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New-Years-art - 1/1/19
"Happy New Year!" by
THLady Lorraine Devereaux.
NOTE: See also the files:
calendars-msg, med-calend-art, Valentnes-Day-art, clocks-msg, Time-Keeping-art,
Saints-Lives-art, saints-msg, Fr-Relig-Wars-art.
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NOTICE -
This article was added to this
set of files, called Stefan's Florilegium,
with the permission of the author.
These files are available on the
Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org
Copyright to the contents of
this file remains with the author or translator.
While the author will likely
give permission for this work to be reprinted in SCA type publications, please
check with the author first or check for any permissions granted at the end of
this file.
Thank you,
Mark S. Harris...AKA:..Stefan li
Rous
stefan at florilegium.org
************************************************************************
This article was first published
in "The Clarion", the newsletter for the Barony of Forgotten Sea in
2016.
Happy New Year!
by THLady Lorraine Devereaux
March
25 is New Year's Day for my persona, and for anyone who lived in Norman England
during most of SCA period. March 25 also is the new year for those living in
Pisa, Florence, Flanders, Brabant, Treves, Luxemburg, Lotharingia, most of
France before 1100, the Papal court for a few centuries, and in Spain before
1350.
Often
called Lady Day, March 25 was the Feast of the Annunciation (Feast of the
Incarnation), traditionally held to be the day the angel Gabriel told the
Virgin Mary she would be the mother of Jesus.
Although
the Norman English still celebrated January 1 as the start of the year (as part
of the Yule celebration), the actual New Year for legal and political purposes
began on March 25 starting in 1155 and continuing until the reform of the
English calendar in the 18th century. It was the day annual rents were paid,
and later, taxes.
March
25 was a good day to start the year because originally it was the spring
equinox. This was during Caesar's time, before errors in the calendar caused
the dates of the equinoxes and solstices to change. Many cultures began the
year at or around the spring equinox or the winter solstice. (A few notably
began the year near the autumn equinox, such as the Egyptians and Babylonians.
The Jewish calendar is similar to the Babylonian calendar.)
By
the 4th century, when Constantine called for reform of the Christian calendar,
the spring equinox fell on March 21. Rather than take the extra four days out
of the calendar, the church fathers chose to move the official equinoxes and
solstices to their new dates. By then the quarter days were tied to religious
holidays, and the new year did not change with the calendar.
But
what about SCA folk whose personas come from other places and other times?
If
your persona comes from Christian Constantinople, or from Naples and Sicily
(from the 11th century on), the new year starts on September 1. That is the
date the Byzantines believe the world began.
Starting
in 1100 the French began the new year on Easter. Of course the problem with
that is some years are longer than others. This year, from Easter 2016 to
Easter 2017, the year is 20 days longer than normal. That means that if you
want to record the date April 2, for example, you have to record it as April 2,
2016 (first) or April 2, 2016 (final). Last year (2015 to 2016) was nine days
too short. Despite the obvious problems with this system, the French will used
it until 1563.
In
England before the mid-12th century, and in Ireland and Scotland during the
early Middle Ages, the new year began on either December 25 or March 25, but
most often on December 25. That would be the evening of December 24, since the
Britons and Anglo Saxons began the day at dusk. Later, Ireland and Scotland
switched to March 25.
Italy
is a hodge-podge of dating conventions. The Venetians begin the new year on
March 1, the date used by the early Romans (before Caesar's calendar reform)
and Merovingian Franks. In the Papal court before the 10th century they used
the Byzantine's September 1 for the new year. After that they switch to March
25.
In
Florence and Pisa the new year began on March 25. However in Pisa people began
their anno domini dating from Jesus's conception, not his birth. So if 2017
begins today in Florence, 2018 begins today in Pisa.
The
Germans are just as divided. Before 1200 most Germans celebrated New Year's Day
on December 25, but for a brief period the Holy Roman Emperors used September
24, a date promoted by the English scholar the "Venerable" Bede (yet
never used in his home country).
During
the 13th century the Germans for the most part use March 25. But during the
14th and 15th centuries many parts of what will be Germany switch back to
December 25. The exceptions are Treves, Luxemburg and Lotharingia. They stayed
with March 25.
Flanders
and Brabrant also stayed with March 25, except during some scattered periods
when they use Easter like their neighbors in France. During the latter half of
the 16th century many Germans adopt January 1 as their New Year's Day.
The
Spanish use March 25 for the most part, until around 1350, when they switch to
December 25 for a couple of centuries. Beginning in 1556 the Spanish adopt
January 1 as the date of the new year.
If
your area of Europe wasn't covered in the previous paragraphs, most likely your
persona celebrated New Year's Day on December 25 or March 25. Some Eastern
European countries, as well as Persia, parts of India and parts of central and
southern Asia, celebrate the new year on or near the spring equinox.
And
of course after 1582, when Pope Gregory reforms the calendar, most of Catholic
Europe switches to January 1, the date Caesar chose nearly 16 centuries
earlier. By the end of SCA period, all of Catholic Europe and even a few Protestant
countries switch to January 1. The English (including the American colonies)
won't make the change until 1752. Turkey, Greece and Russia finally adopt the
Gregorian calendar in the early 20th century.
------
Copyright 2016 by Lorraine
Gehring. <lorrainegehring at gmail.com>. Permission is granted for
republication in SCA-related publications, provided the author is
credited. Addresses change, but a
reasonable attempt should be made to ensure that the author is notified of the
publication and if possible receives a copy.
If this article is reprinted in
a publication, please place a notice in the publication that you found this
article in the Florilegium. I would also appreciate an email to myself, so that
I can track which articles are being reprinted. Thanks. -Stefan.
<the end>