October, 10th month of the Gregorian calendar. Its name is derived from octo, Latin for “eight,” an indication of its position in the early Roman calendar. It is one of the seven months with 31 days.
The eighth month in the old calendar of Romulus c. 750 BC, October retained its name (from Latin and Greek ôctō meaning “eight”) after January and February were inserted into the calendar that had originally been created by the Romans. In Ancient Rome, one of three Mundus patet would take place on October 5, Meditrinalia October 11, Augustalia on October 12, October Horse on October 15, and Armilustrium on October 19. These dates do not correspond to the modern Gregorian calendar. Among the Anglo-Saxons, it was known as Winterfylleth (Ƿinterfylleþ), because at this full moon, winter was supposed to begin.[1]
October is commonly associated with the season of spring in parts of the Southern Hemisphere, and autumn in parts of the Northern Hemisphere, where it is the seasonal equivalent to April in the Southern Hemisphere and vice versa.
Symbols[edit]
October’s birthstones are the tourmaline and opal.[2] Its birth flower is the calendula.[3] The zodiac signs are Libra (until October 22) and Scorpio (from October 23 onward).[4][5]
The French word octobre is shortened to 8bre.[6]
Observances[edit]
This list does not necessarily imply either official status or general observance.
Non-Gregorian: 2023 dates
(All Baha’i, Islamic, and Jewish observances begin at the sundown prior to the date listed, and end at sundown of the date in question unless otherwise noted.)
- List of observances set by the Bahá’í calendar
- List of observances set by the Chinese calendar
- List of observances set by the Hebrew calendar
- List of observances set by the Islamic calendar
- List of observances set by the Solar Hijri calendar
7 Fascinating Facts About October Babies
The start of October means a few things: Fall is officially underway, Halloween is around the corner, and holiday preparations are beginning. In other words, it’s a great month for a birthday! If you’ve got a little pumpkin on the way, you’ll want to brush up on these October birthday facts…
Your October baby will be a Libra or Scorpio.
If your baby’s birthday falls at the beginning of the month, they’re a balanced, social, and fair-minded Libra. After October 22nd your little one falls under the passionate and powerful Scorpio sign.
Libra Baby Traits
Lovely little Libras are known for their excellent taste, their judiciousness, and charismatic personalities. As the sign of the scales, balance and fairness are deeply engrained in their values…the problem is, sometimes that can make them a bit wishy-washy and conflict avoidant. But that definitely won’t detract too much from everything that makes these sparkly social butterflies so fab!
Scorpio Baby Traits
Don’t let the fact that this sign is represented by the formidable scorpion throw you—Scorps have so many loveable traits. They feel deeply, are super-duper loyal, and stand up for what they believe in. The downside? They do have a reputation for being both enigmatic and possessive (so, maybe your mini Scorpio will need some help when it comes time to teach sharing. Still, you’d be hard-pressed to find a fiercer little friend.
Learn more about your baby’s zodiac sign!
October babies have two birthstones.
October babies get double the gems! Tourmaline and opal are their shimmering stones. Both are versatile and a little off the beaten path. Opals have a color-shifting quality and may flash a different hue depending on how you look at it. The stone’s chameleon-esque characteristics have garnered it broad meaning: Historically, it was believed to hold all of the traits of every colored stone. Similarly, tourmaline comes in several shades, including black tourmaline (associated with confidence and protection), pink tourmaline (linked with love and compassion), and green tourmaline (stands for strength and stamina).
October babies also have two birth flowers.
Marigolds, also known as Calendula, are the birth flower of October. You’ll often find this yellow-hued flower used in healing lotions. And October babies have a second flower: perky Cosmos!
October babies have athletic potential.
Babies born during the fall are often stronger and more athletic than summer-born bubs. The athletic edge is likely due to being older and bigger than the other kids in their class, as well as getting started in sports earlier. Bring on the Little League games!
Your October baby may live to be 100!
Babies born from September to November are more likely to make it to the big 1-0-0 than those born in other months. Could this be because they’re getting nutrient-dense, immune-enhancing milk during their first winter? We don’t know for sure!
Your October baby might be presidential material.
First the nursery, next stop…the White House? More U.S. presidents—including Jimmy Carter, Dwight Eisenhower, and Teddy Roosevelt—have been born in October than any other month, so it stands to reason that your baby could very well become the next POTUS…right?
Your October baby is in good company.
Even if your October baby doesn’t make it to the Oval Office, they’ve got star power on their side. Bruno Mars, Matt Damon, Lena Headey, Gwen Stefani, Kim Kardashian, Drake, Ryan Reynolds, and Brie Larson all celebrate October birthdays!