INWIT™ — 30 DAYS HATH...

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30 Days Hath...

by Vincent Mallette
Copyright © 1999 Inwit Publishing, Inc.

Did you ever wonder why some months have 30 and others 31 days? We all have to memorize that silly rhyme. But it turns out that originally there was some system to it. Do this. Write down the months as they are:

January	31
February	28/29
March	31
April	30
May	31
June	30
July	31
August	31
September	30
October	31
November	30
December	31

Now give February back the 30 days it originally had (emperors stole its days for their own months). And strike off August altogether (it’s a bogus month dreamed up by the megalomaniac Octavian):

January	31
February	30
March	31
April	30
May	31
June	30
July	31
September	30
October	31
November	30
December	31

Now what have we got? A perfect alternation of 31 and 30! Yes, I know — now there’s only 11 months. Let’s restore the ancient Roman month Mercedonius, and give it 30 days:

January	31
February	30
March	31
April	30
May	31
June	30
July	31
September	30
October	31
November	30
December	31
Mercedonius	30

By the way, because I know you can’t live without this information, here is the September-song rhyme in Latin:

JUNIUS, APRILIS, SEPTEMBER ET IPSE NOUEMBER
DANT TRIGINTA DIES RELIQUIS SUPERADDITUR JUNUS,
DE QUORUM NUMERO FEBRUARIUS EXCIPIATUR

— Ausonius, 4th century Latin writer

P. S. Latin poetry doesn’t rhyme.

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