Fructidor

Fructidor was the twelfth and final month of the French Republican Calendar. It was in effect from 1793 to 1805. The name "Fructidor" is derived from the Latin words "fructus" meaning fruit and "dor" meaning gift, reflecting the month's association with the harvest and ripe fruits. It typically fell in the latter half of August and the first half of September in the Gregorian calendar.

The Republican Calendar, established during the French Revolution, aimed to rationalize timekeeping and break from religious and monarchical traditions. Fructidor, like all months in the calendar, was divided into three ten-day weeks called décades. The days of Fructidor were named after fruits, flowers, or agricultural implements. For example, the first day was Fruitier, the second was Vésicule, and so on.

Fructidor marked the end of the agricultural year and was a time of abundance and gathering the season's produce. The calendar itself was eventually abolished by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1805, and France returned to the Gregorian calendar. The memory of Fructidor persists primarily in historical contexts and as a reminder of the revolutionary attempt to reshape French society.