night of the year.
This astronomical event requires no action unless you want to enjoy an early sunset view or participate in some solstice celebrations.
The Geminid meteor shower is underway until Dec. 24. According to NASA, the Geminids are considered one of the best and brightest meteor showers of the year.
The name of the meteor shower comes from the constellation Gemini, where the meteors radiate from, but the meteors are the remnants of asteroid 3200 Phaethon. As Earth passes through the debris trail every year, we get the Geminid Meteor Shower.
Peak activity, when sky gazers can see between 100 and 150 meteors per hour, happens between Dec. 13 and 14. According to NASA, these meteors travel more than 40 times faster than a bullet and can best be spotted after 9 p.m. EST on Dec. 13.
The catch is that a cloudless view of the sky is best when trying to spot a shooting star. In December, with winter storms, a clear sky can be challenging to find.
A bright moon will also steal a bit of the show from the Geminids during peak activity this year.
Meteor showers occurring in December are the Andromedids (September 25 – December 6, peaking around November 9), the Canis-Minorids (December 4 – December 15, peaking around December 10–11), the Coma Berenicids (December 12 to December 23, peaking around December 16), the Delta Cancrids (December 14 to February 14, the main shower from January 1 to January 24, peaking on January 17), the Geminids (December 13–14), the Monocerotids (December 7 to December 20, peaking on December 9. This shower can also start in November), the Phoenicids (November 29 to December 9, with a peak occurring around 5/6 December), the Quadrantids (typically a January shower but can also start in December), the Sigma Hydrids (December 4–15), and the Ursids (December 17-to December 25/26, peaking around December 22).
Month December depicted in Hans Bol's and Adriaen Collart's Emblematica Evangelica.
December contains the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, the day with the fewest daylight hours, and the summer solstice in the Southern Hemisphere, the day with the most daylight hours (excluding polar regions in both cases). December in the Northern Hemisphere is the seasonal equivalent to June in the Southern Hemisphere and vice versa. In the Northern hemisphere, the beginning of the astronomical winter is traditionally 21 December or the date of the solstice.
December changeable and mild, the whole winter will remain a child.
Thunder in December presages fine weather.
Frost on the shortest day is said to indicate a severe winter.
December cold, with snow, brings rye everywhere.
Odd Moments This Month in History
December 14, 1807: Space Invader
At 6:30 a.m. on this day in 1807, residents from Vermont to Connecticut looked up at the sky and saw a red fireball. About two-thirds the size of a full Moon, it raced across the heavens, broke apart, and fell to earth in at least six areas of Weston (now Easton), Trumbull, and Fairfield, Connecticut. Whizzing sounds were heard close to the impact sites, and three sonic booms were heard as far as 40 miles away. The entire event took about 30 seconds.
Upon hearing the news a few days later, Yale professor Benjamin Silliman, accompanied by his colleague, professor James Kingsley, traveled to the impact area to talk to witnesses, examine impact sites, and collect specimens (including some that enterprising townsfolk were selling as souvenirs). Silliman confirmed that it had been a meteorite—the first officially recorded in the New World.
Meteorites, rocks that fell from space, were a concept slowly gaining acceptance in Europe, but their study was still a relatively new science. In an article in the Connecticut Herald published on December 29, Silliman and Kingsley described the Weston event. The news rapidly spread to other newspapers, and accounts were published in literary and philosophical journals. Later, Silliman performed a chemical analysis of the rocks and published a revised report. The findings were discussed by notable scientific organizations in Philadelphia, London, and Paris. Still, there were skeptics about the idea of meteorites, including U.S. president Thomas Jefferson, who was said to have remarked, “It is easier to believe that two Yankee professors could lie than to admit that stones could fall from heaven.”
The zodiac signs for the month of December are Sagittarius (until December 21) and Capricorn (December 22 onwards).
Capricorn (??) is the tenth astrological sign in the zodiac out of twelve total zodiac signs, originating from the constellation of Capricornus, the goat.It spans the 270–300th degree of the zodiac, corresponding to celestial longitude. Under the tropical zodiac, the sun transits this area from about December 22 to January 19.In astrology, Capricorn is considered an earth sign, negative sign,and one of the four cardinal signs. Capricorn is said to be ruled by the planet Saturn.
There appears to be a connection between traditional characterizations of Capricorn as a sea goat and the Sumerian god of wisdom and waters,who also had the head and upper body of a goat and the lower body and tail of a fish.Later known as Ea in Akkadian and Babylonian mythology, Enki was the god of intelligence (gestú, literally "ear"), creation, crafts; magic; water, seawater and lake water (a, aba, ab).
December’s traditional birthstone is turquoise. It is considered a symbol of good fortune and success. Zircon and tanzanite are also considered to be December birthstones.
Turquoise has a long history and deep connection to promoting good fortune and positive energy. It continues to play an important role in Native American beliefs and ceremonial rituals. It was even found in the tombs of ancient Egyptian leaders.
Turquoise occurs in a range of colors: from various shades of green to greenish-yellow to the more recognizable robin egg blue and sky blue. The gem is semi-translucent to opaque and can be found with veins or spider webs, which occur due to the presence of the host. The veins can appear as brown or black.
It can be waxy to the touch and glassy or dull in appearance.
The gem has long been thought to possess the powers to ensure good health and good fortune. Others believed it could promote happiness, peace, positive energy, protection, and spirituality.
Hindu mystics believed that seeing a turquoise after observing a new Moon would bring about wealth.
Dating back to the 13th century, turquoise was thought to protect those who wore it from falling. It has often been used on horse bridles.
There was once a belief that the gem would break into multiple pieces when disaster was imminent.
Turquoise has held significant meaning for Native American tribes. The Apache believed that the gem could be found by following a rainbow to its end, while it could also be used to improve accuracy when attached to a bow or firearm. The Pueblo thought that turquoise received its color from the sky.
Ancient Egyptians called the gem mefkat, meaning joy and delight.
According to European tradition, a turquoise ring given as a gift meant “forget me not.”
Turquoise is found in dry and barren areas where acidic and copper-rich water seeps into the ground and reacts with minerals containing phosphorus and aluminum. The result is a compound of hydrated copper and aluminum phosphate. Copper is a factor in the gem’s blue hues, while iron and chrome add a green shade.
The Sinai Peninsula region of Egypt is the location for the oldest turquoise mines. For more than 1,000 years, turquoise has been mined in the Nishapur district of Iran, producing intense blue gems known as “robin’s egg blue,” sky blue,” and “Persian blue.”
Until the early 20th century, New Mexico was the largest producer of turquoise in the United States. Currently, most of the U.S. produced gems are mined in Arizona and Nevada. China is also a large producer of turquoise.
Turquoise has been a beloved gem for thousands of years and is one of the oldest. In ancient Egypt, pharaohs and other leaders were fond of the gem, often wearing jewelry made with it.
Chinese artists used turquoise for carvings more than 3,000 years ago.
Turquoise was used for the funerary mask of King Tut, who ruled ancient Egypt in the 13th century b.c. Jewelry buried in ancient Egyptian tombs is some of the world’s oldest jewelry.
Native American tribes have long used turquoise for ceremonial masks, currency, and jewelry.
The word turquoise is thought to have stemmed from the French expression “pierre turquoise,” referencing the “Turkish stone” brought to Europe from Turkey.
In addition to being a December birthstone, turquoise is also given for an 11th wedding anniversary.
Turquoise is the national gem of Tibet.
It is one of the few minerals whose name also describes its color.
Turquoise in Jewelry
With a Mohs Hardness rating of 5 to 6, some turquoises are treated to improve durability, appearance, and polish. High heat can discolor the gem, while acids can damage it. Use warm, soapy water to clean and avoid steam or ultrasonic cleaners.
Turquoise is typically cut into cabochons, beads, and flat pieces for inlays, and its soft makeup makes it ideal for carving.
Turquoise is the gem most associated with those born in the year’s final month, but tanzanite and zircon are also recognized as December birthstones.
Tanzanite occurs in a range of blue and violet colors, as well as a combination of the two. Tanzanite, a form of the mineral stone zoisite, often occurs with brownish tones that is then heat treated to produce its deep and saturated blue and violet colors.
Depending on the viewing angle, tanzanite can show different colors, a process known as pleochroism. Cool lighting will make the blue color more prominent, while warm lighting will emphasize the violet to purple.
It is one of the newest gems to enter the colored stone world. In 1967, prospectors found the world’s only source for the blue variety of zoisite in the Merelani Hills of northern Tanzania, south of Mount Kilimanjaro. Tanzanite got its name from the country where it is found.
The gems are found in four mines that extend more than 300 feet below Earth’s surface. A study in 2012 said that deposits could run out within a few decades due to the more than 2 million carats mined per year.
In addition to being one of the birthstones for December, tanzanite is also given for a 24th wedding anniversary.
With a Mohs Hardness rating of 6 to 7, tanzanite is best in earrings and pendants and not recommended for rings.
Zircon is found in a wide range of colors—red, orange, yellow, reddish-brown, green, and blue. Colorless zircon, known for its brilliance and flashes of multi-colored light, has been confused with the diamond for centuries. It is often heat treated to produce blue and colorless varieties.
The coloring of blue zircon will fade after long exposures to direct sunlight, but the color will return after a period of time in a cool, dark place.
Zircon found in Australia has been said to be the oldest mineral on Earth at 4.4 billion years old.
In the Middle Ages, zircon was believed to possess the ability to lull someone into a deep sleep. It was also thought to ward off evil spirits, and promote riches and wisdom.
It was a popular gem in Victorian times and has been found in English estate jewelry dating back to the late 19th century.
Zircon is not to be confused with cubic zirconia.
Zircon is found in central Sri Lanka, Australia’s Harts Range, Vietnam, and Cambodia. It is found in the Earth’s crust, as well as in sand and sedimentary deposits and metamorphic rocks.
Because of its chemical makeup, including the presence of uranium, zircon has been used to help provide information about
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