Like many countries, Japan uses a 12-month calendar. The names are very simple. January is literally “Month one” 一月, February is “Month two” 二月, etc.
However, before the Meiji Restoration (mid-1800s) it was common to use an older 12-month system. These months’ names referenced the weather and the seasons (similar to the French Revolutionary calendar).
December is 師走.
師 can refer to a teacher, a mentor, often in a religious sense. In this context it means a monk.
走 means “running”.
In December, monks are super busy preparing for the New Year’s festival, hence why the last month of the year is literally “the month of running monks”.
Calligraphy by Vicky 