The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-01-06
CHRISTMAS ON JAN. o.
II Is Observed in RUSSIA and Arme-
mia.

From the Chicago Times4Herald.
Christmas for 1896 has been celebrated
now in every country where it is cele-
brated by Christians, with the exception
of two These are Russia and Armenia.
Christmas, 1896, has yet to come in these
countries. They will celebrate it on Jan
6, 1897, as we record time, although they
will call the date Dec. %. 1896.
This is because the Greek and Armenian
national churches still adhere to the Ju-
Ian calendar, while other nations adopt
ed that of Gregory. The difference of
eleven days between the two calendars is
due to the fact that under the Julian cal
endar proper the year was supposed to
be too long by eleven minutes and four
seconds. The error amounted to a day in
Us years, which, while not of much con-
sequence In the time of Caesar and dur
ing the few generations succeeding his,
became considerable In the course of time.
In the day of Caesar the exact length
of the year could not be very well deter
mined. In the course of a few centuries,
however, the equinox sensibly refrigerated
toward the beginning of the year. When
the Julian calendar was introduced the
equinox fell on the 18th of March. When
the reformation of the calendar was made
in 1852, it had refrigerated to the elev-
enth. Pope Gregory directed that ten days
be suppressed in the calendar in order to
restore the equinox to it's proper place,
and as the error in the Julian calendar
was found to amount to three days in 400
years, he directed that the leap year be
omitted In all centenary years except these
which are multiples of 400. On this ac-
count the year 1900 viii not be leap
year, although the number of the year is
Invisible by !. The year 2OO0 will, however,
be. a leap year, as it Is Invisible by 400.
The Catholic states accepted the decision
of Pope Gregory Immediately, and so in
1852 it was adopted in Spain, Portugal,
Italy and France The year follow
ing the Catholic states of Germany ac-
cepted the decision. But the Protestant
states refused at the time to adopt the
more convenient and true system of the
calendar because 1t was ordered by the
pope. But in the year 100 the diet af
Ratisbon ordered the Gregorian calendar
to be adpoted in the Protestant state of
Germany. Denmark and Sweden adopted
the reformed system about the same time.
Russia still refuses to change the system
and hence Christmas Games there on
what Is Jan. of the following year in our
calendar.
The alteration Of the style Of the calen-
dar was for long time opposed In Great
Britain on account OF popular prejudice.
The mass of the people In their Ignorance
conceived that the changing of the ca.en-
dar was to defraud them OF eleven days
pay. But in course of time the lnconve-
nience of using a system different from
that of the rest of the civilized world be-
gan to be seriously felt and at length an
act OF parliament was passed in 1851 for
the adoption OF the new style in public and
legal calculations. The difference Of the
two styles, which then amounted TO eleven
days. was removed by ordering that the
day following the second day Of the month
Caafa h CHI 10
the fourteenth of that month, and in order
to preserve uniformity In the future the
Gregorian rule for the non-observance of
the centenary leap year indivisible by 400
as adopted.
The United States, being then under the
dominion Of Great Britain, Of course
changed its system to correspond with the
act Of parliament Hence II is that al
though we celebrate Feb. % as Washing
toms birthday he was really born on Feb
II, as the calendar was then ARRANGED. |
It is impossible to apply the same reason
ing to find when Christ was born, for the |
year Is not even known, while the month |
definitely is that all authorities agree that |
he was not born at the beginning Of the /
Christian era or in the month Of De-
cember.
Russia's failure to adopt the Gregorian
calendar is due to the ignorant opposition
of the peasants. The change has often
been proposed, but has never been serl
ously considered. The influence OF the
Greek church, which separated from the
Roman Catholic church. has always been
strongly opposed to the change.
Armenia Is another independent church
which refused TO recognize the supremacy
Of the Catholic church and because Of rs
opposition stlll adheres to the old calendar
and celebrates Christmas on the dav
which the rest Of the civilized world calls |
Jan. s. The Armenian church is the old
est Of all the national churches. The peo-
pie were converted by st. Gregory. who
had become q Christian at Caeserea. He |
the ruler of the country and its
people, and the entire nation embraced
The prosecutions which
they have since undergone have made the