NOTES ON THE YEAR. During the first five centuries after the birth of Christ, the Christians, comparatively few in number, and scattered among different and distant peoples, used in their records no other mode of expressing dates than those which prevailed amongst the nations of which they severally formed a part. In 532 A.D., when their numbers and importance had augmented, Dionysius Exiguus, a monk of Scythian birth, proposed that all Christians should adopt the epoch of the birth of Christ as their point of departure in counting time and in the expression of dates. This rendered necessary an investigation into the question of the date of that event. Dionysius made historical researches, and finally assigned the birth of Christ to the 25th day of December in the 753rd year from the foundation of Rome but this is now admittedly erroneous. It might have been expected, therefore, that the first Christian year would commence on that day, and that its anniversary would be the first day of each succeeding year. It was, however, found inconvenient to change the commencement of the year, and it was resolved to adhere to that of the Roman year heretofore used by the church -that is, to the 1st January, and that the first year of the Christian era should be the 754th year from the foundation of Rome. According to the mode of reckoning finally adopted, therefore, the year I A.D. was that which commenced at the moment of the midnight between the 31st December in the 753rd year, and the 1st January in the 754th year of Rome. The Dominical or Sunday Letter is the letter of the alphabet used to indicate the incidence of the Sundays in the Ecclesiastical Calendar-thus in 1902, the first Sunday will fall on the fifth day, and the letter E (5th letter) will fall opposite the first and every following Sunday for that year. The Golden Number is the number of years elapsed in the Lunar Cycle or period of 19 years, at the end of which period the same aspects of the moon recur within an hour and a half of the same times. The Epact is a number representing the age of the moon on the first day of the new year. The Solar Cycle is a period of 28 years, 7 15 6615 within which the Dominical or Sunday Letters, and those that express the other festivals, &c., return in the same order as before. The Roman Indiction is a period of 15 years, used by the Romans for the time of taxing their provinces. The Julian period contains 7980 years (being the Lunar Cycle of 19, the Solar Cycle of 28, and the Roman indiction of 15 multiplied together). The Julian period is reckoned as having begun 4713 years before our era, so that the year 1902 corresponds with 5615 of that period. It is used in astronomical and chronological calculations throughout the world. THE CALENDAR—"OLD" AND "NEW" STYLES. The difference at the present date between what is known as the "Old Style" and the "New Style" Calendars is 13 days. To understand how this difference arises it must be remembered that the Solar Year consists of 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, 48 seconds. In the Calendar known as the Julian Calendar-arranged B.C. 47 by Julius Cæsar, guided by his astronomer. Sosigenes-the year was taken as being 365 days, and in order to get rid of the odd quarter of a day, an extra or intercalary day was added once in every fourth year, and this was called Bissextile or Leap Year. The Calendar so arranged is known as the "Old Style," and is now used only in Russia. But as the Solar Year is 11 minutes 12 seconds less than the Fulian year of 3654 days it followed in course of years that the Julian Calendar became inaccurate by several days, and in 1582 this difference amounted to 10 days. Pope Gregory XIII., NOTES ON THE January was placed as leader of the months by Numa Pompilius, when he added two months (Jan. and Feb.) to the Alban Calendar, though it was not admitted to the same precedence in this country until a motion was made to that effect on March 18, 1750. The name is derived from Janus, the god of the year, in the Roman mythology. The idol Janus was placed over the gate of a temple at Rome, and was represented with two faces, the one that of an old man, being typical of his retrospect of the past; the other a youthful countenance, denoting prospect of the future. He presided over gates at the suggestion of Aloysius Lilius, an astronomer of Naples, determined to rectify this, and devised the Calendar now known as the Gregorian Calendar. He dropped or cancelled these 10 days-October 5th being called October 15thand made centurial years Leap years only once in 4 centuries; so that whilst 1700, 1800 and 1900 were to be ordinary years, 2000 would be Leap year. This modification brought the Gregorian system into such close exactitude with the Solar year that there is only a difference of 26 seconds, which amounts to a day in 3,323 years. This is the "New Style." It was ordered by Act of Parliament to be adopted in this country in 1752 -170 years after its formation-and is now used throughout the civilised world with the single exception already named. The difference be tween the two " Styles" will remain 13 days until A.D. 2100. TWELVE MONTHS. and avenues, thus symbolically he admitted the new year, and attended the departure of the old. February was made the second of the 12 months by Numa Pompilius. Its name was derived either from Februa, a title which the Romans gave to the Feralia sacrifices; or more probably from Februs, to purify, because this being originally held to be the last month of the year, the people offered an expiatory sacrifice for their twelve months' sin. March. March with the ancients ranked the first month of the year, and was named in honour of Mars, the supposed father of the founder of 1 Rome. Our Anglo-Saxon ancestors called it Lenet monath, that is Lent, or Spring month. Marriages in this month were seldom solemnized, as they were counted to become inharmonious and unhappy. March 15, or according to the Roman calendar, the Ides of March, was the Paricidium, the day on which Julius Cæsar was murdered in the Senate house by Brutus and Cassius, with other conspirators. April.-By the Saxons April was called Ostr monath, probably from the same word from which Easter is supposed to have been derived. The Dutch and Germans called it Grass month. The name is derived from the Latin word Aperio, to open or disclose. The term applies to the opening of the year, or to the unfolding of the buds and flowers, by the influence of the genial warmth and moisture of Spring. May. The Hebrews named this month Sivan, from a Sanscrit word, signifying "to rejoice." The Anglo-Saxons knew it as Tri-milchi, because their cows, stimulated by the fresh herbage, were so productive of milk, as to enable the proprietors to bring them with advantage to the pail three times a day. The Romans offered sacrifices to Bona Dea or Maia on the first day of the month. June was the Thamur or Tamuz of the Hebrews, that is after their escape from the Babylonish captivity; for previously to that they had simply distinguished their months by aid of numeration. Tamur or Tamuz signifies continuance and perfection, alluding, probably, to the almost uninterrupted daylight, maturation of fruit, &c., which occur during its continuance. July. The fifth month of the Roman calendar received the name of Quintilis to denote its numerical position. It was sacred to Jupiter, and had in the Alban calendar 36 days. Romulus took from it 5 days. Numa reduced it to 30, but Julius Cæsar enlarged it to 31, the present number. In honour of the latter, Mark Antony changed its name from Quintilis to Julius-hence our July. August derived its name from Augustus, the Roman Emperor; it was called Sextilis, or the sixth month in the Alban calendar, in which it had only 28 days assigned to it. Romulus added two, and Augustus a third, which number it has since retained. The Anglo-Saxons called it either Barn monath, alluding to this being the period when their barns were commonly filled, or Wood monath, clothing month, alluding to their fields being then clothed with corn, just as the Romans dedicated this month to Ceres, the goddess of harvest. September.-In the Latin and Roman calendar, this was the seventh month; and hence its name. The month had only sixteen days assigned to it in the Alban calendar; these were increased to thirty by Romulus, to thirty-one by Julius Cæsar; but Augustus reduced it to its present number. The ancient Saxons called it Berst monath, or Barley month, because at this time the barley harvest was gathered in. October was called by our Saxon forefathers Wyn monath, or Wine month, and sometimes Winter fylleth, from the approach of Winter, It was the eighth month of the Alban calendar. in which it had thirty-nine days. Its name is derived from the Latín, Octo, eight, and Imber, a shower of rain. Romulus reduced it to thirtyone days; Numa, to twenty-nine. Julius and Augustus each added one, and this number has not since been altered. November. The early Saxon inhabitants of England called this Blott monath, or slaughter month, because in those primitive days winter food was so scarce in England that it was usual to kill and salt the greater part of their winter meat this month; they called it also Wind monath or Wind month, from the tempestuous weather with which it is commonly accompanied. December.-The month of December, so named by the Romans from being the tenth month of their year, has been denominated by the Saxons Winter monath, but after Christianity they piously gave it the name of Holy month, or High monath. NOTES ON WEEKS The division of the week is found only among Aryan nations and in regions into which they have penetrated. The day is, for convenience, divided into twenty-four equal parts and is the period of a single revolution of the earth upon its own axis. A solar or astronomical day commences at mean noon, and the hours are counted continuously from 1 to 24. This method is adopted by Italy and some other countries. In civil reckoning the day commences at midnight, and is divided into two equal portions of 12 hours each-those before noon being termed AND DAYS. ante meridiem (a.m.), those after noon post meridiem (p.m.). The Chinese week consists of 5 days, which are named after iron, wood, water, feathers, and earth; they divide the day into 12 parts of 2 hours each. The Anglo-Saxons named the days of the week after the following Deities: Sunday, the Sun; Monday, the Moon; Tuesday, Tuesco (God of War); Wednesday, Woden (God of Storms); Thursday, Thor (God of Thunder); Friday, Freya (Goddess of love); Saturday, Saturn (God of time). THE SEASONS. The two Equinoctial and two Solstical points which divide the ecliptic into four unequal parts are called SEASONS, and are known as Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. In 1902 D. H. M. 21 1 16 P.M. 22 9 4 A.M. 23 11 56 P.M. Spring begins when the Sun enters Aries, viz., March 410-11 of the Byzantine Era. 615 of the Julian Period. 902 of the Creation of the World. 663 of the Jewish Era (commences Oct. 2). 246 since the Deluge. 869 since the death of Jesus Christ. Greenwich Mean Time. WITH A.D. 1902. 2214 of the Grecian Era. 1832 since the destruction of Jerusalem. 1320 of the Mohammedan Era (com. April 10). 126-7 of the independence of the U.S. of America (July 4). 110-11 of the French Republic (Sept. 23). Poos, Budee 7 1902 Jan. I 1959 1902 ΙΟ Assar, Budee r Assar, Sudee June 22 July 6 24 Feb. 9 23 Sawun, Bud. I 21 20 ,, 25 Kuär, Bud 1. Kuar, Sudee I 18 Oct. 2 1959 Kartick, Bud. 1 18 Chyt, Sudee 1 Apr. 9 Kartick, Sud. 1 Nov. 1 23 7 Poos, Budee I Dec. 16 Poos, Sudee 30 Full term is kept by a residence of eight weeks. HOLIDAYS at PUBLIC OFFICES. Bank Holidays. (English) --Good Friday, Mar. 28; Easter Monday, Mar. 31; Whit Monday, May 19; Monday, August 4: Christmas Day and December 26. Bank Holidays.-(Scotch-Jan. 1; Mar. 28; May 5; August 4; Dec. 25. Bank Transfer Offices.-Jan. 1; Mar. 28 and 31: May 1; May 19; Aug. 4: Nov. 1; Dec. 25 and 26. Law Offices.-Mar. 28 and 31; April 1; May 19; August 4; Dec. 25 and 26. Inland Revenue Offices.-Mar. 28 and 31: May 19 and 20; Aug. 4; King's Birthday; Dec. 25 and 26. Custom House, Docks, and Excise Offices.Mar. 28 and 31; May 19; Aug. 4; King's Birthday; Dec. 25 and 26. Stock Exchange.--Jan. 1; Mar. 28 and 31; May 1 and 19; Aug. 4; Nov. 1; Dec. 25 and 26. QUARTER DAYS. Lady Day ......Mar. 25 Scotch. Half-Quarter Days. MOVEABLE FEASTS. Easter Day is the Sunday following the first ecclesiastical full moon which happens upon or next after Mar. 21, or if this moon happens on a Sunday, Easter Day is the Sunday following. Rogn. Sunday is the fifth Sun, aft. Easter Day. Ascen. Day is the sixth Thurs, aft. Easter Day. Whitsun Day is seven weeks after Easter Day. Trin. Sunday is eight weeks after Easter Day. Advent Sunday is the Sunday nearest to St. Andrew's Day, whether before or after. MOHAMMEDAN CALENDAR. 5662 30 Adar 30 Veadar I...... New Moon.... II......Fast of Esther 14, 15 Purim Nisan ..... New Moon....... 30 Yiar Sivan 15, 16 Passover.... I......New Moon...... 14.Second Passover 18... 33 of the Homer 1......New Moon 6, 7... Sebust 30 Tamuz I...... New Moon 17...... Fast of Tamuz I......New Moon..... 9......Fast of Ab.. 1...... New Moon.... Ab 30 Elul 5663 Tisri 1, 2... New Year 4...... Fast of Guedaliah To......Kipur 15, 16 Tabernacle... 30 Hesvan I......New Moon 33 Tebet 2 .Mar. 9, 10 The last day of any month containing 30 days and the following day are both kept as New Moon, as in Sebat entered above as 30 Adar 1. Time of the beginning of Sabbath--London. 1902 H.M. 1902 H.M. Jan. 10... 4 o April 11... 6 30 314 30 Feb. 14. 5 Mar. 7... 5 30 21... 6 25.7 1902 Oct. H.M. 35 0 17.4 30 31... 4 O o Nov. 14 3 30 Aug. 22... 6 30 Sept. 5...6 19.5 30 1903-Jan. 9 ... 4h. om. GREEK AND RUSSIAN CALENDAR. A.D. 1902, New Style; 1901-1902, Old Style; A.M. 7410-11, according to the Septuagint. EXAMPLE. On what day of the week did March 18th, 1901, fall? March 1st being Friday, ECCLESIASTICAL CALENDAR. FESTIVALS, HOLIDAYS, &c., OBSERVED BY THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND. Those marked (f) are "fixed" to the dates given, the others are "moveable" according to the incidence of Easter. (Ordinary Sundays are omitted.) 23 Palm Sunday 28 Good Friday Ember Days are May. 1 SS. Philip & James f 4 Rogation Sunday 8 Ascension of our Lord 18 Whits'n Day-P'cost. (19-20 Whit Mon. & Tues. 21 St. Matthew f November. 1 All Saints' 23 Lst.Sun.af. Trin. 26th 30 St. Andrew f Advent Sunday) December. 21 St. Thomas (f) 25 Nativity of our Lord f 26 St. Stephen (f) 27 St. John (f) 29 S. Mich. & All Angels (f) 28 Holy Innocents (f) February 19, 21 and 22, May 21, 23 and 24, September 17, 19 and 20, and December 17, 19 and 20. Rogation Days are May 5, 6 and 7. CONTINENTAL PUBLIC HOLIDAYS. There are no "Bank Holidays" in the countries named below, but the dates given are usually observe as Public Holidays, and business is more or less suspended. SWITZERLAND. New Year's Day, Jan. 1. Good Friday, Mar. 28. Easter Mon., Mar. 31. Whit Monday, May 19. National Fête, Sept. 19. Christmas Day, Dec. 25. THE FIRST COMET OF 1901. In April, 1901, a comet with a triple tail suddenly appeared in the southern hemisphere. It would appear that it was first observed in Uruquay by Señor Viscara at Paysandu on the 12th of April. It was noticed by Mr. Arthur Hill at Queenstown, Cape Colony, on 23rd April, who reported its reappearance to Sir David Gill, our eminent and distinguished astronomer, who has had charge of the Royal Observatory, Cape of Good Hope, now for upwards of twenty years. It was seen shortly afterwards in Western Australia by Mr. Tattersall at Leeuwin. The tail was about two degrees in length, or about four times the apparent diameter of the Sun or Moon. The first scientific observations of its position appear to have been made at the Cape of Good Hope Royal Observatory. In order to determine the character of the path or orbit in which a GERMANY. New Year's Day, Jan. 1. Good Friday, Mar. 28. Easter Mon., Mar. 31. Ascension Day, May 8. Whit Monday, May 19. Day of Prayer, Nov. 18. Christmas Day, Dec. 25. comet moves it is necessary that three separate observations of its position should be accurately measured. If these observations are spread over a week or a fortnight a very close approximation to its course can be determined. The motion of the comet was incorrectly reported to be northwards, but as a fact its motion at the time of its discovery was south-easterly, and although its course was north-easterly after the 3rd of May, the comet had become so faint that it was only with difficulty seen with the aid of telescopes. It was nearest the Sun on the 24th April, and was distant about 23 millions of miles-its distance from us being about the same as the Sun, or about 92 millions of miles, about 8th May. Its brightness at discovery was estimated as the same as a third magnitude star. Its orbit being parabolic, the comet will not again become visible. THE NEW STAR IN PERSEUS. One of the most remarkable events in the stellar heavens which has occurred in our time took place in February, 1901. On the early morning of the 22nd February the Rev. Dr. Anderson, of Edinburgh, noticed that the shape of one of our most familiar constellations was altered by the addition of a bright stranger, forming an obtuse-angled isosceles triangle with its two brightest stars, one of which is well known to be variable in its brightness. Dr. Anderson has discovered variability in several known stars, but the brightness which the new star suddenly attained exceeded (although one previously nearly equalled it) that of any similar star within the memory of anyone living, or, indeed, for nearly three centuries-the one in question being that which appeared in the constellation Corona Borealis (the Northern Crown) in the month of May, 1866, when it was first seen by the late Mr. Birmingham, of Millbrook, near Tuam, Galway. te star in Corona Borealis at its discovery was about equal to that of a second magnitude star, but declined rapidly and became invisible to the naked eye in about nine days, although it is still visible in powerful telescopes. The star in Perseus, however, diminished in brightness much less slowly, and was faintly visible for a very long time, although its brightness did not diminish regularly but by a succession of ups and downs. These sudden appearances of new stars, from investigations with the spectroscope, appear to be due to the combustion of huge volumes of hydrogen evolved by the collision of one star with another, or more probably with masses of nebulous matter. The first well authenticated instance of the appearance of a new star was of one which suddenly burst forth in the year 1572 in the constellation Cassiopeia, and was carefully observed and accurately described by the great Danish astronomer, Tycho Brahé, and another of great brilliancy appeared in Ophiuchus in 1604, and was observed by the famous Kepler, |