The Old Farmer's Almanac 2015 (36 page)

April.
From the Latin
aperio,
“to open (bud),” because plants begin to grow now.

May.
For the Roman goddess Maia, who oversaw the growth of plants. Also from the Latin
maiores,
“elders,” who were celebrated now.

June.
For the Roman goddess Juno, patroness of marriage and the well-being of women. Also from the Latin
juvenis,
“young people.”

July.
To honor Roman dictator Julius Caesar (100 B.C.–44 B.C.). In 46 B.C., with the help of Sosigenes, he developed the Julian calendar, the precursor to the Gregorian calendar we use today.

August.
To honor the first Roman emperor (and grandnephew of Julius Caesar), Augustus Caesar (63 B.C.–A.D. 14).

September.
From the Latin
septem,
“seven,” because this was the seventh month of the early Roman calendar.

October.
From the Latin
octo,
“eight,” because this was the eighth month of the early Roman calendar.

November.
From the Latin
novem,
“nine,” because this was the ninth month of the early Roman calendar.

December.
From the Latin
decem,
“ten,” because this was the tenth month of the early Roman calendar.

Easter Dates (2015–18)

Christian churches that follow the Gregorian calendar celebrate Easter on the first Sunday after the paschal full Moon on or just after the vernal equinox.

The Julian calendar is used by some churches, including many Eastern Orthodox. The dates below are Julian calendar dates for Easter converted to Gregorian dates.

The Origin of Day Names

The days of the week were named by ancient Romans with the Latin words for the Sun, the Moon, and the five known planets. These names have survived in European languages, but English names also reflect Anglo-Saxon and Norse influences.

How to Find the Day of the Week for Any Given Date

To compute the day of the week for any given date as far back as the mid-18th century, proceed as follows:

Add the last two digits of the year to one-quarter of the last two digits (discard any remainder), the day of the month, and the month key from the key box below. Divide the sum by 7; the remainder is the day of the week (1 is Sunday, 2 is Monday, and so on). If there is no remainder, the day is Saturday. If you’re searching for a weekday prior to 1900, add 2 to the sum before dividing; prior to 1800, add 4. The formula doesn’t work for days prior to 1753. From 2000 through 2099, subtract 1 from the sum before dividing.

Animal Signs of the Chinese Zodiac

The animal designations of the Chinese zodiac follow a 12-year cycle and are always used in the same sequence. The Chinese year of 354 days begins 3 to 7 weeks into the western 365-day year, so the animal designation changes at that time, rather than on January 1. See
the Eras table
[>]
for the exact date of the start of the Chinese New Year.

Weather

A TABLE FORETELLING THE WEATHER THROUGH ALL THE LUNATIONS OF EACH YEAR, OR FOREVER

This table is the result of many years of actual observation and shows what sort of weather will probably follow the Moon’s entrance into any of its quarters. For example, the table shows that the week following January 26, 2015, will be fair and frosty, because the Moon enters the first quarter that day at 11:48 P.M. EST. (See the
Left-Hand Calendar Pages
[>]
for Moon phases.)

Editor’s note:
Although the data in this table is taken into consideration in the yearlong process of compiling the annual long-range weather forecasts for
The Old Farmer’s Almanac,
we rely far more on our projections of solar activity.

Heat Index °F (°C)

The UV Index for Measuring Ultraviolet Radiation Risk

The U.S. National Weather Service’s daily forecasts of ultra-violet levels use these numbers for various exposure levels:

How to Measure Hail

The Torro Hailstorm Intensity Scale was introduced by Jonathan Webb of Oxford, England, in 1986 as a means of categorizing hailstorms. The name derives from the private and mostly British research body named the TORnado and storm Research Organisation.