Concerning [EMAIL PROTECTED] and [EMAIL PROTECTED] comments on christmas
and the start of the Year my information is as follows:
When Julius Caesar reformed the calendar in 46 BC the traditional dates for
tthe Vernal equinox was infact March 25th and the Winter Solstice December
25th. In his reform he moved the calendar so that the Vernal equinox again
fell on the 25th. but since the leap year rule he adopted of a leap year
every 4 years over corrects the vernal equinox slipped to March 21st by 325
AD when it was enshrined as March 21st by the council of Nicea when they
first fixed the method for determing the date of Easter.
Before Julius Caesar reforms the year was starting on March 25th. Apoently
Julius Caesar preferred December 25th. but the senate convinced him to
start it on January 1st. which was the date of an important festival, the
festival of the gates.
Incidently many countries including England and its colonies later reverted
to starting the year on March 25th. and that remained so until England
adopted the Gregorian calendar in the late eighteenth century.
As Christ was born at least in 4 BC or before since King Herod died in 4
BC, the concern about not having a zero making the millennium 2001 misses
the point. The whole calendar is a human construction that has been
tinkered with many times and the AD concept was not introduced until after
500 AD and then not really used until after 700 AD. At that time they
realized the error in the date of the birth of Christ but did nothing about
it.
One thing that puzzles me and I would appreciate any help is where the
number 25 for the Vernal equinox came from. It was well eatablished by
Julius Caesar time. It is 10 days after the Ides of March. The Ides (15)
was the dividing point in the 30 day month. Some calendars had used a 10
day week although 7 was popular due to the connection with the Moon, the
planets etc.
Anyway happy Millenium and we can always celebrate again next year.
Cheers,
John
Professor John P.G.Shepherd
Physics Department
University of Wisconsin-River Falls
410 S. 3rd. St.
River Falls,WI 54022
Phone (715)-425-3196, eve. (715)-425-6203
Fax (715)-425-0652
