The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1877-01-20
The Months.

FRENCH REPUBLICAN cALE<DAE--
CURIOUS Ne4E>CLATCRE- SANEs OF
EHE MONTHS
L calendar month originally Na, the
period Of the moons revolution round
the earth This occupied about thirty
days or the avcrsgc--ty $50 in the
year The aucien; Egyptians made the
year consist # 35i days The Jews
still hare twelve lunar months, each of
four we,k>. adding 81 = thirteenth. -
make up the fgll runlO-r If dave. a.,
the Iacsdon,aus aud >yrians did the
same
The Roman year originally consisted
OF tsn months IL th= tim. al their
kings, they inlde their year ran through
twelve lunar months. occasionally tack-
ing on thirteenth. t. keep the c3un.
Of the tine correct. This causei con-
fusion for centuries. until. forty six year,
before the Christian era, Julius C.s.ar
introduced thr Julian Calendar, hy
which each year was 30 days. with an
additional day added every fourth year,
10 make what we call Ieap-year
The Julian Calendar was adopted by
all Christian nations. though i, made
the year eleven minutes and ten seconds
less than the ectual time. Ia 1852 years
after the birth of Christ, this little er-
ror in time had mounted Up 10 teu com.
plete days. Pope Gregory XIII ordered,
to set the matter right, that ten days
should be deducted from the year 1889.
whereby the 9TH became the 18TH of
October.
In Catholic countries this change, in
stituting the Gregorisn Calendar, was
generally adopted Sooner or later ali
Christian countries acceded to il lRussla
excepted )-England. which dld not
make the change until 1862, being the
la>t to adopt it.
Caesar gave 10 most Of tie months
the number Of days which they still
have. The months, all The world over
retain their old Roman names, but two
notable alterations were made-eariy in
the ninth century. by Charlemagne.
who desired that the names should
express qualities, and in the year 1893,
by tho Fr"nch Republic This latter
calendar was suppressed, and the OLD
mon'h-names restored. by Napoleon.
ca'ly IN the present &C atnry.
Mr.. Thomas Car!ylc speaks. in hi.
French Revolution" Of the French
Republican Calendar as "Romme's.
have taken pains TO ascertain, and find
that Gilbert komme. = French Revolu-
uonist, was member Of the National
pt,s 81, .,
of Louis XVI la September. 1893,
he presented his reformed calendar
His plan was that the year should
consist of four equal seasons. twelve
months of thirty days each As there
would be five days more required IN
cacl. ordinary year. there were added
as the Festivals Of Genius, of Labor, of
Action, Of Rewards. OF Opinion; ard
every fourth year sixth was Ia be ad-
dcd-the Festival of the Revolution.
Instead Of beginning on the frs. day
Of January, the Year One. as it was
called. it began on September u. 1892
close OH the Nernal Equinox. AT mid
night fer the meridian of Paris.
Thus September -, 1902. was the
first day of the first year Of French lib
erty, The number Of days in each
month WAS changed Here are the new
names: September became Ieademaire.
wine producing; October was Bramajre.
foggy; November was f'roma.rf. frosty;
These three made the autumn.
December was A.coat. snowy, Janus-
~ was Piaros>, rainy: February was
Ieafose. windy. These were the winter
March was Gcrm{aG}, budding April
WAS F'or,R, tlowery, May was Prairdi,,
mcadowal. These We're the >Ering
jane WAS E~stdor, teaping: July was
ThGms}or, hot, August was Frec'i{or.
fruit bearing These made the summer
season.
This new nomenclature WAS much
ridiculed hy :he anti-repubIican wits OF
London George Ellis. man ot l,ttcrs,
anti republican. apd friend Of Walter
Scott, translated 1t thus: Autumn r
squcczy. sneezy, freely: wlnter-slippy.
drippy, n;ppy, spring sho~efy, flow
cry, bowery; summer-hoppy, croppy.
p"pry,
January. the first month o. our year.
derives its name from Janus. AL aaoient
Roman divinity. supposed to have been
the oldest of the gods worshippe1 in
Italy. He presided over the beginning
Of every year. every month. every week,
every day. and indeed Of every under
taking /, WAS a highly poeticai ilca
~ represent Janus with two faces. ~ /.
a. 'he bteiunlng of a year. he WAS Look
inc back at { le PAS, and forward So the
future
February derives itS name from the
circumstance that during tin, month
occurred the Romsn festival called thc
Februales. from the Latin word 'sA-
raart, 10 purify Among the Romans
/, bad twenty nine days for centuries
bat when the Senate declared that the
eighth month should hsar The pamc OF
Augustus. a ,iay WAS 'ak,n from Feb
rGary and given L. August. which had
then only thirty, tia. y might r. nn
tncricslly not iuteriar II ialy
When tire British cal~nltr was al
tered. February vs. rot allowed K
take back the day that Il htl tha> beem
robbed - Nay. mose-ly that alter
alton. il lost Is tweuty-'..uth !st II Itl'
| first year ot l>oo, 1890 -0ao. ant al IL
5Ure centuries. LcAp-year 's alvsyt
knowu by four being Invisible ito |
! as in 1875, without leaving = vcal ain
! 3er The year l9oa = - ,.i>I.l.,e bI'
| will not Re 5 .aapyesr
| March. originally ,he FIRST Roma;
month. obviously 'o.k 4 - uAuse fraa
MArs. the goa # wag. because i, va
claimed that kamulD> Who seanttes
, Rome. wa~ thc >,n e Mars Tbs mos.t,