Like other months, August has its share of excitement. Although it is usually very hot, we like it for the Emancipendence celebrations and food festivals. Many enjoy its harvests of summer crops. Others welcome August for holidays and beach outings. But there are other interesting things about the golden-shiny month.
Here are some August fun facts:
- In the original Roman calendar, August was first called Sextilis, Latin for the sixth month. It was renamed in honour of Rome’s first emperor, Caesar Augustus. Later, January and February were added to the calendar, making August the eighth month.
- In a standard year, no other month starts on the same day as August. But in a leap year, August begins on the same day as February.
- The first sandwich was made on August 6, 1762, when the Earl of Sandwich asked for a dish with meat between two pieces of bread. Legend has it that he ordered the meal in the middle of a gambling game and didn’t want to interrupt it.
- The birth flowers of August are the gladiolus, representing calmness, infatuation and integrity and the poppy, whose red ones. signify peace, while the white and yellow express consolation and wealth and success respectively.
- In the Caribbean, we start independence celebrations in August because Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago got theirs in this month, 6th and 31st respectively.
- Many powerful and popular Jamaicans were born in August including Marcus Garvey, Usain Bolt, Leon Bailey, Beanie Man, Spice, Lisa Hanna and Beres Hammond.
- Whether it's a standard year or leap year, August always ends on the same day of the week as November.
- If you were born in August, you reign under one of the two August stars: Leo and Virgo. Leos are considered as very proud people who display great leadership while Virgos are analytical, hardworking, kind, and loyal.
- August is the only name of a month that features among the top 1,000 men’s names. April and June are in the women’s top 1,000.