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| Wondering what the date is |
We’ve just
passed into a new year. By the Gregorian calendar, it is January 4, 2015. We are
firm in this belief, and are happy with the algorithms that caused this. We
trust the calendar. It is one of our rocks that anchor us to this world.
But what
if it weren’t always like this? How would people handle a moving, mushy
calendar? I’d be nervous, and always wonder what the day was. I’d be afraid to
travel, thinking wherever I went, the date wouldn’t match the place I left.
This was the
case in England prior to 1752. Back then, they followed the Julian calendar
when almost everyone else followed the Gregorian calendar. This differential
caused problems within the government, amongst the merchants, or anyone who
communicated with those abroad.
EXAMPLE:
If you woke up in England January 1st 1700, according to the Julian
calendar, the date would really be December 21st, 1699, since the
Julian was a slug-a-bug, and trailed the Gregorian by approximately 11 days
(all depends on who is counting). The dates would follow this lead until March
25, which was the New Year in the Julian calendar.
What if
your country was at war with England and a treaty ensued? Would you lay down
your arms on January 1st or December 21st? That’s rather
a large gap of days. I can imagine war weary soldiers staring across the fox hole
at each other, wondering what to do.
Confused?
Oh my, I do see exasperation in your eyes.
ANOTHER
EXAMPLE: If you were born to English parents in France (Gregorian) on July 8,
1660, but returning to England, your birth date would actually be June 28 or 29,
1660 (Julian), again, depending on who is counting.
If I were
that child, I'd wander through life in a daze.
In
September 1752, England finally succumbed to adopt the Gregorian calendar, but
people fussed because they would lose days. How many, even the experts aren't
certain. It ranges from 10-12 days.
One source
I found gives the count of eleven days (or is it twelve?). The other day, I ran
across a little booklet titled: Murders Myths and Monuments of North
Staffordshire, by W.M. Jamieson. This booklet is a compilation of stories
based in this lovely English shire. He entitled a short piece: 'Give us back
our eleven days'.
This is what a good Staffordshire
fellow did about the switch from Julian to Gregorian:
"William
Willett was born in the early seventeen hundreds and lived in Endon where,
according to local mythology he was something of a character... always fond of
a gag or wager.
"During
the year 1752, ...the Government ordered that the days September 3rd to
September 13th would not exist and people going to bed on the evening of the
2nd would wake up on the morning of the 14th.
"...this
appeared to be a government trick to rob the people of eleven days of their
life and there were demonstrations outside Parliament demanding that the people
were given back their eleven days.
"William
Willet of Endon saw the possibility of a great joke and a profitable one, and
also a chance to leave his indelible mark on Endon's history. He wagered that
he would dance nonstop for twelve days and twelve nights and eagerly took bets
from many of the villagers.
"On the evening of September 2nd, 1752, William
Willett started to jig around the village of Endon. Next morning, September
14th, he stopped dancing and started to claim his bets."
Good William Willet was pretty clever. Hopefully, the fair people of the village didn’t think too badly of his trick, and he made lots of money.
BUT I'm
still confused on the missing days. Based on this story, England lost eleven
days, when it seems to everyone, including W.M. Jamieson that William Willet
danced for twelve days.
Hmm,
perhaps, this is a riddle better left unresolved.
http://bookswelove.net/pym.php
What an interesting article about time. There are days when I feel as if I've entered a time warp. I can imagine how those people felt about their lost 11 or maybe 12 days. Good luck with your story-telling
ReplyDeleteThe debate continues in the Greek church where some observe the Gregorian calendar for saints days while the rest go with the Julian. If one was so inclined, they could celebrate Xmas twice. :) Good article.
ReplyDeleteI did not know the calendars were still in debate. That's great to know. Thanks so much for commenting.
DeleteWhat a nightmare. Glad we finally all agree on the date. Just dealing with Daylight Savings and Time Zones leaves me confused. Interesting article. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI think it might be best just to look the other way. Today? I rarely know the exact date, even though I may know..it's Tuesday, etc. Our lives are run by a calendar, I know, but I've ceased to care very much. However, I understand some of the huge problems the population had then, and thankfully someone figured it out for us. Very interesting post, Katherine.
ReplyDeleteKatherine, what an interesting article. I'm glad I didn't live in the 1700s, for many reasons, the time differential being one of them.
ReplyDeleteWow, I didn't know that. Certainly confusing.
ReplyDeleteI was happily sipping hot chocolate laced with very fine Tequila and now, between the Tequila, Gregorian and Julian calendars my head is spinning! I thoroughly enjoyed your post, Kathryn. Very interesting.
ReplyDeleteThank goodness they sorted it out long ago. I have enough problem remembering what day of the week it is. We all complain about daylight saving time and how it confuses us that would have been horrendous.
ReplyDeleteGood gracious! I think life is short enough anyway and really begrudge having to waste hours of it asleep, so I might have been one of those people demonstrating LOL. A really interesting blog.
ReplyDelete