Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1896-01-17
The Calendar.


leap year that will occur until 1904, it may
be Opportune to trace briefly the progress
and development of our calendar that
reached its present degree of perfection in
1882. The two natural divisions of time
the day and the year-were found by the
ancient peoples to be insufficient for general
purposes; hence they sought TO divide the
year into component parts AS "A convenience
| fol- recording ever-recurring events, and es-
| pecialy TO fix some correct point TO mark
the beginning and end of the year. The
revolution of the moon appears TO have
suggested the division OF the year into
months, lunation being about 20 IL days,
and one-fourth of a lunation would consti-
tute week. This early and original meth
cd of dividing time is found in the calen-
dars of the lsraelites and the Egyptians,
but it appears not TO have been adopted by
the Greeks or Romans.
The old Egyptian calendar contained II
months Of 80 days each, making the year
to consist of $50 days. As a solar year
contains 365 days, there were five days at
the end of the year that had no place IN the
calendar-odd days that did not appear TO
belong to the old or new year The conse-
quence was that the calendar would make
a complete retrograde revolution in AGO
tude. only a few years would elapse before
confusion and discrepancy between the
calendar and true time would be manifest
and a great perplexity. In order to reg
ulate the discrepancy and produce har-
mony between the calendar and solar time,
the new calendar jumped the five redun-
dant days and then started off on the new
year.
The Greek month consisted of 20 and 80
days alternately, making the year TO con-
sist of 354 days and too short by ii Ia
days. To preserve an agreement between
the calendar and solar time an intercalary
month was added every alternate year.
This was found too great, so the intercal-
airy month was omitted once in eight years.
The old Roman year consisted of 10
months of 304 days, 81 days short of So
lar year. Therefore, in order to preserve
tolerable harmony between calendar and
true time, it was necessary to pass two
months in forming the new calendar. The
10 months of the Roman year have the
following names: Martius, Apriis, Maius,
Junius, Quintilis, SeXtilis, September, DC
tober, November, December 1t is said
that Pompilius added Januarius and Feb
ruarius, the former TO the beginning of the
year; but instead of placing the latter i'm
| IltuldItlN
dar. it was placed at the end of the year.
About 450 B. c. February was pl iced i'm
medately after January, and both at the
end of the year. The months as now set
tied were Martius, 81 days; Aprilis, 20;
Maius, 81; Junius, 20; QuinIlis, 81; Sex
tilis, 20; September, 20; October, 81; No
vember, 30; December, 20; Januarius, 20;
Februarius, 2S. These months as first ar
ranged contained 354 days, equal TO lunar
year. A supersttious notion prevailed
that odd numbers are followed by good
luck. Therefore a. day was added to con-
cilate the controller of destiny, and save
the people from impending evil. The day,
however, was movable from one month to
another to appease another superstitious
notion. By adding a month every alter
nate year, the year was made TO consist OF
1856 days. In few years the discrepancy
between calendar and solar time would, as
in the Egyptian calendar, become of seri-
Gus consequence and would have to be re-
vised, though it was in closer accord with
true time than that calendar.
In Julius Caesars time the calendar and
solar time differed by aboAt three months.
Cesar, in consultation with the astrono-
mer Sosigenes, made great reform over
all previous calendars, making the year TO
consist of 365 days and hours, and the II
months to correspond quite closely in their
respective number of days with cur Chris
tian calendar February had 20 days, and
every fourth year day was added for the
six hours. Subsequently January was
placed at the beginning of the year Instead
of March, which arrangement has never
been disturbed. There has been slight
change in the number of days of few of
the months, the aggregate number remain
ing intact.
If the solar year was exactly 800 days
and six hours in length, a quadrennial leap
year would be exact for all time. As the
sun completes one revolution of the eclip-
tic in 365 days, hours, As minutes, 1905
seconds, calendar time gains upon solar
time IL minutes 1896 seconds annually.
This small, growing discrepancy would in
time become so great as to be of serious
consequence and productive of much con-
fusion.
In the 10th century, in consequence Of
calling a year 365 days, 6 hours, the vernal
equinox had refrigerated to the 18th of
March, an error of 10 days. In 1852 Pope
Gregory XIII made another important
amendment TO the calendar, suppressing
the 10 days, and restoring the vernal equi-
noX to March p. Then in order to re-
duce the discrepancy between calendar and
solar time TO a minimum, the following
rule was established: Every year diyisible
by four without remainder is leap year
containing 1856 days except centisimal
years; these are leap years only when di-
) visible by four without remainder after re-
jecting two zeros. Thus the year 1900 will
not be leap year, though in consecutive
order it would be. The year 1000 will be
a leap year, but there will not be another
centennial leap year for 400 years.
The Gregorian rule has an excess of one
day over solar time in 1926 years and is the
most convenient and exact calendar yet
made. When the year 1907 arrives, one
day stricken from the new calendar will re-
store harmony between it and solar time.
The calendar established by Gregory was
opposed in Germany, Denmark and Eng
land on account of religious prejudice, the
latter country refusing TO adopt it for 10
years. The ''old STYLE" as it is called, is
still adhered to in Russia, and by the Greek
church generally, and the countries where
that religion predominates.
Wilmington, Vt. S. E. c.