Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1881-01-04
"THE YEAR,

The beginning of new year suggests
among other thoughts that of the origin
of that period, what is, it and the history
of the present arrangement. 1t seems
so natural that any day of the month
should come at the same season OF the
year that is, that the 4th of July, for in
stance, should always come in the heat
of Summer and Christmas always in the
cold of winter, that we take it for grant
ed that these days, though by another
name have always,occurred at this time.
In fact the arrangement of the year is
the result of careful adjusting extern
ing over many centuries, and as far as
the English-speaking world is concern
ed, not brought to its present form un-
til 1852. AS the Mail proposes to be
family as well as political paper, we
feel assured that articles of popular but
instructive character with not be unwel-
come, and in this we propose to give as
concisely as possible, some account of
the changes that have taken place, re
sulting in the present period called
"year."
In very early times, the Moon regu-
lated the year, and twelve lunatlons, or
periods from new moon to new moon
make 354 days. Hence the year was
divided into II months. The eleven
days difference between the lunar and
the true or solar year might pass unno-
ticed. as nothing more than happens
now in the variation of the seasons, one
year with another. But when these
eleven days had been multiplied by 2
and 8. the error of % or 80 days made a
marked difference in the name of the
time at which the natural changes &C.
Cured. For instance, the last of April
would back up to the vernal equinox.
All business, such as agriculture, de
pending upon the seasons, would be
thrown into confusion, as the day and
month would give no indications of the
exact time of the year according to sea-
sons. The.more advanced nations, there
fore abandoned the moon, and regulated
the year by the course of the sun. The
M onth, however, being convenient
period of time, retained its place in the
calendar, but it has no longer any con-
nection with the moon. 1t denotes an
arbitrary number of days app1 oaching
the twelfth part of a year. The months
themselves have undergone many chan
ges.
The problem in the arrangement of
the civil or artificial year, is to make it
SO correspond with the natural or solar
year, that the same natural events shall
y
is, that the equinoxeS shall always occur
on the same day Of the month. To de-
termine the solar year the ancients used
a very simple plan they erected a post
on level surface. When at midday
the shadow of this post was shortest it
indicated the summer solstice, and when
longest, the winter sOlstice. The num-
Der of days from the winter soistice the
next was found to be 365. Subsequent
and more accurate methods showed it
to be 365} days.
AS Cur calendar has been received from
the Romans, it will be both interesting
and instructive % review its history
from it's inaccurateNe beginnings, when it
had to be corrected constantly, to its pre-
sent refinement Of accul.:y, which pre-
vents the error of even sllgle day IL a |
Thousand centuries. The Romans orr
ginally divided the year iEto 10 menSes,
beginning with March, IS is ind Gated
by the names September 9TH, October
(Sth), November 9th }, December e0th).
July and August were anclentiy allied
Quintilis 10TH and SeXtilis 9th. These
names were changed in compliment to
julius and Augustus Caesar.
Under Numa, the second Ling of
Rome, the two months Of Janury and
February were carved out OF tie others.
January was placed at the eginning
and received it's name fror the god
Janus, who, with his two faes, looked
both ways. January stood the be
ginning of the year, and by 1tname the
worthy people under that god King
Numa were reminded to looKback over
the past year, review all their'hoortcom,,
ings and mistakes, and to lo0 forward
to The new wear with better Intentions
and renewed hopes. Fe6rary was
placed after December, or Immediately
before January, but was Tegaded as the
last month of the year. IL Ws SO called
frem the Sabine words meanl g; Jesttgdt
If Durifcatio1s, which festiya was cele-
h. a Refdg on the 18th of that moth. This
NJ NJ sce was held by February, until the
lime of the Decenvirs 4541B @. The
,nonths consisted alternat@y of 30 and
20 DAYS, making in all 3o4 days to cor
respond with the revolutloIpf the moon;
ME theory of -'luck in Oh numbers"
was an .,rticle Of faith Will Inc Romans,
soNthey added one day to otain That &C
vantaSe. AS this year hadlll the disad-
vsnSae,es of not coincidin@ith the ma
turaK " cal and of all the col 9slon result
ing tl,kreirom, it was reff died. or at
y Z n