August, from the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry showing a group of travelers and the Duc’s Château d’Étampes in the background
August was originally named Sextili in Latin, because it was the sixth month in the original ten-month Roman calendar under Romulus in 753 BC. In 8 BC it was renamed in honor of Augustus [from Wikipedia]. It’s kind of amazing how many things we got from the ancient Romans. We have so many links to the distant past.
Some strange or interesting facts about August:
- The Anglo-Saxons called it Weod monath (weed month).
- In the U.S., it’s National Goat Cheese Month.
- The International Day of the Disappeared is Aug. 30th.
- August is (strangely) National Catfish Month.
- Also strange, it is Peach Month (since 1982).
And here is a place where you can find lots of other weird holidays (including National Underwear Day on August 5).
As for me, I tend to think of August in terms of the BEACH. And I am hoping to soon be taking my son on our summer vacation down south. (The fact that there is a beach only a couple of miles from our house doesn’t really count – the beaches of Northern California are often pretty cold!)
So with that “theme” in mind, here is this month’s 31-point-plan. And why not plan a summer vacation:
- U.S. News: 13 Best Summer Vacations
- 10 Best Budget Vacations for Summer
- Travel Channel’s Where to Travel in August
HAPPY SUMMER! (Too bad it’s nearly over.)