The Modern Calendar
What is the Modern Calendar ?
The Modern Calendar is a simplified annual calendar with 13 months of 28 days over 4 weeks of seven days each. As an exception, the last week of the year is an eight-day week, for a total of 365 days per year. In leap years, an eighth day is also added to the last week of the seventh month of the year. The annual calendars are all identical, with only two models: the normal year and the leap year.
Example of the Modern Calendar
Use of the calendar
From the very beginning of our existence, human beings have needed ways of managing their activities according to the seasons and the passage of time. To help them manage their activities, they have devised various calendars to meet their needs. A calendar is essentially an organised way of measuring and dividing time into specific units, making it easier to plan and coordinate activities.
The history of the Calendar
Numerous calendars have been developed throughout history. Different civilisations devised calculation systems using structures or tables to measure the passage of time throughout the years. These tools met their needs for scheduling the days and periods of the year in order to plan their survival activities or festivities.
Lunar Calendar
Early calendars were often based on the phases of the moon. Lunar cycles provided a relatively easy-to-observe measure of time, which led to the creation of lunar calendars in many ancient cultures.
Julian Calendar
The Julian calendar
The first Roman calendar, introduced around the 7th century BC, divided a 304-day year beginning with March into ten months. January and February were added later. As the months only contained 29 or 30 days, another month had to be inserted, roughly every other year. The months were designated by counting backwards from three pivotal dates: the calendas at the beginning of the month, the ides in the middle and the nones, which fell on the ninth day before the ides. This calendar became hopelessly confused when the Roman rulers who were responsible for setting the days and months to be added abused their authority to extend their term of office or change the date of elections.
In 46 BC. Julius Caesar decided, on the advice of the Greek astronomer Sosigenes, to establish a new calendar. This calendar, known as the Julian calendar, set the length of a normal year at 365 days and that of a leap year, every 4 years, at 366 days, with 24 February as the double day. Caesar also changed the start of the year from March 1 to January 1.
Gregorian calendar
The Julian calendar was a great step forward, but it kept getting out of step with the spring equinox. It was in 1582 that Pope Gregory XIII decided to correct the error of the Julian calendar. He removed ten days from the calendar to realign the spring equinox with 21 March, and corrected the calculation of leap years. The Gregorian calendar is still used today in most countries of the world.
The oddities of the gregorian calendar
Names of the months
1 – January : The god Janus
2 – February : The month of purification
3 – March : The god Mars
4 – April : The goddess Venus
5 – May : The goddess Maia
6 – June : The first consul Junius
7 – July : The imperator Julius Caesar
8 – August : Emperor Augustus
9 – September : The seventh month
10 – October : The eighth month
11 – November : The ninth month
12 – December : The tenth month
To summarise
- 4 months linked to gods or goddesses.
- 1 month linked to religious morality.
- 3 months linked to former Roman rulers.
- 4 months in connection with an inaccurate numerical order.
The assassination of Julius Caesar
Unequal months
Even after several revisions, the calendar is still composed of unequal months, designed on the basis of superstition or religious beliefs:
– 7 months of 31 days
– 4 months of 30 days
– 1 month of 28 days (or 29 days)
A wide variety of annual calendars
There are many different versions of our calendar. The current design means that the years that follow each other are all different, and the dates and anniversaries are always on different days.
The Use of Esperanto for the Modern Calendar
Esperanto facilitates international communication thanks to its simplicity and neutrality. Quick and easy to learn, it promotes equality between people and strengthens intercultural understanding. Used in over 120 countries, it creates connections without language barriers or cultural domination, thus promoting peace and global friendship.
Modern Calendar advances
The Modern Calendar
The Modern Calendar is a solar calendar of 13 months of four weeks each. All weeks are seven days except the last week of the year wich is eight days week. During leap years, an eighth day is also added to the last week of the seventh month of the year.
The names of the days and months are in Esperanto, the universal language.
Months
The months of the year are in order:
1- Januaro
2- Februaro
3- Marto
4- Aprilo
5- Majo
6- Junio
7- Mezo
8- Julio
9- Aŭgusto
10- Septembro
11- Oktobro
12- Novembro
13- Decembro
Weeks
Months contain four weeks of seven days. However, the last week of the year contains 8 days, for a total of 365 days per year. During leap years, a day is also added at mid-year, in the last week of the seventh month of the year.
Days
The days of the week are in order:
1- Dimanĉo
2- Lundo
3- Mardo
4- Merkredo
5- Jaŭdo
6- Vendredo
7- Sabato
The last day of the year, Decembro 29, is called Ĝis (for bye). In leap years, the last day of the seventh month, Mezo 29, is called Ferio (for holiday).
The benefits of the Modern Calendar
The Excel file of the Modern Calendar
The following link allows you to download the Modern Calendar as an Excel file. The document consists of three tabs:
- Modern Calendar Rules : Indicates the rules governing the Modern Calendar.
- Modern : Displays the Modern Calendar allowing you to choose the desired year and including a date conversion table between the Gregorian Calendar and the Modern calendar.
- Gregorian : Displays the Gregorian calendar allowing you to choose the desired year.