Evening star., 1935-12-29

proffered hand of a maiden grew into
English unwritten law, as did the
leap year sole" right to hunt a
life partner. If a man declined the
honor of the ladye's hand in mat
rimony," he was ordered Ito soften
the disappointment" his negative
answer undoubtedly brought the
hearthroken maiden by the 'presen-
tation of a silk dress''-the precedent
set by good st. Patrick.
Man became woman's legitimate
leap year prey because of the neces-
sity for an adequate time-keeping
scheme. The calendar, which was
evolved in very ancient times to
meet this need, is based on the solar
year, or the time it takes the earth
to make one complete revolution
around the sun.
The early Egyptian calendar divided
the solar year into IL months of 80
days each, with days left over which
did not seem to fit in anywhere. So
the ancient calendar makers hit upon
the scheme Of calling these five days
national festivals and holidays.
BY the time of Julius Caesar the
Egyptian calendar was 80 days ahead
of the sun and no prospect of the
suns ever catching up. Caesar, the
victorious warrior, was undaunted by
such a mere detail and casually
dropped the superfuous days. His
Julian calendar, which continued in
use among millions Of people until q
dozen years ago. paved the way for
the open season on men" during
leap year by adding one extra day
every four years.
/ THE addition of one day every four
years, however, did not solve this
age-old problem of keeping the cal.
endar in step with the sun. At the
end of $500 years the calendar was
/ behind the sun 10 whole days. In 1882
Pope Gregory XIII, following Caesars
example, unconcernedly dropped the
| 10 days and started another calendar.
This calendar, now In universal use,
has solved the problem Of keeping the
| years and the sun in step by the
omission of leap year times in
every 400 years. Much to the LADIES
delight, however, it continues the
Julian leap year.
This new style, or Gregorian, calen-
dar was adopted by all Catholic coun-
/ tries in a very few years, but cen-
turies elapsed before all the Protestant
and Greek Catholic countries accepted
1t. Not until 1852 did England and
the United States-then the IS Col
onies-began computing time accord
ing to the new style. And not until
October 13, 1928, did the Eastern
Orthodox Church and its millions OF
adherents adopt the Gregorian calen-
dar. Consequently, in 1928, Christmas,
for the very first time since 1882, was
celebrated by all Christendom on the
same day.
Along with the Gregorian, several
national and religious calendars still
continue in use. The Jewish calendar
dating from the creation. Is the Oldest
continuous scheme of recording time,
and is based on the movements OF
both the sun and moon. Its New Year
falls anywhere between September IS
and October 5 Of the Gregorian cal.
endar.
Many, with all his knowledge, has
never been able to get these methods
of time -computation-solar and lunar
to agree. This disagreement might
be traced back to Mount Olympus, for,
after all, did Apollo, the sun god, and
Diana, the moon goddess. ever agree?
Man hasn't q chancel Ancient as
tronomers, long-forgotten legislators.
disgruntled ladies in q legendary re-
ligious community, have connived
against him. And, when erstwhile
shrinking maiden turns into q leap
year huntress, she is only exercising
her legendary and legal prerogatiys
of popping the question"
So bachelors, seasoned and other"
wise, bewarel