The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1955-02-04
@ l / M P S E S
OF
T n E P A S 7
By CAROLYN LLOYD

Are you satisfied with the cal
endar on your wall? 1t never oc-
Cured to me that the calendar
might be a cause of concern to
some people Except for the forms
of art reproduced on some of
them) until l read an article in a
social studies weekly, "Our
Times. l quote:
"How would you like nice ex-
tra-long weekend with a day fall
ing right smack between Satur-
day and Sunday? Within a few
years you may have just that.
A padded week end is the most
startling feature of the proposed
new world calendar. The extra
day would be neither a Sunday,
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday,
Thursday, Friday, or Saturday.
And it would belong to no month.
Known simply as Worldsday, it
would follow Saturday, Dec. 80,
every years. On leap years an ad-
ditional Worldsday would follow
June 80.
There have been no major
changes in our present calendar
for the past 373 years. But the
plans for drastic reforms are by
no means farfetched. For more
than "a years the World Calendar
Association has worked for cal
endar changes. Last summer an
agency of the U. N. took definite
action toward the adoption of the
plan. At Geneva, in August, the
U. N. Economic and Social Coun-
Gil voted unanimously to present
the proposed calendar to some 80
governments of the world for re-
view. Next summer ECOSC will
study the views of these govern
ments. Calendarists hope to see
the new calendar take effect Jan.
l, 1861.
Our present calendar has two
major weaknesses: the wandering
weekday and irregular months
and quarters. The 25th of De-
cember Cor any date, for that
matter does not fall on the same
dav of the week each year. Our
months of 81, 80, 20, and % days
fall in irregular order, start on
different days, and form unequal
quarters. Indeed, we need poem,
"Thirty days hath September, to
help us remember which months
have how many days. To most of
US, these are minor Inconvenience
es. But in the fields of interna-
tional business, timetable con-
struction, and statistical studies
the old calendar causes major
headaches.
Under the new calendar every
year would be the same with the
exception of the extra WoTldsdav
on Leap Years.. The year would
be divided into equal quarters of
81 days and 10 weeks each. Eo"h
month would begin on a Sunday
with the lead months (Jandary,
April, July, and October having
81 days and the others 80. Each
month would have 26 weekdays
plus Sundays, and every date
would fall on the same day every
year. Christmas would always
come on Monday: the Fourth of
July on a Wednesday," Eng.
quote.
Now, Pm all for progress, but
the proposals of the World Call
endar Association leave me cold.
For, 10, these many years the ar
engagements of days, weeks, and
months have suited me fine, and
l don't want to start all over
learning what day it is. 1t doesn't
upset me unduly that Christmas
doesn't fall on the same day ev-
cry year; in fact, Christmas on
Monday will mean a radical
change in habits. The usual last
minute rush. with its shopping,
cooking, and cleaning, on Christ
mas Eve simply isn't compatible
with Sunday. Even worse is tire
prospect of having the Fourth of
July always come on Wednes-
day. AS it stands now, working
people look forward to those
years when the Fourth comes on
Saturday or Monday, thereby pro-
viding a long week end. The pro-
posed Worldsday would take some
getting used to. Sunday has come
Immediately upon the heels of
Saturday for some time now, and
it would seem like being suspend
ed in time to have a day that was
no particular day at all come in
between.
Seems to me the World Calen-
dor Association would do well to
let us go on reciting Thirty Days
Hath September. If they have
an extra day lying around, they
could just toss one into each week
apd mako evarvhodv happy.