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August

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File:Reeve and Serfs.jpg
Depiction of harvesting in the August calendar page of the Queen Mary Psalter (fol. 78v), ca. 1310

August is the eighth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In the Southern Hemisphere, August is the seasonal equivalent of February in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Northern Hemisphere, August falls in summer. In the Southern Hemisphere, the month falls during winter. In many European countries, August is the holiday month for most workers. Numerous religious holidays occurred during August in ancient Rome.<ref>Supplicia canum was held on August 3, Lychnapsia on August 12, Nemoralia was held from August 13–15 (or on the full moon of August), Tiberinalia and Portumnalia on August 17, Consuales Ludi on August 18, Vinalia rustica on August 19, Vulcanalia on August 23, Opiconsivia on August 25, and Volturnalia on August 27. These dates do not correspond to the modern Gregorian calendar.</ref>

Certain meteor showers take place in August. The Kappa Cygnids occur in August, with yearly dates varying. The Alpha Capricornids meteor shower occurs as early as July 10 and ends around August 10. The Southern Delta Aquariids occur from mid-July to mid-August, with the peak usually around July 28–29. The Perseids, a major meteor shower, typically takes place between July 17 and August 24, with the peak days varying yearly. The star cluster of Messier 30 is best observed around August.

Among the aborigines of the Canary Islands, especially among the Guanches of Tenerife, the month of August received the name of Beñesmer or Beñesmen, which was also the harvest festival held that month.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

The month was originally named Sextilis in Latin because it was the 6th month in the original ten-month Roman calendar under Romulus in 753 BC, with March being the first month of the year. About 700 BC, it became the eighth month when January and February were added to the year before March by King Numa Pompilius, who also gave it 29 days. Julius Caesar added two days when he created the Julian calendar in Template:Auc, giving it its modern length of 31 days.

In 8 BC, the month was renamed in honor of Emperor Augustus.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> According to a Senatus consultum quoted by Macrobius, he chose this month because it was the time of several of his great triumphs, including the conquest of Egypt.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Commonly repeated lore has it that August has 31 days because Augustus wanted his month to match the length of Julius Caesar's July, but this is an invention of the 13th century scholar Johannes de Sacrobosco. Sextilis had 31 days before it was renamed. It was not chosen for its length.<ref>Template:Cite magazine Sacrobosco's theory is discussed on pages 585–587.</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Symbols

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File:Gladiolus imbricatus1002.jpg
Gladiolus
Peridot gemstones
Peridot gemstones
Sardonyx stone
Sardonyx stone
Red spinel on calcite
Red spinel on calcite

August's birthstones are the peridot, sardonyx, and spinel.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Its birth flower is the gladiolus or poppy, meaning beauty, strength of character, love, marriage and family.<ref>Birth months, flowers, and gemstones, shgresources.com</ref> The Western zodiac signs are Leo (until August 22) and Virgo (from August 23 onward).<ref>The Earth passes the junction of the signs at 15:44 UT/GMT August 22, 2020. It will pass again at 21:34 UT/GMT on August 22, 2021.</ref><ref name=astrology>Template:Cite web Signs in UT/GMT for 1950–2030.</ref>

Observances

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This list does not necessarily imply official status or general observance.

Non-Gregorian: 2025 dates

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(All Baha'i, Islamic, and Jewish observances begin at sundown before the listed date and end at sundown on the date in question unless otherwise noted.)

Month-long

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United States month-long

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Food months in the United States
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Moveable Gregorian

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Second to last Sunday in July and the following two weeks

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1st Saturday

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1st Sunday

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First full week of August

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  • National Farmer's Market Week (United States)

1st Monday

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1st Tuesday

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1st Friday

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2nd Saturday

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Sunday on or closest to August 9

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2nd Sunday

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2nd Monday

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2nd Tuesday

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3rd Saturday

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3rd Sunday

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3rd Monday

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3rd Friday

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Last Thursday

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Last Sunday

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Last Monday

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Fixed Gregorian

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References

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