With the Alexandrian astronomer , Sosigenes , Caesar created his own ( Julian ) calendar , hoping to solve the problem of the “ drifting seasons .” Each solar year in the Julian calendar was calculated to be 365.25 days long . The 12 months had the lengths that we recognize today , and the shortest month received an extra day every four years to account for the annual accumulation of a quarter of a day .
The Julian calendar was a great improvement over past calendars but , because of a miscalculation concerning leap years , it , too , became misaligned with the seasons over the course of several centuries . The correct value for the solar year is 365.242199 , not 365.25 , according to History . com . By the year 1000 , the 11-minute-a-year error in the Julian calendar ’ s calculation had added 7 days and by the mid-15th century , it had added 10 days . It also created problems in determining the date of Easter , which is based on the first full moon after the vernal equinox . The actual date of the vernal equinox did not match the one that was created for it on the Julian calendar .
In 1582 , Pope Gregory XIII introduced a calendar to correct these problems . He omitted the 10 extra days that year and determined that one of every four years would be a leap year . However , century years that were not divisible by 400 were exempt , such as 1700 , 1800 and 1900 . ( This formula is still recognized today .)
Why January 1 ?
The Julian calendar year began on January 1 , a very appropriate date . The month of January is named for Janus , the god of change and beginnings . He has two faces , one facing backwards and one facing ahead . He is a perfect icon for leaving an old year behind and looking forward to the New Year to come .
However , for centuries following the fall of Rome in 476 , many Christian countries considered New Year celebrations pagan . They altered the calendar so that it was more acceptable and reflective of their religion . December 25 ( Christmas ) and March 25 , the Feast of the Annunciation ( the announcement by the angel , Gabriel , to the Virgin
Mary about the coming of Jesus ) became common New Year ’ s Days .
Pope Gregory XIII ’ s revised calendar of 1582 not only solved the issue with leap years , it reinstated January 1 as the first day of the year .
Italy , France and Spain were among the countries that immediately adopted the new calendar . Protestant and Orthodox nations were reluctant to accept it . Great Britain and the American colonies did not start to use the Gregorian calendar until 1752 .
Today , most countries around the world use the Gregorian calendar . It is based on Earth ’ s rotation around the sun , a solar year . The months are not dependent upon the cycles of the moon .
But , the main reason the New Year begins on January 1 is historical , not astronomical . The choice of the date that begins the New Year is based upon the two-faced Roman god , Janus , for whom January is named . One face looks backward , bidding farewell to the past , and the other looks forward , peering into the future .
Happy New Year to all !
This article was written by Thomasville Garden Club member , Pat Pankey , as a service to the community . Thomasville Garden Club , Inc . welcomes new members . If you are interested , please contact Membership Chair Vickie Johnson 229-224-0590 or any current member . The Garden Center has a library of books about gardening that are available not only to garden club members but also to the general public . To access the library or to visit the Garden Center , please contact Mary Tomlinson 229- 406-6046 or any current member . You may contact Linda Tarver 229-403-1187 if you are interested in renting the Garden Center for an event . The Garden Center is always open to the public on the Wednesday before the first Friday of every month , September through May . Please visit our website at www . thomasvillegardenclub . org and find us on Facebook .
66 Winter 2022 Thomasville Scene