Open your eyes, close your eyes. Now open them again. Boom! We’re already in the middle of September. Time really does fly, huh?
One of the greatest hits from Green Day tells us to wake them up when September ends, but what’s the deal with this particular month of the year? To commemorate September, here are some fun facts about this month:
1. The name September comes from the old Roman word ‘septem’, which means seven. Confuse not! The reason is that the Romans back then counted the month of March – instead of January – as the first month of the year in their calendar, so September was the seventh month.
God of Fire, Vulcan.
2. The Romans believed that the month of September is looked after by the god, Vulcan. In Roman religion, Vulcan or known as the God of fire, particularly known for its destructive aspects; such as volcanoes and creating a fire that can destroy a great deal of land. Hence, it is said September is greatly associated with fires, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes because of its caretaker, Vulcan.
3. The September birthstone is sapphire, the most valuable and precious blue gemstone ever formed. Although there is no real proven fact as to why Sapphire is September birthstone, these gemstones have been cherished by the ancient Romans who wore them as jewellery. Sapphires are said to focus the mind, encourage self-discipline and channel higher powers.
4. Until Julius Caesar’s calendar reform in 45BC, September had only 29 days.
5. Though it didn’t start that way, September is the ninth month and has nine letters in its name. It is the only month that has the exact same number of letters in English as the number of the month. Unique!
Image of the 9/11 attack on September 11, 2001
6. 11 September 2001 is one of the most memorable days for the people of United States – and not in a good way. The World Trade Center in New York City was attacked by two planes that were flown by the extremist group Al-Qaeda. The incident left almost 3,000 people dead.
7. 1 September 1830: The poem “Mary Had a Little Lamb” was published. This poem which turned to be one of the greatest nursery rhymes now was inspired by a real life girl named Mary Sawyer who brought her lamb to school every day. A young man who was visiting the school was so fascinated by her that he handed Mary a piece of paper with three stanza’s of the poem “Mary Had a Little Lamb”. In 1830, Sarah Josepha Hale published the poem in a book titled Poems For Our Children.
8. 16 September is Malaysia Day! Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced that Malaysia Day is a public holiday in 2010, to celebrate the formation of the Federation of Malaysia in 1963.
September is truly unique in its own way; from its history up to its present day. Let us all celebrate moving forward to the 9th month of the year.
P.S. Don’t wake me up when September ends. Have a great month everyone!