The Sotho Calendar

In the Sesotho (southern Sotho, SeTswana is the northern Sotho), we find more treasures in which there are other names for the months of the year and the days in a week - that reflect Biblical themes. Also when the year starts, will differ from our inherited Roman Calendar. People need to start asking the difficult questions, like How are we supposed to tell time when Times has already been changed? How will you find the Sabbath and the Feast days by using a Roman Calendar? The answer is simple, look to Nature. These names of the months, we find reflected in some of the old ways in Southern Africa, that has a connection still with SoNiNi and His Created Natural world - with a focus on agriculture and husbandry. Now, Lets dive into Sotho ways of telling time !

So then we publish this article, the year has already started depending on where you are situated in Southern Africa and 2026/2027 (or whichever year you are counting from). The first Full Moon of this year started the year in August/September. You should be able to calculate each and every feast time and Sabbath (Samba) from this original outset. We will try to publish small snippet articles throughout the year, on the Roman Calendar date - commemorating each and every day of importance according to Scripture. And we will not stop reminding people of the Sabbath. We are still meant to keep it. We know people are less interested in this, on account of the implications and trials you as an individual might have to go through to be able to keep it. Like your job, is very hard to keep, unless you are a farmer or self-employed. Then it can easily be incorporated in your life. Otherwise, very few managers and bosses will be understanding when it comes to being away every Seventh day. They wont look to kindly towards that. Anyways, just a reminder for people that the Sabbath is one of these life changing teachings. SoNiNis Calendar.

Now, back to the Sotho Calendar these names below are considered Deep Sotho, but will be used by TV pundits and broadcasters, so they are more common than the English and Latin derivate, the imported "alien" months we all know too well. Still the names of the seasons, months (likhoeli) and days of the week remain in the minds of the public and most Sotho speakers. Now the likhoeli indicate a special time in nature and are tied to agricultural events (just like in Scripture) which all happen within their given periods. Now anyone that has been to Lesotho knows the region is now semi-arid, and having knowledge of the rains and seasons are - (just like anywhere else) life dependant.

Now the year starts roughly around the month of August, when the seeds are planted in anticipation for the coming month and its explosion of greenery. The Xhosa and the Zulu calendar we have found will start the year in June and July/August, all depending on the signs in Nature. Swatis push this again a bit further out. Feast of First fruit are very much on point, a long with the Virgin dance. Back to Zulu and Xhosa, we say that both of these remnant tribes AND PLEASE remember here are many within these abbreviation of amaXhosa: amaMpondomise, Thembu, Mfengu, Bonmvana, house of Phalo, the list goes on - and within amaZulu with tribes like Mthethwa, Qwabe, Buthelezi, and this list goes on again. Mentioning these and others within modern Xhosa and Zulu abbreviations, Ngunis and house of Naphtali - noticing through all these Tribes a common denominator that is very Biblical - imbedded in their culture and ancient readings of the sky - the allowance of a possible 13th month in the year. Now what that means for us in KZN is the same, it is often the month of planting and sowing, in which period we are now in for August and September. It will very soon be too hot to plant anything here and the seeds will simply cook away in the summer heat. I am very glad we are not turning or planting this year.

So, without further - Here is what the Sothos say:

Phato (August) - comes from fata (dig), and as the fields are ploughed and prepared for the month of growth.

Loetse (September) – comes from the milk has spilled over, is when the grass grows and the cows grow fat from eating the new and nitrogen rich grass. The saying goes that the cattle give so much milk, hence the expression lebese lo etse (the milk has spilled over).

Mphalane (October) – comes from a shortening of the noun Mphalane-ya-leshoma, which means the flower shoots of the boophone disticha plant, it is the time when this plant flowers and gives its offshoots.

Pulungoana (November) – comes from pudumo, which means wildebeest, and is the time when they give birth to their young.

Ts'itoe (December) – comes from tshitwe, a type of grasshopper, at this time they come all in a large number. And since the cattle gives less milk at this time it is said that they are being milked by the grasshoppers.

Pherekhong (January) – the crops begin to grow large and bird-scarers set up camp in their fields. They erect small structures and phera ka khong (set up the rafters using old pieces of dried wood)

Hlakola (February) - is when the sorghum plants start to release a white substance (modula) which gives the signal that soon there will be ears of corn. As these ears of corn spring forth, we see the white substance being taken off or kinda swiped off - like a swoosh ! There fore we have the shortening of the full word which is hlakola-modula.

Hlakubela (March) - now all the sorghum grains are visible and the areal threat number one for any fruit or bud farmer comes. Namely brids will start to snack. So this name comes from tlhaku tsa mabele (Sorghum Grains).

'Mesa (April) – there are large numbers of a certain species of grasshopper known as mohlwane. Herd boys make fires at night and eat roasted maize with mohlwane. This gave rise to the proverb Mmesa mohlwane ha a panye (one needs to be diligent when doing a job, lit. the mohlwane roaster does not blink); the name comes from the first word in this proverb mmesa (the roaster).

Mots'eanong (May) – the sorghum grains have become hard – too hard for the birds to eat them. It is said that the plants are laughing at the birds, and the name is a contraction of motsheha dinong (the one who laughs at the birds).

Phuptjane (June) – this is the beginning of Winter, and all plants seem to die and many wild animals leave on migrations. It is said that Nature is holding back on life. The name means "a small holding back" and is a diminutive of the name of the following month.

Phupu (July) – everything seems completely dead and lifeless. Nature is holding back completely.

Now then, we have come to the seasons, which in Sesotho culture usually has two seasons (dihla), however there are names for 4 seasons.

1. SELEMO / SPRING - when the crops should have been planted at the very start of Spring. Selemo comes from the root LEMA (plant). This would start in August or September on the Roman calendar.

2. LEHLABULA / SUMMER - a name used for both spring and summer

3. LEHWETLA or HWETLA / AUTUMN - Here we can actually find some traces back to PROTO Bantu (very close to Hebrew), and this word would have sounded like GINJA (hot weather or season)

4. MARI-GAH or Mariah / WINTER - another very old Bantu word (again from the Proto Bantu) TIKA (Cold weather or Cold Seasons, Cold Nights)

Now the Sotho weekdays is one of the VERY FEW African Bantu language calendars that still reflects the ancient calendar, as you can see in the names of the days. So the 7 week days, does really not work in the calendar of starting to follow the moon. Which is what the ancient people did. So the names for the strict 7 days are then off course a never invention. The names of the days (libeke) are still very interesting, as they tell time like the Bible:

1. Manthaha (letsatsi la FIRST DAY)

2. Laboleli (letsatsi la bobedi)

3. Laboraro (letsatsi la boraro)

4. Labone (letsatsi la bone)

5. Labohlano (letsatsi la bohlano)

6. Moqebelo (seems like a borrow from Xhosa, ukugqiba - to finish/accomplish)

7. Lamorena (Sontaha - The Day of Morena/Lord)

These days and ways of telling days are more Biblical then ANY other calendar we have found in Southern Africa. With focus on the times of the season, sometimes allowing for the shapes of the moon at different times of the year, and a deep focus on agriculture. Not a calendar based on the Suns movements in Europe. No Solstice nonsense. Just the sky and the time of the year. The ways of the sun on a dial and way of telling time is Roman, not African. It may even be Egyptian in its pure origin. It is sun-worship. It is worship of Ra and Amen. Amun Dei. The main problem is, nobody uses the moon and its seasonal shapes to tell time anymore. Like the Bible tells us on literally tits first page. We should be following this. Like SoNiNi naNiNi told us to do. Genesis 1,14. Easy to find, check it. Lets bring this back.

SoNiNi unathi