❄️ “And so this is Christmas…”

John Lennon’s song might play on repeat every December, but the word December itself has a much older rhythm. Like November, it comes from Latin (decem, meaning ten) a reminder that in the original Roman calendar, December was once the tenth month of the year. The Latin influence stuck, spreading through most European languages: décembre, diciembre, dicembre, dezembro.

But not every language looked to Rome. In the Slavic world, names for December often come from nature. In Polish, it’s grudzień, meaning “the frozen ground.” In Czech, prosinec likely meant “the time of begging” or “asking,” possibly tied to both prayer and the harshness of winter. In Croatian, prosinac carries a similar echo — a time when people looked to the heavens for mercy and light.

The Germanic and Nordic languages also added their own flair. Old English once used Ærra Gēola, “before Yule,” marking the approach of the midwinter festival. Old Norse called it Jólmánuðr, the “Yule month,” which later gave us Yule and Jul in modern Scandinavian languages. In Finnish, Joulukuu still literally means “Yule month.”

Across these languages, the themes are clear: cold, stillness, faith, and celebration. Where November’s words speak of endings and death, December’s speak of endurance and light — of holding on through the dark. It’s the month where people historically gathered close, gave thanks, and waited for the return of the sun.

So even though December sounds mathematical in English, its global story is deeply human. It’s the season of frozen earth, flickering candles, and hope that something brighter is coming. No wonder it’s the month we invented holidays for.