Months Of The Year – Complete Guide to Order, Days and Songs

The months of the year form the backbone of our calendar, shaping how we plan seasons, holidays, and daily life. For children and English learners, mastering the sequence of twelve months, their day counts, and the songs that help remember them is a foundational step in time awareness. This guide brings together the order, day lengths, popular nursery rhymes, and historical roots of the modern Gregorian calendar.

Whether you are a parent teaching a preschooler or an adult brushing up on calendar facts, understanding the months of the year opens the door to better organisation, language skills, and a deeper appreciation of how ancient Romans shaped our modern timekeeping.

What Are the 12 Months of the Year in Order?

12 Months in Order: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December.
Days per Month: 31 days in 7 months, 30 in 4, 28 (or 29) in February.
Months Song: Popular kids song – lyrics and download available below.
Why 12 Months? Based on lunar cycles and Roman calendar reforms.

Key Insights About the Months

The Gregorian calendar has 12 months with varying lengths, rooted in ancient Roman tradition.
February is the only month that changes length (28/29 days) due to leap year adjustments.
The ‘months of the year’ song is a key mnemonic for early childhood education, widely used in English-speaking countries.
Month names originate from Roman gods, numbers, and Latin words (e.g., September from Latin ‘septem’ meaning seven).
Learning months improves time awareness, sequencing skills, and mathematical reasoning in children.
The traditional rhyme “Thirty Days Hath September” dates back to the 16th century and remains a popular teaching tool.

Quick Reference Table: Months, Days, Seasons, and Origins

Month	Days	Season (Northern Hemisphere)	Origin
January	31	Winter	Roman god Janus
February	28/29	Winter	Latin ‘februum’ (purification)
March	31	Spring	Roman god Mars
April	30	Spring	Latin ‘aperire’ (to open)
May	31	Spring	Goddess Maia
June	30	Summer	Goddess Juno
July	31	Summer	Julius Caesar
August	31	Summer	Augustus Caesar
September	30	Autumn	Latin ‘septem’ (seven)
October	31	Autumn	Latin ‘octo’ (eight)
November	30	Autumn	Latin ‘novem’ (nine)
December	31	Winter	Latin ‘decem’ (ten)

How Many Days Are in Each Month?

The number of days in each month follows a consistent pattern, but February stands out. Seven months have 31 days, four months have 30 days, and February has 28 – except in leap years when it gains an extra day.

Which Months Have 31 Days?

January, March, May, July, August, October, and December each contain 31 days. This includes the summer months and the start of winter. A simple way to recall them is to remember that months ending in ‘ary’, ‘ch’, ‘y’, ‘ly’, ‘ust’, ‘ober’, and ’ember’ (except the 30-day ones) are the 31-day months – but the traditional rhyme is safer.

How Many Days in February?

In a common year, February has 28 days. In a leap year, it has 29. This adjustment keeps the calendar synchronized with the Earth’s orbit around the sun, which takes approximately 365.2422 days.

What Is a Leap Year and Which Month Is Affected?

A leap year occurs every four years, except for century years not divisible by 400. For example, the year 2000 was a leap year, but 1900 was not. During a leap year, February gains an extra day – 29 February – which is added to account for the accumulated quarter-day discrepancy. This system was refined by the Gregorian calendar introduced in 1582.

Memory Aid for Day Counts

The centuries-old rhyme “Thirty Days Hath September” is the most reliable mnemonic. One popular modern version: “30 Days Has September, April, June and November, All the rest have thirty one, But I think February’s great, It’s the one with twenty eight, And to make it crystal clear, Twenty nine in a leap year.”

What Is the Months of the Year Song (and Where Can I Find It)?

Several popular children’s songs help learners memorise the twelve months in order. These songs often combine melody with repetition and seasonal references, making them effective teaching tools.

Lyrics of the Lingokids Months of the Year Song

One widely used version comes from Lingokids. The lyrics guide children through the months with seasonal cues:

January, February, next comes March. March through winter time – March! March! March!
April showers bring May flowers. Summer’s almost here. June, July, August!
Soon we’re back in school. September and October, November, and don’t forget December!
January, February, March, and April, May, June, July! August, September, October, November, And don’t forget December!
These are the months of the year on the calendar. Twelve months in all for fun …and work, and play, and take a holiday…

The song helps children associate months with seasonal changes and school schedules.

The Singing Walrus Months of the Year Song

Another extremely popular educational video is The Singing Walrus “Months of the Year” song. It features a folk-style melody with Mother Hen singing the months. The song is structured progressively: first verse alone for familiarisation, then call-and-response, followed by quiet and loud variations, and finally a faster tempo for challenge.

Basic lyrics pattern: January, February, March, April / May, June, July, August / September, October, November, December.

The Traditional Nursery Rhyme: Thirty Days Hath September

The oldest and most enduring mnemonic is the nursery rhyme believed to have originated in the 16th century. Its first published English version appeared in Richard Grafton’s Abridgment of the Chronicles of England in 1562, worded as “Thirty dayes hath Nouember, Aprill, Iune and September.” Today, it remains the standard method taught in schools around the world for remembering which months have 30 days.

How to Download the Months of the Year Song

Most educational song videos are available on YouTube for streaming. For offline use, you can download audio versions through YouTube-to-MP3 converters (where permitted) or purchase digital tracks from platforms like Amazon Music or iTunes. Many teachers also use the free Months of the Year worksheet PDF from Lancashire County Council alongside the song for practice.

Educator’s Note

The Singing Walrus song is designed for repeated listening: first with solo vocals, then with children joining, then with volume changes, and finally at increased speed. This progressive structure reinforces memorisation through active participation.

Why Are There 12 Months in a Year?

The 12-month system is not arbitrary. It evolved from lunar cycles and Roman calendar reforms that shaped the Gregorian calendar we use today.

Connection to Lunar Cycles and Roman Reforms

Early Roman calendars, attributed to King Numa Pompilius around 713 BCE, added January and February to an original 10-month year. Julius Caesar later introduced the Julian calendar in 46 BCE, adding leap days to align with the solar year. The final major reform came in 1582 when Pope Gregory XIII refined the leap year rules, creating the Gregorian calendar.

Month Name Meanings in Brief

Month names reflect a mix of gods, rulers, and numbers. January honours Janus, the two-faced god of beginnings. February comes from the Latin februum meaning purification. March is named after Mars, the god of war. April likely derives from aperire (to open) – a nod to spring blossoms. May and June honour the goddesses Maia and Juno. July and August commemorate Julius Caesar and Emperor Augustus. September through December come from the Latin words for seven to ten (septem, octo, novem, decem) because they were originally the seventh to tenth months in the old Roman calendar.

Cultural Variations

Not all calendars have 12 months. The Islamic lunar calendar has 12 months but is about 11 days shorter than the solar year. The Hebrew calendar also has 12 months, with an extra month added in leap years. The Chinese lunisolar calendar can have 12 or 13 months depending on the year. These variations show that while 12 months is a widespread convention, it is not universal.

Evolution of the 12-Month Calendar

Key milestones in the development of the modern calendar:

~713 BCE – Roman king Numa Pompilius adds January and February, creating a 12-month lunar calendar.
46 BCE – Julius Caesar introduces the Julian calendar, adding leap days to align with the solar year.
8 BCE – Month Sextilis renamed August to honor Emperor Augustus.
1582 – Pope Gregory XIII introduces the Gregorian calendar, refining leap year rules.
1752 – British Empire adopts Gregorian calendar, skipping 11 days in September.

What Is Certain and What Remains Uncertain About the Calendar?

Established Information	Information That Remains Unclear
The 12-month order is fixed globally in the Gregorian calendar.	Exact origins of some month names are debated (e.g., April may come from the Greek Aphrodite).
February has 28 days except in leap years (29 days).	The number of months in a year has varied across cultures (e.g., Egyptian 12-month/30-day plus 5 epagomenal days).
Leap years occur every 4 years except centuries not divisible by 400.	Some historical records suggest February originally had 29 days in a common year and 30 in a leap year before being shortened.

Deeper Context: Why 12 Months? Month Name Meanings, Leap Year Mechanics, and Cultural Variations

The 12-month year is deeply tied to the lunar cycle – the moon orbits Earth roughly 12 times per solar year. Roman priests and rulers formalised this cycle, and later adjustments by Caesar and Pope Gregory fixed the alignment with the seasons. Leap year mechanics are straightforward: an extra day every four years (with century exceptions) compensates for the 0.2422-day discrepancy.

Cultural variations remind us that 12 months is not the only system. The Islamic calendar uses 12 lunar months of 29 or 30 days, causing it to shift relative to the Gregorian year. The Hebrew calendar adds an extra month seven times every 19 years. These alternatives show how different societies solve the same astronomical problem.

Sources and Credibility

The following sources provide authoritative information on the months of the year:

“The names of the months have been borrowed from the Roman calendar, which originally had only ten months.”

Wikipedia – Month

“February originally had 29 days in a common year and 30 in a leap year, but was later shortened.”

Timeanddate.com

“The singing walrus months of the year song is one of the most popular educational videos for children learning English.”

Singing Walrus YouTube channel

Additional reliable resources include Timeanddate.com – Months of the Year, EnglishClub – Months of the Year, and Twinkl – Months of the Year Activity Sheet.

What Comes Next for Learning Months?

After mastering the order and day counts, learners can explore printable months of the year worksheets with colouring and tracing activities, learn the months in other languages, or create a DIY calendar craft. For seasonal planning, check out When Is Bonfire Night – UK Dates, History & Celebrations to see how November 5th fits into the annual calendar, and Best Places to Visit in Scotland – Top Destinations and 7-Day Itinerary for month-specific travel inspiration.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a leap year?

A leap year occurs every 4 years (except century years not divisible by 400) and adds an extra day (February 29) to keep the calendar aligned with Earth’s orbit.

Which months have 30 days?

April, June, September, and November have 30 days. All others have 31 except February.

How can I teach my child the months of the year?

Use songs, rhymes, worksheets, and daily calendar activities. Repetition and associating months with seasons and holidays helps.

What does ’ember’ mean in September, October, November, December?

It comes from the Latin suffix -ber, likely from ‘mensis’ (month). The number prefixes (septem=7, octo=8, etc.) show they were originally the 7th–10th months in the old Roman calendar.

Are the month names the same in all English-speaking countries?

Yes, the names are identical across English-speaking countries.

Why does February have fewer days than other months?

Roman tradition held that February was the last month of the year and was given fewer days. Later reforms preserved this length despite calendar changes.

What months are spring months in the Northern Hemisphere?

March, April, and May are typically considered spring in the Northern Hemisphere.

Which months end with ’ember’?

September, October, November, and December end with ’ember’.