The Gait of the New Year

And I said to the man
Who stood at the gait of the year:
"Give me a light,
That I may tread safely into the unknown."

And he replied:
"Go out into the darkness,
And put your hand in the hand of God.
That shall be better to you than light
And safer than the known way."

So I went forth and, finding the hand of God,
Trod gladly into the night.
And He led me toward the hills
And the breaking of the day in the lone East.

So heart, be still:
What need our little life,
Our human life, to know,
If God hath comprehension.
In al the dizzy strife
Of things both high and low,
God hideth His intention.

M. Louise Haskins

For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.

Psalm 90:4

TIME: part 6

Today January 1 is the first day of every new year. This was not always the case. Most cultures and calendars placed the start of the new year in Spring. As Spring shows signs of new growth, it was reasonable that a new year would begin at the same time. In 46 B. C., Julius Caesar introduced his Julian calendar. The Julian calendar reorganized the Roman calendar form a lunar calendar to a solar calendar. Julius Caesar also moved the start of the new year from March 1, to January 1. The Julian calendar became the basis for today's Gregorian calendar. When the Gregorian calendar was introduced in 1582, January 1 remained the first day of the new year.

Even after the adoption of the Gregorian calendar in England and the American colonies, March 25 remained the start of the new year. This date was intended to represent the vernal equinox. Under this system, March 24, 1700, was followed by March 25, 1701. Though the Gregorian calendar was adopted in 1582, it was not until 1752 that the English government made January 1, the start of the new year.

As stated earlier (TIME 1) a calendar year is exactly 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds. Even though this is scientifically true our measurement of time has not been that accurate. The longest year was in 46 B. C.. This is the year that Julius Caesar introduced the Julian calendar. He added two extra months and 23 extra days to February to make up for the accumulated error in the previously used Egyptian calendar. This made the year 46 B. C. a total of 455 days long. ( I would have probably still been behind in my work)

In 1582 the Gregorian Calendar was introduced. Pope Gregory decreed that October 5 would be October 15. This eliminated 10 days (and my birthday) from that year to make up for the accumulated error of the Julian calendar. Thus 1582 was the shortest year having only 355 days. It was not the shortest year for the entire world however. Most Catholic European countries changed to the Gregorian calendar within 2 years of its introduction. Most Protestant continental countries adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1699-1700. As suggested above, England and its colonies did not change to the Gregorian calendar until 1752. Sweden changed to this calendar in 1753. Asian countries were much slower to adopt the Gregorian calendar with most complying by the end of the 19th century. China did not adopt the Gregorian calendar until 1912. Turkey began using it in 1917, while Russia waited until 1918.

To change dates from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar one must: add 10 days to dates October 5, 1582, through February 28, 1700; after that date add 11 days through February 28, 1800; add 12 days through February 28, 1900; and add 13 days through February 28, 2100. 

Sources: The Handy Science Answer Book - Visible Ink

A New Year Quotation

A new year is upon us, with new duties, new conflicts, new trials, and new opportunities. Start on the journey with Jesus -- to walk with Him, and to win souls to Him. The last year of the century, it may be the last year of our lives! A happy year will it be to those who, through every path of trial, or up every hill of difficulty, or over every sunny height, march on in closest fellowship with Jesus, and who will determine that, come what may, they have Christ every day.

  Theodore L. Cuyler 1900