Historic New Years
The ancient Roman calendar had only ten months and started the year on 1 March, which is still reflected in the names of some months which derive from Roman numerals: September (Seventh), October (Eighth), November (Ninth), December (Tenth). Around 715 BC the months of January, February and Mercedony were added. The first month was named after Janus, the two-faced (forward and backward looking) god of gates and transitions in general. Mercedony was a leap month which was used only in leap years. Because consuls were chosen in January, and because years were named after the consuls who served in that year, January became the de facto beginning of the year.Â
In 45 BC, Julius Caesar introduced the Julian calendar, dropping Mercedony and decreeing that the New Year should start on 1 January.
In the Middle Ages in Europe a number of significant feast days in the Ecclesiastical calendar of the Roman Catholic Church came to be used as the beginning of the year:
- In Christmas Style dating the new year started on 25 December. This was used in Germany and England until the 13th century, and in Spain from the 14th to the 16th century.
- In Annunciation Style dating the new year started on 25 March, the feast of the Annunciation. This was used in many parts of Europe until the introduction of the Gregorian calendar in 1582. Annunciation Style continued to be used in England until 1752 for some official records such as the tax year, but over that period it gradually fell out of favour and was replaced by Circumcision Style.
- In Easter Style dating, the new year started on Easter Saturday (or sometimes on Good Friday). This was used in France from the 11th to the 16th century. A disadvantage of this system was that because Easter was a movable feast the same date could occur twice in a year; the two occurrences were distinguished as “before Easter” and “after Easter”…
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