I was surprised that in the Friday, Feb. 22, issue of the Press, the editor states that we use the Julian calendar. The United States has never used the Julian calendar.
In the British Empire, including the then colonies of the Americas, the Gregorian calendar was adopted in 1752, approximately 170 years after most Catholic countries had adopted the calendar under Pope Gregory XIII, for whom it was named. While the Julian calendar was closer than the previous Roman calendar, it gained a day every 134 years, so that by 1582 it was 10 days out of alignment. This fact particularly affected the equinoxes and therefore the date of Easter, thus the interest of the Catholic church in the matter.
Given those tumultuous times, many Protestant nations chose to ignore the superior calendar for the simple reason that it was endorsed by the Pope. However, unable to ignore the cosmos any longer, the British Empire adopted the Gregorian calendar in the Calendar Act of 1750, so that September 2, 1752 was succeeded by September 14, 1752.
All kinds of fun discrepancies can be found in the intervening years. Shakespeare and Cervantes both died on April 23, 1616, except that Cervantes, in Spain, predeceased Shakespeare, in England, by 10 days. UNESCO took the happy coincidence as the day for World Book and Copyright Day.
George Washington’s birthday, officially recorded as Feb. 11, 1731, is adjusted to the Gregorian calendar date as Feb. 22.
Russia used the Julian calendar until 1918, hence the October Revolution occurred Nov. 7, 1917, as far as the rest of the world was concerned.
Epiphany falls on Jan. 6, which is Dec. 25 of the previous year on the Julian calendar.
To confuse matters further, the Gregorian calendar has a leap year in all years divisible by 4, except for years divisible by 100, except for years divisible by 400. Thus 2000 was a leap year, 1900 was not, and while it may not affect many of us personally, 2100 will not be a leap year either.
Ames Hardymon Schnier
Old Boston Turnpike
