The Cherokee calendar is traditionally defined as a Lunar calendar marked by 13 moon cycles of 28 days.[note 1] Each cycle was accompanied by a ceremony. In order to rectify the Cherokee calendar with that of the Julian calendar, these cycles were reduced to 12. The seasonal round of ceremonies was integral to Cherokee society. It was considered an important spiritual element for social cohesion and a way to bring all the Cherokee clans together.
The Cherokee, like many other Native tribes, used the number of scutes on the backs of certain species of turtles to determine their calendar cycle. The scutes around the edge added up to 28, the same number of days as in a lunar cycle, while the center contained 13 larger scutes, representing the 13 moon cycles of a year.[1][2]
Cherokee priests, known as ᎠᏂᎫᏔᏂ (A-ni-ku-ta-ni), defined the 13 ceremonies as listed below. The common names in English are listed followed by their names in Cherokee syllabics, the Cherokee name's transcription in the Latin alphabet in parentheses, and a literal translation of the Cherokee name for some of the moons.[3]
With the expansion of Euro-American influences in North America, the Cherokee adapted their calendar to the widely accepted Julian calendar. As such the 13-moon phase calendar was gradually replaced by a 12-month calendar. However, the months were still associated with ceremonies and are still practiced by traditional Cherokee today.
Below is a list of months according to the Julian calendar followed by their Latin transliterated Kituwah and Overhill dialect name and then Cherokee syllabics for each dialect.[4][5][6][7]
| Month | Kituwah Name 1 | Kituwah Syllabics | Overhill Name1 | Overhill Syllabics |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | U-no-lv-ta-na | ᎤᏃᎸᏔᎾ | U-no-lv-ta-ni | ᎤᏃᎸᏔᏂ |
| February | Ka-ga-li | ᎧᎦᎵ | Ka-ga-li | ᎧᎦᎵ |
| March | A-nvh-yi | ᎠᏅᏱ | A-na-yi-li-sv | ᎠᎾᏱᎵᏒ |
| April | Ka-woh-ni | ᎧᏬᏂ | Gu-wo-ni | ᎫᏬᏂ |
| May | A-n(i)-s-gv-ti | ᎠᏂᏍᎨᏘ | A-na-s-gv-ti | ᎠᎾᏍᎬᏘ |
| June | De-ha-lu-yi | ᏕᎭᎷᏱ | De-ha-lu-yi | ᏕᎭᎷᏱ |
| July | Ku-ye-gwo-na | ᎫᏰᏉᎾ | Gu-ye-quo-ni | ᎫᏰᏉᏂ |
| August | Ga-lo-ne-e | ᎦᎶᏁᎡ | Ga-lo-ni | ᎦᎶᏂ |
| September | Du-li-s-di | ᏚᎵᏍᏗ | Du-li-s-di | ᏚᎵᏍᏗ |
| October | Du-ni-n(i)h-di | ᏚᏂᏂᏗ | Du-ni-no-di | ᏚᏂᏃᏗ |
| November | Nv-da-de-gwa | ᏅᏓᏕᏆ | Nv-da-de-qua | ᏅᏓᏕᏆ |
| December | U-s-ki-ya | ᎤᏍᎩᏯ | V-s-gi-yi | ᎥᏍᎩᏱ |
Below is a list of months as they appeared in ethnological studies and books of the Cherokee people from 1894 into the late 20th century, with Julian calendar name followed by Cherokee names and finally the meanings and associations:
| Month | Cherokee Name | Meanings/Associations |
|---|---|---|
| January | UnolvtanaorUnâlatŭni[8] | "windblown"[9][10] |
| February | KagaʔliorGŭgăli[8] | "month when the stars and moon are fixed in the heavens"[9] |
| March | Anvhyi | referring to strawberries (anŭ)[10] |
| April | KawohniorKùwáni[8] | "duck" as in "when the ducks return", "ducks swim in ponds month"[9][10] |
| May | Anisgvti, Ansgvti,[8] | month of strawberries[9] or making pottery (ŭntĭ),[10] |
| June | Dehaluyi,[8] | Green Corn ceremony, blackberry month[9] |
| July | Kuyegwona,[8] | huckleberry month[9] |
| August | Gaʔloni,[8] | wild grapes month,[9] refers to drying up of the streams[10] |
| September | Dulisdi,[8] | translation unknown, Bounding Bush Feast[9] |
| October | Dunihidi, Duninhdi,[8] | harvestime month, Great New Moon Ceremony[9] |
| November | Nvdadequa, Nvdadeqwa,[8] | big moon month[9] [10] |
| December | Vsdgiyi, Vskihyi,[8] | translation unknown[9] |
Below are the seasons of the year with relatable names from Mooney in 1894, the Kituwah and Overhill dialects and their respective Syllabics.
| Season | Name and Meaning per Mooney[10] | Kituwah Name (Syllabics)[7] | Overhill Name (Syllabics)[6] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | Gagéyl, "near the summer" | Go-ge-yi (ᎪᎨᏱ) | Go-ge-yi (ᎪᎨᏱ) |
| Summer | Gagi, | Go-gi (ᎪᎩ) | Go-gi (ᎪᎩ) |
| Autumn | Ulăgăhûstû (refers to falling of the leaves) | U-la-go-ho-s-di (ᎤᎳᎪᎰᏍᏗ) | U-la-go-hv-s-di (ᎤᎳᎪᎲᏍᏗ) |
| Winter | Gâlû | Go-la (ᎪᎳ) | Go-la (ᎪᎳ) |
