# Sansculottides

The Sansculottides (French pronunciation:; also Epagomènes; French: Sans-culottides, Sanculottides, jours complémentaires, jours épagomènes) are holidays following the last month of the year on the French Republican calendar which was used following the French Revolution from approximately 1793 to 1805.
The Sansculottides, named after the sans-culottes, append the twelve, 30-day months of the Republican Calendar with five complementary days in a common year or six complementary days in a leap year, so that the calendar year would approximately match the tropical year. They follow the last day of Fructidor, the last month of the year, and precede the first day of Vendémiaire.
Each of the Sansculottides were assigned as one of the ten days of the week. Even though the five or six days were less than a full week, the following 1 Vendémiaire would still be a primidi, skipping four or five days of the week. The Sansculottides belong to the summer quarter. They begin on 17 or 18 September and approximately the end on the autumn equinox, on 22 or 23 September on the Gregorian calendar.
Conversion between Republican and Gregorian calendar for the years I - XIV :
| 1 | Jours complémentaires | I |
| Jour de la vertu Jour du génie Jour du travail Jour de l'opinion Jour des récompenses décade 37 1 Tuesday 17 September 1793 2 Wednesday 18 September 1793 3 Thursday 19 September 1793 4 Friday 20 September 1793 5 Saturday 21 September 1793 | Jour de la vertu Jour du génie Jour du travail Jour de l'opinion Jour des récompenses décade 37 1 Tuesday 17 September 1793 2 Wednesday 18 September 1793 3 Thursday 19 September 1793 4 Friday 20 September 1793 5 Saturday 21 September 1793 | 10 h 8:23:40 19:45:42 24 h |
| 2 | Jours complémentaires | II |
| Jour de la vertu Jour du génie Jour du travail Jour de l'opinion Jour des récompenses décade 37 1 Wednesday 17 September 1794 2 Thursday 18 September 1794 3 Friday 19 September 1794 4 Saturday 20 September 1794 5 Sunday 21 September 1794 | Jour de la vertu Jour du génie Jour du travail Jour de l'opinion Jour des récompenses décade 37 1 Wednesday 17 September 1794 2 Thursday 18 September 1794 3 Friday 19 September 1794 4 Saturday 20 September 1794 5 Sunday 21 September 1794 | 10 h 8:23:40 19:45:42 24 h |
| 3 | Jours complémentaires | III |
| Jour de la vertu Jour du génie Jour du travail Jour de l'opinion Jour des récompenses Jour de la révolution décade 37 1 Thursday 17 September 1795 2 Friday 18 September 1795 3 Saturday 19 September 1795 4 Sunday 20 September 1795 5 Monday 21 September 1795 6 Tuesday 22 September 1795 | Jour de la vertu Jour du génie Jour du travail Jour de l'opinion Jour des récompenses Jour de la révolution décade 37 1 Thursday 17 September 1795 2 Friday 18 September 1795 3 Saturday 19 September 1795 4 Sunday 20 September 1795 5 Monday 21 September 1795 6 Tuesday 22 September 1795 | 10 h 8:23:40 19:45:42 24 h |
| 4 | Jours complémentaires | IV |
| Jour de la vertu Jour du génie Jour du travail Jour de l'opinion Jour des récompenses décade 37 1 Saturday 17 September 1796 2 Sunday 18 September 1796 3 Monday 19 September 1796 4 Tuesday 20 September 1796 5 Wednesday 21 September 1796 | Jour de la vertu Jour du génie Jour du travail Jour de l'opinion Jour des récompenses décade 37 1 Saturday 17 September 1796 2 Sunday 18 September 1796 3 Monday 19 September 1796 4 Tuesday 20 September 1796 5 Wednesday 21 September 1796 | 10 h 8:23:40 19:45:42 24 h |
| 5 | Jours complémentaires | V |
| Jour de la vertu Jour du génie Jour du travail Jour de l'opinion Jour des récompenses décade 37 1 Sunday 17 September 1797 2 Monday 18 September 1797 3 Tuesday 19 September 1797 4 Wednesday 20 September 1797 5 Thursday 21 September 1797 | Jour de la vertu Jour du génie Jour du travail Jour de l'opinion Jour des récompenses décade 37 1 Sunday 17 September 1797 2 Monday 18 September 1797 3 Tuesday 19 September 1797 4 Wednesday 20 September 1797 5 Thursday 21 September 1797 | 10 h 8:23:40 19:45:42 24 h |
| 6 | Jours complémentaires | VI |
| Jour de la vertu Jour du génie Jour du travail Jour de l'opinion Jour des récompenses décade 37 1 Monday 17 September 1798 2 Tuesday 18 September 1798 3 Wednesday 19 September 1798 4 Thursday 20 September 1798 5 Friday 21 September 1798 | Jour de la vertu Jour du génie Jour du travail Jour de l'opinion Jour des récompenses décade 37 1 Monday 17 September 1798 2 Tuesday 18 September 1798 3 Wednesday 19 September 1798 4 Thursday 20 September 1798 5 Friday 21 September 1798 | 10 h 8:23:40 19:45:42 24 h |
| 7 | Jours complémentaires | VII |
| Jour de la vertu Jour du génie Jour du travail Jour de l'opinion Jour des récompenses Jour de la révolution décade 37 1 Tuesday 17 September 1799 2 Wednesday 18 September 1799 3 Thursday 19 September 1799 4 Friday 20 September 1799 5 Saturday 21 September 1799 6 Sunday 22 September 1799 | Jour de la vertu Jour du génie Jour du travail Jour de l'opinion Jour des récompenses Jour de la révolution décade 37 1 Tuesday 17 September 1799 2 Wednesday 18 September 1799 3 Thursday 19 September 1799 4 Friday 20 September 1799 5 Saturday 21 September 1799 6 Sunday 22 September 1799 | 10 h 8:23:40 19:45:42 24 h |
| 8 | Jours complémentaires | VIII |
| Jour de la vertu Jour du génie Jour du travail Jour de l'opinion Jour des récompenses décade 37 1 Thursday 18 September 1800 2 Friday 19 September 1800 3 Saturday 20 September 1800 4 Sunday 21 September 1800 5 Monday 22 September 1800 | Jour de la vertu Jour du génie Jour du travail Jour de l'opinion Jour des récompenses décade 37 1 Thursday 18 September 1800 2 Friday 19 September 1800 3 Saturday 20 September 1800 4 Sunday 21 September 1800 5 Monday 22 September 1800 | 10 h 8:23:40 19:45:42 24 h |
| 9 | Jours complémentaires | IX |
| Jour de la vertu Jour du génie Jour du travail Jour de l'opinion Jour des récompenses décade 37 1 Friday 18 September 1801 2 Saturday 19 September 1801 3 Sunday 20 September 1801 4 Monday 21 September 1801 5 Tuesday 22 September 1801 | Jour de la vertu Jour du génie Jour du travail Jour de l'opinion Jour des récompenses décade 37 1 Friday 18 September 1801 2 Saturday 19 September 1801 3 Sunday 20 September 1801 4 Monday 21 September 1801 5 Tuesday 22 September 1801 | 10 h 8:23:40 19:45:42 24 h |
| 10 | Jours complémentaires | X |
| Jour de la vertu Jour du génie Jour du travail Jour de l'opinion Jour des récompenses décade 37 1 Saturday 18 September 1802 2 Sunday 19 September 1802 3 Monday 20 September 1802 4 Tuesday 21 September 1802 5 Wednesday 22 September 1802 | Jour de la vertu Jour du génie Jour du travail Jour de l'opinion Jour des récompenses décade 37 1 Saturday 18 September 1802 2 Sunday 19 September 1802 3 Monday 20 September 1802 4 Tuesday 21 September 1802 5 Wednesday 22 September 1802 | 10 h 8:23:40 19:45:42 24 h |
| 11 | Jours complémentaires | XI |
| Jour de la vertu Jour du génie Jour du travail Jour de l'opinion Jour des récompenses Jour de la révolution décade 37 1 Sunday 18 September 1803 2 Monday 19 September 1803 3 Tuesday 20 September 1803 4 Wednesday 21 September 1803 5 Thursday 22 September 1803 6 Friday 23 September 1803 | Jour de la vertu Jour du génie Jour du travail Jour de l'opinion Jour des récompenses Jour de la révolution décade 37 1 Sunday 18 September 1803 2 Monday 19 September 1803 3 Tuesday 20 September 1803 4 Wednesday 21 September 1803 5 Thursday 22 September 1803 6 Friday 23 September 1803 | 10 h 8:23:40 19:45:42 24 h |
| 12 | Jours complémentaires | XII |
| Jour de la vertu Jour du génie Jour du travail Jour de l'opinion Jour des récompenses décade 37 1 Tuesday 18 September 1804 2 Wednesday 19 September 1804 3 Thursday 20 September 1804 4 Friday 21 September 1804 5 Saturday 22 September 1804 | Jour de la vertu Jour du génie Jour du travail Jour de l'opinion Jour des récompenses décade 37 1 Tuesday 18 September 1804 2 Wednesday 19 September 1804 3 Thursday 20 September 1804 4 Friday 21 September 1804 5 Saturday 22 September 1804 | 10 h 8:23:40 19:45:42 24 h |
| 13 | Jours complémentaires | XIII |
| Jour de la vertu Jour du génie Jour du travail Jour de l'opinion Jour des récompenses décade 37 1 Wednesday 18 September 1805 2 Thursday 19 September 1805 3 Friday 20 September 1805 4 Saturday 21 September 1805 5 Sunday 22 September 1805 | Jour de la vertu Jour du génie Jour du travail Jour de l'opinion Jour des récompenses décade 37 1 Wednesday 18 September 1805 2 Thursday 19 September 1805 3 Friday 20 September 1805 4 Saturday 21 September 1805 5 Sunday 22 September 1805 | 10 h 8:23:40 19:45:42 24 h |
| 14 | Jours complémentaires | XIV |
| Jour de la vertu Jour du génie Jour du travail Jour de l'opinion Jour des récompenses décade 37 1 Thursday 18 September 1806 2 Friday 19 September 1806 3 Saturday 20 September 1806 4 Sunday 21 September 1806 5 Monday 22 September 1806 | Jour de la vertu Jour du génie Jour du travail Jour de l'opinion Jour des récompenses décade 37 1 Thursday 18 September 1806 2 Friday 19 September 1806 3 Saturday 20 September 1806 4 Sunday 21 September 1806 5 Monday 22 September 1806 | 10 h 8:23:40 19:45:42 24 h |

## History

In the decree of 5 October 1793 (le 14 du 1er mois de l'an II; later: le 14 Vendémiaire de l'an II) by the National Convention, the days following the last month of the year were named jours complémentaires and numbered serially. Only the leap day (jour intercalaire) received a name:
* 1. premier jour complémentaire — First Complementary Day
* 2. second jour complémentaire — Second Complementary Day
* 3. troisième jour complémentaire — Third Complementary Day
* 4. quatrième jour complémentaire — Fourth Complementary Day
* 5. cinquième jour complémentaire — Fifth Complementary Day
* 6. jour de la Révolution — Revolution Day
The other days, decades, and months were also serially numbered.
On 24 October (le 3 du 2e mois; later: le 3 Brumaire) of the same year, the poet Philippe-François-Nazaire Fabre, known as Fabre d'Églantine, made public his dislike of this naming convention ("le premier jour de la première décade du premier mois de la première année"). He suggested proper names for the months, the days of the months, and the days of the decades. For the jours complémentaires, he introduced the name Sansculottides. The individual days should have the following names:
* 1. fête du génie — Celebration of Talent
* 2. fête du travail — Celebration of Labour
* 3. fête des actions — Celebration of Policy
* 4. fête des récompenses — Celebration of Honors
* 5. fête de l’opinion — Celebration of Convictions
* 6. la Sans-culottide / la Sanculottide — (rough meaning:) "Recognition of the Uprising" or "Festival of the Masses" (in modern American parlance:) Festival of the 99%
According to the proposal by Fabre d'Églantine:
    The fête du génie should be dedicated to the most precious and, for the nation, most useful achievements of the human mind accomplished in the past year.
    The fête du travail should be focused on industry, physical labour, and production of useful things.
    On the fête des actions, good and beneficial policies should be praised that have been helpful, even if only of benefit to individuals rather than to the nation.
    On the fête des récompenses, people should be rewarded for the merits exemplifying the previous three days' mottos.
    On the fête de l’opinion, people should criticise the administration, without fear of punishment, in the form of songs, caricatures, and ironic and sarcastic speeches. By this, d'Églantine meant: "I dare to say that this one day will cause public servants to do their duty more than even the laws of a Draco ever could."
    The Sanculottide, celebrated in leap years, should be the celebration of national unity. Representatives from all parts of the country should meet each other in the capital and celebrate together.
On 24 November 1793 these proposals were accepted with slight modifications. It was decided that the name should be written fêtes Sansculotides (one 't'). The alternate spellings Sans-culotides and Sans-culottides were also used. The fête des actions was shifted to the first place and named fête de la vertu. The fête des récompenses went to the last place and the leap year day regained its old name:
* 1. fête de la vertu — Celebration of Virtue
* 2. fête du génie — Celebration of Talent
* 3. fête du travail — Celebration of Labour
* 4. fête de l’opinion — Celebration of Convictions
* 5. fête des récompenses — Celebration of Honors
* 6. fête de la Révolution — Celebration of the Revolution
On 24 August 1795 (le 7 Fructidor de l'an III), the Sansculottides were renamed again to jours complémentaires (Complementary Days). The fête du travail was also known as the fête du labour. The fête de l'opinion was also termed fête de l'option (Celebration of Choice) or fête de la raison (Celebration of Reason).
The Basque translation of the calendar for 1799 simply names the bethagail-egunak as bethagail-legun, bethagail-bigun,... ("complementary primidi", "complementary duodi",...).

## Conversion table

I.
II.
IV.
V.
VI. :
| Fête de la vertu | Fête du génie | Fête du travail | Fête de l'opinion | Fête des recompenses |
| 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| September 1793 1794 1796 1797 1798 |||||
III.
VII. :
| Fête de la vertu | Fête du génie | Fête du travail | Fête de l'opinion | Fête des recompenses | Fête de la révolution |
| 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
| September 1795 1799 ||||||
VIII.
IX.
X.
XII.
XIII. :
| Fête de la vertu | Fête du génie | Fête du travail | Fête de l'opinion | Fête des recompenses |
| 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
| September 1800 1801 1802 1804 1805 |||||
XI. :
| Fête de la vertu | Fête du génie | Fête du travail | Fête de l'opinion | Fête des recompenses | Fête de la révolution |
| 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
| September 1803 ||||||