Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1897-02-05
THE CALENDAR.


the calends, from "calo" to call, be-
cause at that time the priests pro-
claimed in the presence of the people
the festivals and other important
days of the month then begun.
Hence our word Calendar.
The next few days were reckoned
back from the "nones," which were
the 9TH of March, May, July, and
October, and the Bird of the other
months. After the nones the days
were reckoned from the 'ides,
which were the 18th of March, May,
July, and October, and the 18th OF
the other months. After the ides
the days were reckoned back from
the calends of the next month. The
gath of February was the sixth be-
fore the calends of March in leap
years this name was also given to
the 25th, which was called dies
"bissextus Hence the name of bis
sextile, given to leap year, which
we still retain.
The Greeks reckoned their time
by the Olympic games, those great
festivals when prizes were given to
contestants in athletic exercises, and
also in literature. These games
were held once in four years, the
term intervening being called an
Olympiad.
There were II months in the
Greek year, but month was now
and then added in different years ''to
keep up" The Roman pontiffs de-
cided the length of the Roman year,
and at last the seasons failed to cor
respond to their names and character
and Julius Caesar, nearly half a
century before the Christian era.
caused the Calendar to be reformed
and re arranged. This, the "Julian
Calendar" continued long in use,
but gave place about 1852 to the
Gregorian Calendar now used Rus
sia still retains the "Old Style.
After Christianity had become
established many writers dated from
different events in the history of the
Saviour. The present method of
computing from the birth of Christ
was introduced about the middle of
the sixth century by a Roman &C.
clesiastic named Dionysius Exigus.
H fixed the date at the seven hund-
red and fifty-third year of the
Roman Empire. 1t was anciently
the custom to begin the year with
the festival of the Annunciation,
March 25-Lady Day.
In England the Saxons named the
months in their own tongue, from
some natural characteristics Thus,
they called January "wolf-month, "
as the wild animals, unable to find
their usual prey, prowled round
human dwellings; February,
"sprout-kale; March, length
month, (from its lengthening days y
April, easter month, (from Eostre,
Saxon goddess May, "tri-mil-
CHI" (when COWS were milked
thrice a day June, "weed-month' {;
July. "hay-month,, August,
"barn. month" (when the barns
were filed with grain); Septem
ber, charley October, "wine
month" November, "wind-month,
sometimes ''blood month, " from the
animals killed at the time to be
salted for winter consumption /;
December, ''winter-month, and
from it's great festival, "holy-
month.
These names were superseded by
those now in use, of Roman origin.
Their derivation will be explained at
some other time.
Sheridan's 'Rhyming Calen-
dar, expresses the characterics of
the months as follows;
January, snowy.
February, fowy.
March, blowy.
April, showery.
May, fiowery
June, bowery.
July, moppy.
August, crOppy.
September, poppy.
October, breezy.
November, wheezy.
December, .sneezy.
The Quakers have always objected
to using the Roman names of the
months and the Saxon names of the
days, as being ''of heathen origin, !"
therefore they call days and months
by their number, thus :-'97-2-4.
During the upheaval of the French
revolution, in 1898, the national con-
vention introduced a new Calendar
giving names to the months descrip-
tive of their character. They be-
gan at the antumnal equinox; Au-
tumn from September 22 to Decem-
an