Do you know the differences between the Julian and Gregorian calendars? Now let's see.
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Historically, it happened that two new years have been celebrated in Russia at once - ordinary, on the night of December 31 to January 1, and the old New Year (or, if formulated correctly, then the new year according to the old style) - on the night of 13 to 14 to 14 to 14-2-4- January.
Few people think why such a tradition arose, and even fewer people know when the so-called “new style” actually arose, how it differs from the “old” and why did someone need to change it at all.
Julian and Gregorian calendar
In fact, some hundred years ago, the Russians lived according to the old style-according to the Julian calendar, but our European neighbors switched to a new one-the Gregorian calendar much earlier-in the middle of the sixteenth century.
He was named after the famous reformer of that time - the pope Gregory of the eighth. In fairness, it should be noted that not all countries of the whole world made this transition at a time. Almost all Catholics quite naturally supported the decision of the pope, but the British (like the Swedes) switched to the Gregorian calendar only in the mid -eighteenth century.
- When the Slavs switched to a new style, in one fell swoop it was missed for ten days, that is, it turned out to be a temporary leap-from 1, for example, September, to the 10th.
- For citizens of the Soviet Union, this moment occurred, as we have already noted, exactly a century ago-in 1918, when people were "stolen from life" for exactly 13 days-from February 1 to February 14.
- Why only ten days, you ask, because we celebrate the old New Year two weeks after the traditional New Year? And the whole point is that the Gregorian calendar provided for passing on February 29 in those leap years that ended for two zeros in a row, with the exception of those years when the sum of the first two digits of the year is a multiple of four.
- Due to such tricks, in such years with two zeros at the end, as the 1700th, 1800th and 1900s, on February 29 they did not count, and the difference between styles reached 13 days and no further, as in 2100s It will be exactly two weeks.
By the way, the servants of the Russian Orthodox Church did not succumb to new -fangled trends, and continue to live according to the old style, using the Julian calendar.
How to calculate the dates of historical events?
In order to correctly calculate the date of any historical event in relation to the modern calendar, it should be understood in which country it happened and when exactly the Gregorian calendar was introduced there. If we are talking about the European power and a certain event that happened, for example, in the nineteenth century, then it is necessary to add 12 days by the date.
If you mean any event from Russian history related to the church calendar (which, as we have already mentioned, has not changed), then the situation is somewhat different. After all, strictly speaking, the Christmas of Jesus Christ continue to celebrate on December 25, just in the world people call this date on January 7 - that's all.
In order for worldly people it was easier to understand churchmen, near each religious date in brackets they began to affix days in a new style (adding thirteen days) with special notes. For example, the same Christmas - December 25, Art. (January 7 N.st.).
Video: The difference between the Julian and Gregorian calendar
