Calendar

Can you imagine waking up very morning not knowing the day, month or year? This could be very frustrating. This would also make your every waking day a bit boring, because you won't have birthdays, dates, anniversaries and other special events to look forward to or remember. This is why a calendar is very important.

All about the calendar system

Calendar is a system in which time is labeled with the purpose of organising it for religious, sociological, political and other purposes. A calendar may also refer to the device that is used to determine the day, week, month and year. The word "calendar" comes from the Latin "kalendae", which refers to the first day of every month in Latin. There are various systems of calendar such as the Chinese calendar, Hebrew calendar and the lunar calendar. Today, the Gregorian calendar is the internationally accepted civil calendar, and is used in Australia. However, some cultures still follow their own calendar system, especially when it comes to religious celebrations. The calendar that is used today consists of 365 or 366 days a year (during leap year), 12 months a year, 4 weeks a month and 7 days a week.

Importance of calendar

The primary purpose of the calendar is to help the people determine the day, week, month or year. A calendar is used in setting appointments such as business transactions, events, and dates. Through a calendar, people remember special events in their lives. In its religious aspect, a calendar also serves a special purpose. By using a calendar, people will know when to celebrate holy feast and other sacred events. A calendar is also a very important part in remembering the past such as the date of one's birth. Basically, a calendar also plays an important role in the writing of history.

Brief history of calendar

The evolution of the calendar that people use today can be traced back to the ancient Egyptian civilisation that existed over 6,000 years ago. Like the calendar of used today, the calendar of the ancient Egyptians was fixed. This is in contrast with the calendar of other civilisations, wherein the month and year vary according to the decisions of priests and astronomers. During the time of the Roman civilisation, the calendar used was the lunar calendar. The lunar calendar is based on the movement of the moon. During the time of Julius Caesar, a calendar that is a bit similar to the one used by the ancient Egyptians was adopted. In this modern day, the internationally-accepted civil calendar is called the Gregorian calendar. This calendar system is based on the Julian calendar. This calendar got its name after Pope Gregory XIII, who decreed that the Gregorian calendar should be the internationally accepted calendar.