Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-07-18
MEANING OF WORD YEAR.
How II Has Varied at Different
Periods and Places.

than that expressed by the WOrd year,
and yet none in regard to the definition
of which a wider difference has existed
in the past and in some respects per-
tains to the present. AS generally ac-
ccpted in Christian countries, a year
is the period of time in which the
earth completes it's revolution around
the sun. This is approximately, 300 or
366 days, divided into the twelve calen-
dar months. Astronomically speaking
it is the full round CT seasons from one
vernal equinox to the next, or the COM
plete mean apparent circuit OF the &C.
]iptic by the sun. The actual period IN
which this occurs is 1865 days, , hours,
4S minutes and As seconds. The Anglo
Saxon word year, as do the German
and Slavonic forms, embraces III us
root the idea of spring. The tropical
year is the year of the calendar and or
chronologists and is calculated from
one vernal equinox to the next OW-
ing to the procession of the eIuinoNeS,
the actual period of the earth's COM
plete revolution is a little longer. and
IS termed the sidereal year. The actual
length Of this over 365 days is hours,
8 minutes and 8 seconds. What IS
termed the anomalistic year is min
utes and 80 seconds longer, and is de-
fined as the time elapsing between
two successive returns of the earth to
it's perihelion, or nearest approach to
the sun.
AS to the beginning of the year there
has been great diversity in different
ages and among different peoples.
While Christian nations cate now from
January L, in the past they have begun
the year at various times. Among the
Mahometans, who use lunar year,
the beginning of the year has no fixed
position as to the suns course or the
seasons, but varies each successive
year. Atone time the Jews dated the
beginning of the sacred year in March
and of the secular year in September
The Athenians began the year with
June, the MacedonianS on September
4, the Christians in Egypt and Ethiopia
on August 20 or 80 and the Persians
and ArnirnanS on August IL. The
lunar, year of twelve months, or 800
days, & hours and as minutes, was in
use among the CaldeanS, PerSians ana
Jews. Once in three years 1t was the
custom to add a thirteenth month to
make the lunar and solar years agree.
In France the MerOvngian kings dat
ed the beginning from Christmas day
and sometimes from Easter, q movable
feast 1t was in 1864 that Charles TX
of France ordered that from that time
on the years should begin on January
/. In England up to the time OF Will
liam the ConquerOr the year began
with Christmas. but as the new ruler
was crowned on January l he ordered
the year to begin at that time. But
the custom prevailed of having the
legal year begin after the vernal euui-
noX, on March 25, until the act of Par
lament in 1852 which ordered the new
style, or Gregorian calendar to super
sede the old style. twelve days being
dropped But in Scotland at the same
time there was custom of dating
from January l, SO that it became
customary to use the date OF both
years between January l and March
%, which has confused historical oc
currences.
At different periods Of the worlds
history Christians have computed
years as beginning with Christ's birth,
on December 20: His circumcision, on
January l: His conception, on March
%, AMI His resurrection, on Easter
Day. The year of confusion was the
10,th of the Roman era, corresponding
to 4 5. c., the year before the intro
duction of the Julian calendar. and it
had 445 days. The Egyptian year,
which contained SOS days. was called a
vague or wandering year, as in the
course of 1907 years it would begin at
each and every season. The legal term
of "a year and day is used TO de-
termine certain rights and liabilities.
as, for instance. when person is
wounded with murderouS intent the
killing is murder if death occurs in q
year and a day The term year, day
and waste" designated a part of the
prerogative of the sovereign Of Eng
land whereby he was entitled to the
profits of-the lands of persons attained
of petty treason or felony for year
and a day. with the right of wasting.
or cutting, the wood from them, the
| lands afterward to be restored to the
lord of the fee. This right was not
| abolished until the passage of the fell
ony act in 1877? The term year of
| grace" is used to designate any year
of the Christian era. A years mind"
| Is d mass Stilu d ytdI lel d DtlSOli -
| death. One of the most significant
sentences of Holy Writ is "a thousand
years in Thy sight are but as yesterday
when it is past" DIR. Oliver Wendell
| Holmes said: 'Tu be seventy years
young is sometimes far more cheerful
and hopeful than to be forty years
old"
| The most radical attempt ever made
| to alter the calendar and change not
| only years and months, but also the
weeks. was undertaken by the people
| of France after the Revolution, which
| had brought TO the top the elements
| opposed to Christianity and which
| desired to do away with the observance
of Sunday in any manner. The plan
was professedly devised upon philo-
| sophie principles. and the new era
was dated from the autumnal equinox.
| September %, 1892, the date from
which the beginning of the new re-
| public was reckoned. The year was
| divided into twelve months of thirty
| days each, subdivided into decades in
| web irI, fta \