Do all countries of the world use the same calendar?
Critical Analysis
Find answers to the following questions using the visual above, any links below, your big brain, and your knowledge of American government and politics:
In 2013, British archeologists announced the discovery of what they claim as the world’s oldest calendar. The site at Warren Field in Scotland consists of twelve pits aligned with the southeast horizon. They pointed towards a hill associated with the sunrise on the midwinter solstice. Archeologists believe that hunter-gatherers used the pits to check the height and stage of the moon in order to track time in relation to the sun and the changing seasons. The calendar in Warren Field is over 10,000 years old. Today do all countries of the world use the same calendar?
What calendar is used in the majority of countries?
What calendar is used in Ethiopia and why do you think they and other countries continue to use a non-Gregorian calendar?
What region of the world is least likely to use the Gregorian calendar?
What continents exclusively (only) use the Gregorian calendar?
The Gregorian Calendar is the most widely used calendar in the world today and is the calendar used in the international standard for representation of dates and times. It is a solar calendar based on a 365-day common year divided into 12 months of irregular lengths. 11 of the months have either 30 or 31 days, while the second month, February, has only 28 days during the common year. However, nearly every four years is a leap year, when one extra—or intercalary—day, is added on 29 February, making the leap year in the Gregorian calendar 366 days long. The days of the year in the Gregorian calendar are divided into 7-day weeks, and the weeks are numbered 1 to 52 or 53. That all sounds really complicated but we are so accustomed to it that it seems very reasonable and normal. Does the Gregorian Calendar seem difficult to you?
The international standard is to start the week on Monday. However, several countries, including the US and Canada, count Sunday as the first day of the week. Why are the U.S. and Canada so difficult, and who is right: what, in your opinion, is the first day of the week?
During the Renaissance the Catholic Church switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar. The Julian calendar, introduced by Julius Caesar, was imprecise, making it difficult for the Church to determine when to celebrate the Easter holiday. This presented problems for the clergy, astronomers and long-term record keepers. As a result, Pope Gregory XIII introduced a new, more precise timekeeping system. Under the “Gregorian calendar,” every fourth year is a leap year, allowing the calendar to more closely follow the Earth’s revolution around the sun. Adopting the new calendar presented some difficulties, however. To “catch up,” countries adopting the calendar had to skip ahead several days. Citizens of these Catholic countries that switched to the new calendar fell asleep Oct. 4, 1582, and woke up the next day on Oct. 15, 1582, having lost 10 days from the calendar year. What would you do if you suddenly found these 10 days - in other words, what would you do with ten extra days?
The more advanced leap year formula makes the Gregorian calendar far more accurate than the Julian, however, it is not perfect either. Compared to the tropical year, it is off by one day every 3236 years. Imagine we never invented such a thing as a calendar. It’s possible. After all, we still haven’t invented a Quudlap. How has the invention of the calendar changed humans and how would you life be different without a calendar?
The Gregorian calendar was first adopted in Europe. What does the map above say about European colonization, imperialism, and dominance?
Write and Discuss
Take ten minutes to write about the question at the top of the page and then discuss with your classmates.
Act on your Learning
Ask ten people to name the type of calendar we use today then ask them to imagine how their life would be different (better and worse) if there was no such invention as a calendar. Share your results with your classmates.
Get Creative
For most of human history we did not use calendars. How important are calendars? How do you think the invention of the calendar changed human history and development? What would life be like without calendars, and what do you think life is different for people who do not use calendars? Take a deep dive into one or all of these questions and express your investigation in a creative format such as a visual, writing, or other creation.
