Post by Arthur on Mar 10, 2013 23:57:47 GMT -6
The Julian calendar was the calendar in predominant use in most of Europe from 45 BCE until it was superseded by the Gregorian calendar commencing in 1582 CE.
The calendar has a regular year of 365 days divided into 12 months, as listed in Table of months. A leap day is added to February every four years. The Julian year is, therefore, on average 365.25 days long.
Changes in the seasons are marked by important religious festivals.
Imbolc, is a Gaelic festival marking the beginning of spring. Most commonly it is held on 31 January–1 February, or halfway between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox.
Feasts of Imbolc… feasts celebrating the first day of spring (February 1) … end-of-winter festivals, celebrates spring's awakening. Also it is a time to celebrate at the Roman festival of Lupercalia, rejoicing Faunus, the god of guarding the flocks and shepherds.
Beltane is the Celtic name for the first day of May, which divided the ancient Celtic year in half. It was believed that each day began with the setting of the sun the night before, so Beltane was celebrated by lighting bonfires to honor the sun god. Cattle were driven through the "Beltane fire"—or between two fires—to protect them from disease before putting them out to pasture for the new season. Sometimes people followed the same ritual to forestall bad luck and to cure barrenness. Contact with the fire was symbolic of contact with the life-giving sun.
Also in May, the beginning of summer is celebrated at a Roman festival called Floralia, worshiping Flora, the goddess of flowers and crops.
Lughnasadh (August 1) At the beginning of autumn, the people celebrated the grain harvest and gathered fruit like apples which grew in their orchards or wild in the hedgerows. A solemn cutting of the first of the corn of which an offering would be made to the deity by bringing it up to a high place and burying it; a meal of the new food and of bilberries of which everyone must partake; a sacrifice of a sacred bull, a feast of its flesh, with some ceremony involving its hide, and its replacement by a young bull; a ritual dance-play perhaps telling of a struggle for a goddess and a ritual fight; an installation of a head on top of the hill and a triumphing over it by an actor impersonating Lugh; another play representing the confinement by Lugh of the monster blight or famine; a three-day celebration presided over by the brilliant young god or his human representative. Finally, a ceremony indicating that the interregnum was over, and the chief god in his right place again.
Samhain, (31 October-1 November) is the first day of winter in the Celtic calendar. Samhain was one of the four main festivals of the Gaelic calendar, marking the last harvest and beginning of winter, and traditionally, is a time to take stock of the herds and food supplies. Cattle are brought down to the winter pastures after six months in the higher summer pastures. It is also the time to choose which animals would need to be slaughtered for the people to survive the winter.
All Saints Day (1 November) in honour of all the saints, known and unknown. All Saints' Day is the second day of Hallowmas, and begins at sundown on the 31st of October (celebrated as Hallowe'en) and finishes at sundown on the 1st of November. It is the day before All Souls' Day.
In the middle of December, there was the winter festival of Saturnalia when the god Saturn was worshipped and prayers were said for the sowing of seed. Saturnalia ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturnalia) was an ancient Roman festival in honor of the deity Saturn held on December 17 with festivities through December 23. The holiday was celebrated with a sacrifice at the Temple of Saturn and a public banquet, followed by private gift-giving, continual partying, and a carnival atmosphere that overturned Roman social norms: gambling was permitted, and masters provided table service for their slaves. They called it "the best of days."
Winter Solstice: 21 December-22 December - midwinter
Christmas Eve: 24 December
Dies Natalis Solis Invicti (Day of the birth of the Unconquered Sun): late Roman Empire - 25 December
Christmas: 25 December
The calendar has a regular year of 365 days divided into 12 months, as listed in Table of months. A leap day is added to February every four years. The Julian year is, therefore, on average 365.25 days long.
Roman Month | # of days | Month |
Ianuarius | 31 | January |
Februarius | 28 (leap years: 29) | February |
Martius | 31 | March |
Aprilis | 30 | April |
Maius | 31 | May |
Iunius | 30 | June |
Iulius | 31 | July |
Augustus | 31 | August |
September | 30 | September |
October | 31 | October |
November | 30 | November |
December | 31 | December |
Changes in the seasons are marked by important religious festivals.
Imbolc, is a Gaelic festival marking the beginning of spring. Most commonly it is held on 31 January–1 February, or halfway between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox.
Feasts of Imbolc… feasts celebrating the first day of spring (February 1) … end-of-winter festivals, celebrates spring's awakening. Also it is a time to celebrate at the Roman festival of Lupercalia, rejoicing Faunus, the god of guarding the flocks and shepherds.
Beltane is the Celtic name for the first day of May, which divided the ancient Celtic year in half. It was believed that each day began with the setting of the sun the night before, so Beltane was celebrated by lighting bonfires to honor the sun god. Cattle were driven through the "Beltane fire"—or between two fires—to protect them from disease before putting them out to pasture for the new season. Sometimes people followed the same ritual to forestall bad luck and to cure barrenness. Contact with the fire was symbolic of contact with the life-giving sun.
Also in May, the beginning of summer is celebrated at a Roman festival called Floralia, worshiping Flora, the goddess of flowers and crops.
Lughnasadh (August 1) At the beginning of autumn, the people celebrated the grain harvest and gathered fruit like apples which grew in their orchards or wild in the hedgerows. A solemn cutting of the first of the corn of which an offering would be made to the deity by bringing it up to a high place and burying it; a meal of the new food and of bilberries of which everyone must partake; a sacrifice of a sacred bull, a feast of its flesh, with some ceremony involving its hide, and its replacement by a young bull; a ritual dance-play perhaps telling of a struggle for a goddess and a ritual fight; an installation of a head on top of the hill and a triumphing over it by an actor impersonating Lugh; another play representing the confinement by Lugh of the monster blight or famine; a three-day celebration presided over by the brilliant young god or his human representative. Finally, a ceremony indicating that the interregnum was over, and the chief god in his right place again.
Samhain, (31 October-1 November) is the first day of winter in the Celtic calendar. Samhain was one of the four main festivals of the Gaelic calendar, marking the last harvest and beginning of winter, and traditionally, is a time to take stock of the herds and food supplies. Cattle are brought down to the winter pastures after six months in the higher summer pastures. It is also the time to choose which animals would need to be slaughtered for the people to survive the winter.
All Saints Day (1 November) in honour of all the saints, known and unknown. All Saints' Day is the second day of Hallowmas, and begins at sundown on the 31st of October (celebrated as Hallowe'en) and finishes at sundown on the 1st of November. It is the day before All Souls' Day.
In the middle of December, there was the winter festival of Saturnalia when the god Saturn was worshipped and prayers were said for the sowing of seed. Saturnalia ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturnalia) was an ancient Roman festival in honor of the deity Saturn held on December 17 with festivities through December 23. The holiday was celebrated with a sacrifice at the Temple of Saturn and a public banquet, followed by private gift-giving, continual partying, and a carnival atmosphere that overturned Roman social norms: gambling was permitted, and masters provided table service for their slaves. They called it "the best of days."
Winter Solstice: 21 December-22 December - midwinter
Christmas Eve: 24 December
Dies Natalis Solis Invicti (Day of the birth of the Unconquered Sun): late Roman Empire - 25 December
Christmas: 25 December