To begin with, try reading the EJ, the Encyclopedia Britannica, and the New
Catholic Encyclopedia on "calendar". It is a complex issue. Calendar is
indeed Halakhah for everyone. Even the Christian world is not in agreement
on calendar. Western Christianity (i.e. Western European Christianity, and
those who acknowledge the papacy, or who, historically, have acknowledged
the papacy, but may not do so today) follow the Roman calendar, which is
solar based. Jews follow a modified Lunar calendar. We intercalate a month
every several years in order to keep Passover in the Spring. Otherwise,
the holidays would wander all around the seasons, as happens with the
purely Lunar Islamic calendar. I believe it was Constantine and the Council
of Nicaea (425 C.E.?) who decreed that Christians should compute Easter
based on the Vernal Equinox. Check out a traditional western rite
Christian prayer book or Liturgy for details. Before that time a
significant minority of Eastern Christians insisted that Easter should be
celebrated on the fourteenth day of Nisan, according to the Jewish
calendar. They are called Quarto decimans ("Fourteeners" in Latin, if you
will). In addition, both Judaism and Christianity count fifty days,
Judaism from the second night of Passover, Christians from Easter, and
celebrate the fiftieth day (Shavuot in the Jewish calendar), Pentecost
(Fifty in Greek), according to Christian reckoning.
It is a fascinating subject. I hope this whets your appetite for more.
Dan Rettberg
Rare Book and Manuscript Bibliographer
Klau Library
Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion
Cincinnati, Ohio
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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