Chamorro Calendar

The ancient Chamorros measured the year from harvest to harvest. According to Cunningham (1992), Sakkan (year) means harvest. He said that the year was divided into thirteen moons, and that each moon seems to have been associated with something that was happening at that time of year. For instance, he said that Umatalaf was the time to catch red snappers (gatafe). This further reminds me of an interview I had with my father regarding how the full moon is a sign for our Chamorro farmers to pick land crabs, as there would be an abundance that would come out during that time of the day. This was part of a lunar calendar that our people used.

The Ancient Chamorro Calendar included the following:
January: Tumaiguine
February: Maimo
March: Umatalaf – to go catch gataffe (red snapper)
April: Lumuhu – to go back, to return to the attack
May: Makmamao
June: Mananaf or Fananaf
July: Semo
August: Tenhos
September: Lumamlam or Lamlam
October: Fanggualo’ or Fa’gualo – planting time
November: Sumongsong
December: Umayanggan – season of slight but frequent showers
Umagahaf or Omagahaf – to get crayfish


Source:
Cunningham, L.J. (1992). Ancient Chamorro Society. Honolulu, HI: Bess Press.