Delaware gazette and state journal., 1896-01-09
CURlOSlTIES OF THE CALENDAR,

Thr1uGb bout Seven Years There wiz he No
February .Oth After IsO6-No Leap Year
IN 1900.
New York Herald.
The Introduction of an additional
day into the calendar once in four
years ls necessary to prevent the aver
age year from being too short. At the
same time it makes the average year
a little too long. This additional length
is 30 slight that it accumulates very
slowly. Nevertheless, ii does accumu-
late, and by tho end of u century it
amounts to nearly day. For that rea-
son once in 100 years the additional
day which marks a year as leap year is
omitted, and the average length of the
year is reduced
The English law determined in l751
on reforms in the calendar and from
those we draw and use. The original
determination of the calendar was
made by the Pope, and afterward it
was adopted by all the countries except
Russia and the East. From January
18th, 1852, the civil year was made 10
begin on theat date, and not on March
LIST, as many had it. In the same year
II days were dropped from the calen.
dar, from the third to the 18th, inclu Z
sive, SO that what would have been thel
lith became the 3D..
With this change effected the remain i
der of the calendar followed its usual
course. BY this change the day which
would have been December 25th be-
came january 9th. 1t was from this
that the latter derived its name of Old
Christmas Day.
The further regulation of the calendar
occurred in emitting the year $500 from
the number of leap years. Therefore
in 1901 Old Christmas Day fell on Jan
uary 18th, and from that time until this
that is the day Of the month called by
that name.
In Riders British Merlin" for 1901
we find it stated that ll0O ia not to be
a leap year, while 1901 is to be the
fifth year after bissextie, or leap year,
and the first year Of the 20th century.
For this century the first leap year was
1904, which is described as such in the
almanacs which were then current.
One old almanac for 1900, Moore's,
names the year as the fourth after
bsseXtile, or leap year, and then states
that, in spite of its being the fourth
year from leap year 1876, tho month
of February had only % days. Follow
ing this fashion, 1902 il called the
sixth year after hissextile, and 1903 the
seventh.
Curious as all this appears to us,
it is precisely what we will soon do.
Throughout seven years there will be
no February goth after 1896 All Of
the births and other events which oc-
Cured on that unfortunate day of the
month will have no opportunity TO,
celebrate their anniversary. That &C.
centric date, February Goth, will then
have an opportunity for renown brought
on by its absence.
the calendar adjustment by which
those matters were arranged reaches
forward TO distance that is startling
to one whose term Of ife is the 10
years of man. 1t declared that the
years 1900, 1900, 2l0O, 2200, or any
other Tooth year in time to come shall
consist Of 800 days and no more. But
the fact also remains that this adjust
mcnt of the calendar was not quite ac-
curate. The one day omitted once in
the century made the average year
very little too short.
To remedy this defect tho adjusters.
made the following exception to the
rule making the Tooth year of 800 days,
except every 400th year beginning with
the year 1000. These years will be leap
years, that is the years 2000, 2i00, $500,
32O0, will have February Goth. But
their days are not OF great concern to
us.