1. The original goal of the Gregorian calendar was to change the date of Easter.
In 1582, when Pope Gregory XIII introduced his Gregorian calendar, Europe adhered to the Julian calendar, first implemented by Julius Caesar in 46 B.C. Since the Roman emperor’s system miscalculated the length of the solar year by 11 minutes, the calendar had since fallen out of sync with the seasons. This concerned Gregory because it meant that Easter, traditionally observed on March 21, fell further away from the spring equinox with each passing year.
2. Leap years don’t really occur every four years in the Gregorian calendar.
The Julian calendar included an extra day in February every four years. But Aloysus Lilius, the Italian scientist who developed the system Pope Gregory would unveil in 1582, realized that the addition of so many days made the calendar slightly too long. He devised a variation that adds leap days in years divisible by four, unless the year is also divisible by 100. If the year is also divisible by 400, a leap day is added regardless. While this formula may sound confusing, it did resolve the lag created by Caesar’s earlier scheme—almost.
3. The Gregorian calendar differs from the solar year by 26 seconds per year.
Despite Lilius’ ingenious method for syncing the calendar with the seasons, his system is still off by 26 seconds. As a result, in the years since Gregory introduced his calendar in 1582, a discrepancy of several hours has arisen. By the year 4909, the Gregorian calendar will be a full day ahead of the solar year.
4. Some Protestants viewed the Gregorian calendar as a Catholic plot.
Though Pope Gregory’s papal bull reforming the calendar had no power beyond the Catholic Church, Catholic countries—including Spain, Portugal and Italy—swiftly adopted the new system for their civil affairs. European Protestants, however, largely rejected the change because of its ties to the papacy, fearing it was an attempt to silence their movement. It wasn’t until 1700 that Protestant Germany switched over, and England held out until 1752. Orthodox countries clung to the Julian calendar until even later, and their national churches have never embraced Gregory’s reforms.
5. Britain’s adoption of the Gregorian calendar sparked riots and protests—maybe.
According to some accounts, English citizens did not react kindly after an act of Parliament advanced the calendar overnight from September 2 to September 14, 1752. Rioters supposedly took to the streets, demanding that the government “give us our 11 days.” However, most historians now believe that these protests never occurred or were greatly exaggerated. On the other side of the Atlantic, meanwhile, Benjamin Franklin welcomed the change, writing, “It is pleasant for an old man to be able to go to bed on September 2, and not have to get up until September 14.”
6. Before the Gregorian calendar’s adoption, the English new year began on March 25, or Lady Day.
Julius Caesar’s calendar reform of 46 B.C. instituted January 1 as the first of the year. During the Middle Ages, however, European countries replaced it with days that carried greater religious significance, such as December 25 (the anniversary of Jesus’ birth) and March 25 (the Feast of the Annunciation). The latter, known as Lady Day because it celebrates the Virgin Mary, marked the beginning of the year in Britain until January 1, 1752.
FAQs
There are 12 irregular months.
The second month of the year has 28 days during the common year. But, every four years or so, there's a leap year that gives February an extra — or intercalary– day. Additionally, the days of the year in the Gregorian calendar are broken into seven-day weeks.
What are interesting facts about the Gregorian calendar? ›
There are 12 irregular months.
The second month of the year has 28 days during the common year. But, every four years or so, there's a leap year that gives February an extra — or intercalary– day. Additionally, the days of the year in the Gregorian calendar are broken into seven-day weeks.
What is the mistake of the Gregorian calendar? ›
Number of Lost Days Varied. The papal bull issued by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582 decreed that 10 days be skipped when switching to the Gregorian calendar. However, only five countries adopted the new calendar system that year—namely, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and most of France.
What are the flaws of the Gregorian calendar? ›
Over the course of its 442 years of use, some flaws have been noted; among them, the inclusion of Leap Day. In addition, the year never starts on the same day of the week. Neither do months. Due to this, each edition of the Gregorian calendar is disposable, not able to be used year to year.
What 5 countries do not follow the Gregorian calendar? ›
Today, the Gregorian calendar is accepted as an international standard, although several countries have not adopted it, including Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Iran, Nepal and Saudi Arabia. Many countries use the Gregorian calendar alongside other calendars, and some use a modified Gregorian calendar.
How did the Gregorian calendar get its name? ›
The Gregorian calendar is a solar dating system used by most of the world. It is named for Pope Gregory XIII, who issued the papal bull Inter gravissimas in 1582, announcing calendar reforms for all of Catholic Christendom.
What is different about the Gregorian calendar? ›
The Julian Calendar adds a day to the calendar every 4 years. The Gregorian calendar does the same, except when the year is divisible by 100 and not divisible by 400. Then the leap year is skipped. Different Level of Accuracy: The Julian Calendar was off by 11 minutes every solar year.
What is skipped in the Gregorian calendar? ›
The “Gregorian Calendar” skipped 10 days in October of 1582 in order to make up for the extra days which had been accrued under the Julian calendar, and established a more accurate accounting for leap years to avoid the accrual of extra days in the future.
What calendar did Jesus use? ›
The Julian calendar is the one that was introduced in the year 46 BC by Julius Caesar to all of the Roman Empire, and it is the calendar that was used during the life of Jesus Christ and at the time of the early Church.
Did we lose 8 years switching to Gregorian calendar? ›
(Days! Not years). For those who switched at the time (from Julian to Gregorian), ten days were lost (on the transition). Julian October 4 was followed by Gregorian October 15 (which was Julian October 5).
3. The Gregorian calendar differs from the solar year by 26 seconds per year. Despite Lilius' ingenious method for syncing the calendar with the seasons, his system is still off by 26 seconds. As a result, in the years since Gregory introduced his calendar in 1582, a discrepancy of several hours has arisen.
Who doesn't follow the Gregorian calendar? ›
Present situation. Today, the vast majority of countries use the Gregorian calendar as their sole civil calendar. The four countries which have not adopted the Gregorian calendar are Ethiopia (Ethiopian calendar), Nepal (Vikram Samvat and Nepal Sambat), Iran and Afghanistan (Solar Hijri calendar).
Will the Gregorian calendar end? ›
The Gregorian calendar has no “official end”. As long as the human race remains on Earth, there's no real point to ending the Gregorian Calendar. If the Earth's orbit remains undisturbed, the system of Leap Days keeps the calendar very accurate.
What country is 7 years behind? ›
Unlike the Western Gregorian calendar with 12 months, Ethiopia follows a 13-month calendar, placing it seven years behind.
What year are we really living in? ›
Current year according to various historical and world calendars, as of January 1. 2024
| Characteristic | Current year |
|---|
| Chinese | 4,721 |
| Julian* | 2,777 |
| Buddhist | 2,564 |
| Gregorian | 2,024 |
6 more rowsJan 25, 2024
Ethiopia, the country that follows a 13-month calendar, and is 7 years behind the rest of the world!
How old is the Gregorian calendar? ›
The Gregorian calendar was instituted by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582 and quickly adopted by much of Catholic, but not Protestant, Europe.
What are some facts about the ancient calendar? ›
Ancient Near East
The ancient Sumerian calendar, roughly dated to 2,100 BC, divided a year into 12 lunar months of 29 or 30 days. Each month began with the sighting of a new moon. Sumerian months had no uniform name throughout Sumer because of the religious diversity.
Why is the Gregorian calendar perfect? ›
The Gregorian Calendar
Today's Gregorian calendar uses more elaborate leap year rules, making it far more accurate. However, it is not perfect either. Compared to the tropical year, it is 27 seconds too long, so it is off by 1 day every 3236 years.
What are some interesting facts about the Julian calendar? ›
The Julian calendar has two types of year: "normal" years of 365 days and "leap" years of 366 days. There is a simple cycle of three "normal" years followed by a leap year and this pattern repeats forever without exception. The Julian year is, therefore, on average 365.25 days long.
