A decade consists of 10 years, a decagon has 10 sides, and a decathlon comprises 10 sporting disciplines - so surely December should be the 10th month of the year. That it sits in 12th position is a quirk of Roman timekeeping and the combined fault of various emperors and popes. The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.

The exact origins of the Roman calendar are debated, although the most widely accepted account is that Romulus, the first Roman king, came up with the annual planner in the eighth century BCE. Based on the phases of the Moon , Romulus’s almanac divided the year into just 10 months, beginning in March and ending in December.

The seventh, eighth, ninth, and 10th months were therefore named in accordance with Lati

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