Traditional Japanese Months
Japan has traditional names for each month, mostly used poetically or in names. They follow the Chinese lunar calendar, so they would start a few weeks later than the Western calendar everyone uses (e.g. the first month could be in mid-January or February). Their names and possible literal meanings in chronological order are:
1
Name: 睦月 (むつき, Mutsuki)
Literal Meaning: Month of harmony
2
Name: 如月 / 衣更着 / 更衣 (きさらぎ, Kisaragi)
Literal Meaning: Month “like the moon” / Month of changing clothes
3
Name: 弥生 (やよい, Yayoi)
Literal Meaning: Growth
4
Name: 卯月 (うづき, Uzuki)
Literal Meaning: Month of 卯の花 (うのはな, Unohana), deutzia
5
Name: 皐月 (さつき, Satsuki)
Literal Meaning: Month of planting rice sprouts / Month of azaleas
6
Name: 水無月 (みなづき, Minazuki)
Literal Meaning: Month of no water (or Month of water, if 無 [な] is interpreted as a particle)
7
Name: 文月 (ふみづき / ふづき, Fumizuki / Fuzuki)
Literal Meaning: Month of literature
8
Name: 葉月 (はづき, Hazuki)
Literal Meaning: Month of leaves
9
Name: 長月 (ながつき, Nagatsuki)
Literal Meaning: The long autumn month
10
Name: 神無月 (かんなづき / かみなづき, Kan'nazuki / Kaminazuki)
Literal Meaning: Month of no gods (or Month of gods, if 無 [な] is interpreted as a particle)
Note: in Izumo, Tottori prefecture, this month is called 神在月 / 神有月 (かみありづき, Kamiarizuki) ”Month with gods” because the gods gather there.
11
Name: 霜月 (しもつき, Shimotsuki)
Literal Meaning: Month of frost
12
Name: 師走 (しわす, Shiwasu)
Literal Meaning: Running (busy) priests (for New Years)
Sources:
http://www.renshaworks.com/jastro/calendar.htm
http://www.sljfaq.org/afaq/number-dates.html
http://jisho.org/search/*month%20of%20the%20lunar%20calendar
https://www.thoughtco.com/can-you-tell-me-the-old-names-of-the-months-2027868
http://kanji.jitenon.jp/cat/hyoki15.html
https://klingonbuddhist.wordpress.com/2009/03/23/months-in-the-japanese-calendar/
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