Gregorian Calendar

[Dustparticle]

 

Here is an update of my essay

 

Your Gregorian Calendar

 

 When you get a headache most likely you will take an aspirin to get rid of it. When you get done reading this article you might need an aspirin.

 

 When we look at our calendar, it is not a basic calendar. It is a Gregorian Calendar. How did it become this way? Here comes your headache.

 

 Before Gregorian Calendar was used, people in Rome used Julian Calendar. It began in the 46 BCE. The first day of the year was January 1. Before this, according to Roman calendar had March 1 as first day of the year. I might add, other calendars in different locations before Roman calendar had March or April as beginning of the year for agricultural reasons.

 

 If you think this is brain twisting, later in time the first day of the year was changed to March 25. It started in 1155 AD and lasted 427 years to 1582 AD, but in Britain and Colonel America, it lasted 597 years to 1752 AD.

 

 Why March 25,1155 AD? It was called the Annunciation Day, or Lady Day. People back then believe that an angel name Gabriel appear to Mary (Jesus mother) 25^th day of March and announce her pregnancy. Nine months later on December 25, Mary gave birth to Jesus. This dating system along with Julian Calendar was not accurate and it need correction.

 

  Eventually a German mathematician Christopher Clavius, did the calculating and when it was a done in 1582, Pope Gregory Xlll put a Papal Bull or a seal on this. So, the month of October of 1582, 11 days was taken away in order to get the timing right. I could be a day off on this, but can you imagine one day it was October 4, 1582 and the next day it was October 15, 1582? 

 

  Why 11 days difference? I try to make it easy. In 46 BCE Julius Caesar changed the Roman calendar from a lunar to a solar year. Julius had a Greek astronomer Sosigenes to do the calculation. Eventually, it was realized his calculation was 11 minutes and 14 seconds off. When the correction was done, we have the Gregorian Calendar. But this is not the whole story.

 

 Britain did not adopt this change of dating until September of 1752.  I could be a day off on this. One day September 2, 1752, and the next day was September 14, 1752. Not all countries adopt this change of dating system until 20^th century.

 

 Let us go back and figure this out. Regarding the March 25 being the first day of the year. If you were married on September 12, 1580, but you can die on March 8, 1580. Why? Don’t forget, the first day of the year was March 25, 1580.

 

I could be a day off on this. Let say in England, a woman was going to give birth to twins around midnight of September 2, 1752. She gave birth to one twin just before midnight on September 2, 1752. If she gave birth to other twin just after midnight then it will be September 14, 1752! Don't forget, 11 days were taken away to adjust the calendar. Can you image being 11 days older than your twin sister or brother?

 

To top it off, if I’m right, the Gregorian calendar year differs 26 seconds from Solar year. If you add 26 seconds every day for 3,323 years, a day would be added and this would land on the year 4905 (if you add 3,323 years from the year 1582).

 

 What is odd and if I’m right, if year 4904 is a leap year and if you have to add a day in the year of 4905, then you might have 2 leap years in a row. Be there to find out.

 

  Enjoy your Gregorian calendar and you may take your aspirin.

Edited September 16, 2021 by Dustparticle