Project Britain

Hello and welcome to our page all about the calendar, focusing on two very different but important months in Britain: January and September! The calendar helps us keep track of time, plan our days, and remember special events. Let’s explore what makes these months unique in British culture and history.

January: A Fresh Start

January is the first month of the year. It gets its name from Janus, a Roman god who had two faces, one looking back at the old year and one looking forward to the new. In Britain, January is usually one of the coldest months. We often see frost, ice, and sometimes even snow!

The biggest celebration in January is, of course, New Year’s Day on January 1st. Many people stay up late on New Year’s Eve (December 31st) to count down to midnight. When the clock strikes twelve, fireworks light up the sky, and people sing ‘Auld Lang Syne’, a famous Scottish song about old times. It’s a time for making New Year’s Resolutions – promises we make to ourselves to do better in the coming year, like eating healthier or reading more books.

After the excitement of Christmas and New Year, January can feel a bit quiet. But there are still traditions! Twelfth Night, on January 5th or 6th, marks the end of the Christmas season. It’s when people traditionally take down their Christmas decorations. If you leave them up longer, it’s thought to be bad luck!

In Scotland, January 25th is a very special day called Burns Night. It celebrates the life and poetry of Robert Burns, Scotland’s national poet. People gather for a ‘Burns Supper’, which often includes haggis (a traditional Scottish dish), neeps (turnips), and tatties (potatoes), along with readings of Burns’ poems and Scottish music.

For schoolchildren, January usually means going back to school after the Christmas holidays, ready for a new term of learning.

September: Back to School and Harvest

September is the ninth month of the year and marks the beginning of autumn in Britain. The weather often starts to get cooler, the leaves on the trees begin to change colour, and the days get shorter. The name September comes from the Latin word ‘septem’, meaning ‘seven’, because it was the seventh month in the old Roman calendar.

For most children in Britain, September is a very important month because it’s when the new school year begins! After the long summer holidays, schools reopen, and everyone returns to lessons, often moving up to a new class or even a new school.

September is also traditionally associated with the Harvest Festival. This is a time when churches and schools celebrate the gathering of crops from the fields. People bring in gifts of food, like bread, fruits, and vegetables, to give thanks for the food grown during the year. These donations are often given to those in need.

Historically, September has seen some significant events in Britain. The Great Fire of London started on September 2nd, 1666, and raged for several days, destroying much of the city. Another important date is September 15th, which is Battle of Britain Day. This day commemorates a crucial air battle during World War II when the Royal Air Force defended Britain against German air attacks in 1940. It was a turning point in the war and a moment of great bravery.

The Autumn Equinox usually falls around September 22nd or 23rd. This is when the day and night are almost exactly the same length. After the Autumn Equinox, the nights become longer than the days until the Spring Equinox in

Written by Mandy Barrow