Where else was March 25 the first day of the year?

[Otero, Daniel]

My second question:  Where else in Christian lands, besides England, and during what period, was Lady Day (March 25, the Feast of the Annunciation) considered the first day of the year?  I assume that these places adopted January 1 as the first day of the year at least as early as their adoption of the Gregorian calendar.

--Danny Otero
Dept. of Mathematics & Computer Science
Xavier University
Cincinnati, OH 45207-4441
otero@...

[Brillig]

Dear Danny,

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_calendar#New_Year.27s_Day

Victor

On Sat, Aug 8, 2009 at 8:18 PM, Otero, Daniel<otero@...> wrote:

> My second question:  Where else in Christian lands, besides England, and
> during what period, was Lady Day (March 25, the Feast of the Annunciation)
> considered the first day of the year?  I assume that these places adopted
> January 1 as the first day of the year at least as early as their adoption
> of the Gregorian calendar.
>
> --Danny Otero
> Dept. of Mathematics & Computer Science
> Xavier University
> Cincinnati, OH 45207-4441
> otero@...

[Otero, Daniel]

Victor,

Thanks for the reference.  However, the information in the Wiki article is still more sketchy than I’d like.  It reports that “[d]uring the Middle Ages 1 January retained the name New Year's Day (or an equivalent name) in all Western European countries... However, most of those countries began their numbered year on 25 December (the Nativity of Jesus), 25 March (the Incarnation of Jesus), or even Easter, as in France (see the Liturgical year article for more details).”  

I assume that “Middle Ages” refers to the years between the 4th c. when Constantine Christianized the Roman Empire and the 16th c. when the latest reforms began.  And the mention of “most of those countries” leaves me still in the dark regarding which peoples used which date to start the year.  Unfortunately, the article on Liturgical year is no more forthcoming regarding this.

--Danny


On 8/8/09 9:55 PM, "Victor Engel" <brillig@...> wrote:

Dear Danny,

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_calendar#New_Year.27s_Day

Victor

On Sat, Aug 8, 2009 at 8:18 PM, Otero, Daniel<otero@...> wrote:
> My second question:  Where else in Christian lands, besides England, and
> during what period, was Lady Day (March 25, the Feast of the Annunciation)
> considered the first day of the year?  I assume that these places adopted
> January 1 as the first day of the year at least as early as their adoption
> of the Gregorian calendar.
>
> --Danny Otero
> Dept. of Mathematics & Computer Science
> Xavier University
> Cincinnati, OH 45207-4441
> otero@...

[Brillig]

Danny,

Did you see the chart? I agree, the article on Liturgical year was a
bit disappointing.

Victor

On Sun, Aug 9, 2009 at 1:15 PM, Otero, Daniel<otero@...> wrote:

> Victor,
>
> Thanks for the reference.  However, the information in the Wiki article is
> still more sketchy than I’d like.  It reports that “[d]uring the Middle Ages
> 1 January retained the name New Year's Day (or an equivalent name) in all
> Western European countries... However, most of those countries began their
> numbered year on 25 December (the Nativity of Jesus), 25 March (the
> Incarnation of Jesus), or even Easter, as in France (see the Liturgical year
> article for more details).”
>
> I assume that “Middle Ages” refers to the years between the 4th c. when
> Constantine Christianized the Roman Empire and the 16th c. when the latest
> reforms began.  And the mention of “most of those countries” leaves me still
> in the dark regarding which peoples used which date to start the year.
>  Unfortunately, the article on Liturgical year is no more forthcoming
> regarding this.
>
> --Danny
>
>
> On 8/8/09 9:55 PM, "Victor Engel" <brillig@...> wrote:
>
> Dear Danny,
>
> See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_calendar#New_Year.27s_Day
>
> Victor
>
> On Sat, Aug 8, 2009 at 8:18 PM, Otero, Daniel<otero@...> wrote:
>> My second question:  Where else in Christian lands, besides England, and
>> during what period, was Lady Day (March 25, the Feast of the Annunciation)
>> considered the first day of the year?  I assume that these places adopted
>> January 1 as the first day of the year at least as early as their adoption
>> of the Gregorian calendar.
>>
>> --Danny Otero
>> Dept. of Mathematics & Computer Science
>> Xavier University
>> Cincinnati, OH 45207-4441
>> otero@...
>
>
>

[Otero, Daniel]

Victor,

Yes, I did note the chart.  It gives dates in which said countries made the switch to 1 January as the start of the year.  But it doesn’t reveal what they switched from.

--Danny


On 8/9/09 4:28 PM, "Victor Engel" <brillig@...> wrote:

Danny,

Did you see the chart? I agree, the article on Liturgical year was a
bit disappointing.

Victor

On Sun, Aug 9, 2009 at 1:15 PM, Otero, Daniel<otero@...> wrote:
> Victor,
>
> Thanks for the reference.  However, the information in the Wiki article is
> still more sketchy than I’d like.  It reports that “[d]uring the Middle Ages
> 1 January retained the name New Year's Day (or an equivalent name) in all
> Western European countries... However, most of those countries began their
> numbered year on 25 December (the Nativity of Jesus), 25 March (the
> Incarnation of Jesus), or even Easter, as in France (see the Liturgical year
> article for more details).”
>
> I assume that “Middle Ages” refers to the years between the 4th c. when
> Constantine Christianized the Roman Empire and the 16th c. when the latest
> reforms began.  And the mention of “most of those countries” leaves me still
> in the dark regarding which peoples used which date to start the year.
>  Unfortunately, the article on Liturgical year is no more forthcoming
> regarding this.
>
> --Danny
>
>
> On 8/8/09 9:55 PM, "Victor Engel" <brillig@...> wrote:
>
> Dear Danny,
>
> See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_calendar#New_Year.27s_Day
>
> Victor
>
> On Sat, Aug 8, 2009 at 8:18 PM, Otero, Daniel<otero@...> wrote:
>> My second question:  Where else in Christian lands, besides England, and
>> during what period, was Lady Day (March 25, the Feast of the Annunciation)
>> considered the first day of the year?  I assume that these places adopted
>> January 1 as the first day of the year at least as early as their adoption
>> of the Gregorian calendar.
>>
>> --Danny Otero
>> Dept. of Mathematics & Computer Science
>> Xavier University
>> Cincinnati, OH 45207-4441
>> otero@...
>
>
>