Meta Description: The Gregorian calendar isn’t the only calendar used around the world. We’ve got a few different calendars for you here.
Different past calendars
In 1592, Pope Gregory XIII established the Gregorian calendar to replace the Julian calendar. After its introduction, it soon spread over Italy, then to Portugal, Spain, and the Catholic states in Germany. Protestant German nations adopted it in 1699; England and her colonies, including the United States, also adopted it. Sweden adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1753, Japan in 1873, and China and Greece in the early 1900s. It's now the most widely used calendar system in the world.
Remember that, although being the most popular calendar, the Gregorian calendar is not the only one in existence. A few additional calendars are still in use today, spanning from the 1300s to now.
Saka Calendar
All India Radio news broadcasts, calendars and publications published by the Government of India also use the Indian national calendar, frequently referred to as the Saka calendar.
The Saka calendar, used by Indonesian Hindus in Java and Bali, is based on Indian traditions. Nyepi, or "Day of Silence," is a celebration of the Saka New Year in Bali. The Saka calendar formed the basis for Nepal's Nepal Sambat.
According to the Laguna Copperplate Inscription, the Saka calendar was also used in modern-day Philippines areas. The months of Yugabda and Saka/Nepal Sambat in India are linked. The Kaliyuga Sankhya is the basis for Yugabda in Indian astrology.
Chinese Calendar
The traditional Chinese calendar is still used to decide the dates of key events such as China's Lantern Festival and to pick auspicious seasons for marriages, funerals, migration, as well as business start-ups, despite the country's adoption of the Gregorian calendar recently.
Twelve months, each lasting 29 or 30 days, begin on the first day of the new moon in the Chinese calendar. Leap years need a shift in the calendar. Each month is named after an animal or given a number that correlates to particular hours of the day and years in the zodiac cycle. Several Asian countries do use the Chinese calendars in their kitchens.
Hebrew or Jewish Calendar
Each month begins with a new moon in the Jewish calendar, like in the Chinese calendar. A twelve-month lunar calendar is a little too short, and a thirteen-month lunar calendar is a little too long because each solar year contains roughly 12.4 lunar months.
Seasons would "drift" throughout the year if both were observed. A twelve-month lunar calendar means that the Jewish month of Nissan (spring) is observed throughout the winter, the autumn, and even the summer. Historically, many holidays and festivals have been linked to the seasons and dates they occur.
In the 4th century, Hillel II came up with an innovative solution to the problem: He established a set Jewish calendar that repeats the month of Adar in a nineteen-year cycle. However, the Jewish New Year is currently celebrated in Tishri month, rather than the customary month of Nissan, as is the case with Passover.
FAQs
- What were the first calendars?
Ans: The earliest calendars, based on the emergence of writing in the ancient Near East, may be traced back to the Bronze Age. The Egyptian, Assyrian, and Elamite calendars were the first, followed by the Sumerian, Egyptian, and Assyrian calendars.
- What are the different types of calendars?
Ans: Calendars are divided into four categories: lunisolar, solar, lunar, and seasonal, as well as calendars with fixed-length "years" and no intercalation. The majority of pre-modern calendars are lunisolar. Seasonal calendars are based on environmental changes rather than lunar or solar observations.
- What is the oldest calendar?
Ans: The Jewish calendar, which has been in use since the 9th century BC, is the oldest still in use calendar. It's based on biblical calculations that put the beginning of time at 3761 BC.
- Which calendar has a 52 year century?
Ans: The Maya calendar comprises several cycles or counts of varying durations. Scholars refer to the 260-day count as the Tzolkin or Tzolkin. The Tzolkin was linked with the Haab, a 365-day hazy solar year, to create the Calendar Round, a synchronised cycle lasting 52 Haab.
- When was the Aztec calendar used?
Ans: The tonalpohualli, or 'counting of the days,' was a religious calendar utilised by the Aztecs. This dates back to Mesoamerica's ancient past, maybe to the 1st millennium BCE Olmec civilization. It created a 260-day cycle, which was most likely based on astronomical observations.
