February 18, 2007

  • Holiday Histories: New Year's Day

    The Egyptians were the first to adapt a 365 day solar calendar.  They didn't account for the extra fourth day, however, so their year drifted gradually into error.

    The Romans started out with a year of 10 months beginning with March and ignored the extra 60 days.  They added two more months later.  By the time of Julius Caesar, the accumulated error caused by the incorrect length of the Roman year had made the calendar about three months ahead of the seasons.  Caesar decreed that the year 46 BC would have 445 days, February have an extra day each fourth year, and January 1 would be the beginning of the year instead of March 1.

    The Julian calendar worked well but was 11 minutes and 14 seconds longer than the solar year.  By 1580, the calendar had drifted ten days early.  Pope Gregory XIII decreed that October 4, 1582 would be followed by October 15 and that century years that didn't divide by 400 would not be leap years.  The Gregorian calendar was immediately accepted by the Catholic nations and later most of the world.  The Gregorian calendar is so accurate that the difference between the calendar and solar years is now only about 26 seconds.

    Chinese New Year

    The Chinese year is based on the moon.  Each month begins at new moon and a month is repeated seven times during each 19-year period, so that the calendar stays approximately in line with the seasons.  Chinese New Year is the second full moon after the winter solstice- December 22- and occurs between January 20 and February 20.