How Does History of the Roman Calendar Work?

The Roman calendar started as a simple way to count days, just like you count the steps you take when walking home from school.

The Romans used the moon to help them count time, kind of like how you might use your fingers to count cookies. At first, their year had 10 months, and it all ended in -ber, like June and July, fun names that make you want to say them out loud!

At first, the Roman calendar was not very accurate. It only had 354 or 355 days, which meant that spring and winter would slowly drift around the year, like a toy car moving on a wobbly track.

But then came Julius Caesar, think of him as the boss of time! He brought in a new calendar called the Julian Calendar, which had 365 days, and every four years there was an extra day to keep things lined up with the seasons. That extra day is what we now call a leap year!

So now you can celebrate your birthday on the same date every year, just like you know when your favorite cartoon comes on TV!