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Gregorian Calendar: The prevailing Julian calendar served well for a long time. However, adding an extra day every four years resulted in extending the calendar over eleven minutes beyond the seasons every year. This was not perceived as a problem for hundreds of years, but by the middle of the sixteenth century of this Common Era, these added minutes had accumulated to ten days. As a result, religious festivals were being observed on the wrong date as compared with their original seasons. This problem had been known and discussed for several centuries, but was not completely corrected until near the end of the sixteenth century (1582 A.D.) at the time of Pope Gregory XIII resulting in present Gregorian Calendar. Pope Gregory XIII decreed that after October 4, 1582 (Thursday) ten days will be dropped making the next day October 15, 1582 (Friday). At the same time the beginning of the year was also brought back from March 25 to January 1, as in the beginning of Julian Calendar of Julius Caeser. The rule for the leap years was changed. In the Julian Calendar a year is leap if it is divisible by 4. In the Gregorian Calendar a year is leap if either (i)it is divisible by 4 but not by 100 or (ii) it is divisible by 400.

This Gregorian correction was adopted by Italy, Poland, Portugal, and Spain. Most other Catholic countries followed shortly after. Great Britain (including what is now USA) adopted in 1752, such that Sep 2, 1752 was followed by Sep 14, 1752. Russia adopted in 1918, such that Jan 31, 1918 was followed by Feb 14, 1918. In Turkey, Gregorian calendar was introduced on Jan 1, 1927.

Bibliography:

1. "Encyclopedia Britannica"

2. "Calendrical Calculations: The Millenium Edition," Reingold, E.M., and Dershowitz, N., Cambridge University Press, December 1999.

3. "Chronology of the Ancient World," Bickerman, E.J., Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY, 1968.

4. "Calendars," Doggett, L.E., University Science Books, Sausalito CA 94965

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This article has been adapted from the moonsighting.com website.

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