December at a glance
- Number: 12, the twelfth month.
- Days: 31 days.
- Arabic names: ديسمبر (Saudi Arabia, the Gulf, Egypt) and كانون الأول (the Levant and Iraq).
Origin of the name
December comes from the Latin decem, “ten”, as it was the tenth month of the early Roman year.
December and the seasons
In December autumn ends and winter begins at the December solstice, on 21 or 22 December, the shortest day of the year. The winter and seasons countdown gives each season’s start to the minute.
Fixed occasions in December
- 21 or 22 December: the start of astronomical winter. See the winter countdown.
December on the Hijri calendar
Because the Hijri year is about 11 days shorter, the Hijri months that December spans change every year. The calendar above shows the Hijri date under each day, and the occasions list shows what falls in December this year. To convert any other date, use the Hijri–Gregorian Converter.
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