June is the sixth month of the year. The month is named for the Roman goddess Juno the wife of Jupiter (also known as Hera to the Greek mythologist) Her original name to the Romans was Junonius. Among her attributes, she is queen of heaven, approximating Frigg in Norse Mythology. She is ruler of the high point of year, when there is maximum light and minimum darkness (in the Northern Hemisphere). On about June 21, the northern Summer Solstice (Midsummer) will occur.
The Saxons also called it Seremonath (dry-month). In Finnish the month is called Kesaakuu, meaning "month of summer". The old Dutch name was Zomer-maand (summer-month); in the French Revolutionary calendar the month was called Prairial (meadow month, May 20 to June 18). The Irish used to call this month meitheamh, and the Pre-Revolutionary French called it Brachmanoth, meaning ‘break month’. Some American Indians name it the Hot or Strawberry Moon.
June is ‘the door of the year’ in goddess mythology where midsummer is an extremely important holiday. Unmarried girls who sleep with wild flowers under their pillow on midsummer's eve will dream of the man they will marry. (Have I done this every year for the past eight years? Yep. Am I going to tell my results. Nope.)
European folklore tells us that: good weather in ‘Flaming June’ is required if there is to be a good harvest; bats flying on a June evening are a sign of hot, dry weather, and if swallows fly near the ground in June it’s a sign of coming rain.
In the south-west of England, there is an old pagan custom of throwing flowers into a stream at this time of year for good luck. If you are near a stream and have flowers to throw, what can it hurt?
Yeah! For long days and starry nights, and meteor showers, and crickets. Rose scented nights. Sigh. I am not in love, I'm not. I'm in love with the memories of past Junes.
So, if you are looking for other ways to get through June, (other than my pagenesque ideas here) here are some ideas... Adopt A Shelter Cat Month (please let me, Rex cats are supposedly somewhat hypoallergenic ); Gay and Lesbian Pride Month; Cancer from the Sun Month; Celibacy Awareness Month; Child Vision Awareness Month; Child Awareness Month; Dairy Alternative Month; Effective Communication Month; "Do It Yourself" Marketing Month; Fireworks Safety Month; International Accordian Awareness Month;International Men's Month; Lane Courtesy Month; Turkey Lover's Month; National Candy Month; National Ice Tea Month; National River Month; National Rose Month; National Safety Month; National Soul Food Month; National Steakhouse Month; Potty Training Awareness Month; Rebuild Your Life Month; National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month; National Paypaya Month; National Pest Control Month; Fight The Filthy Fly Month; National Flag Month; National "Drive Safe" Month (Maybe if we celebrate Lane Courtesy, we will drive safely, and maybe "ly" won't disappear from the language); Zoo and Aquarium Month
I would really, really, really like it if some people would take "Effective Communication Month" seriously.
ReplyDeleteAlas, they won't.
I firmly agree with you, and I thought it interesting that "Effective Communication Month" and "'Do It Yourself' Marketing Month" were in the same month.
ReplyDelete