Tag Archives: Julian Calendar

History, Holidays, Religion

Easter Orthodox Christmas Day (7 January)

Titanic News Channel Wishes All Our Friends In Eastern Orthodox a Joyous and Blessed Christmas Day!

 

The Adoration of the Shepherds (Gerard van Honthorst 1590–1656)
Image: Public Domain (Wikipedia)

 

Why Does Eastern Orthodox Celebrate Christmas on January 7?

Eastern Orthodox follows the Julian calendar for their liturgical year. The Gregorian calendar, named for Pope Gregory XIII, was proclaimed in a Papal Bull in 1582. Its full implementation took 300 years owing to many countries not wanting to adopt a calendar proclaimed by a pope. Most Catholic countries quickly adopted while others adopted it later as the calendar was accurate and corrected the problems of the Julian. While dislike of the Catholic church was a reason in some cases, there were other reasons such governments being slow to act as well as local customs and traditions that had to be overcome. Adopting the new calendar required a major change, namely setting the calendar forward 13 days. That was a major feat implementing the change in many countries. The tradeoff though was clear. The newer calendar was more accurate so that you no longer had to make manual calculations to adjust for solstices, equinoxes, and other events under the old calendar. Those problems were now gone.

For Eastern Orthodox, the issue was not the accuracy of the new calendar but with the Papal Bull itself that had things in it they did not agree with and thus rejected it. The Congress of Constantinople (1923) created a Revised Julian Calendar that synchronized with the Gregorian on everything except Easter. This was accepted by Orthodox Churches in Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Greece, Cyprus, Romania, Poland, and Bulgaria. It was rejected by Orthodox churches in Jerusalem, Russia, Serbia, Ukraine, and Georgia. Due to the split, the date for Easter is different between the two since the Revised Julian Calendar uses a different formula that the other churches rejected. That is why Christmas is celebrated by Greek Orthodox Church on December 25 but Russian Orthodox on January 7. The last country to adopt the Gregorian calendar was Saudi Arabia in 2016.

Sources

Christmas Worldwide. “Eastern Orthodox Christmas: Celebrations in Russia, Greece, and Ukraine – Christmas Worldwide.” Christmas Worldwide. Last modified January 18, 2025. Accessed January 6, 2026. https://christmases.net/eastern-orthodox-christmas-celebrations-in-russia-greece-and-ukraine/.

“A Papal Calendar?” Orthodox Church in America. Last modified January 3, 2017. Accessed January 6, 2026. https://www.oca.org/reflections/fr.-lawrence-farley/a-papal-calendar.

Wikipedia contributors. “List of Adoption Dates of the Gregorian Calendar by Country.” Wikipedia. Last modified October 23, 2025. Accessed January 6, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_adoption_dates_of_the_Gregorian_calendar_by_country

History, Holidays

Welcome to January

Photo of Head of Janus
Vatican Museum, Rome
Source: Loudon Dodd (via Wikimedia)

January is the first month on the Gregorian and the Julian calendar. It is named after the Roman god of doors, Janus, as this month is a doorway into the new year. Janus is an interesting Roman god as he is two-faced. Thus, he can see both the future and the past. In January, you can see the previous year and view the upcoming one. The old Roman calendar ended in December and did not start up till March. This was changed later with the addition of January to replace March but was made official when the Julian calendar was adopted in 8 BC. The new Julian calendar used the solar cycle rather than the lunar making it more accurate. Unfortunately, its creator Sosigenes, an Alexandrian astronomer who helped create the Egyptian solar calendar, made a small mathematical error of 11 minutes and 14 seconds. Small but significant as the calendar started going out of sync with the solar cycle over time making it hard to use for holy days that required a precise measurement in order to be done at the correct date and time.

Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry Folio 1, verso: January
Part of Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry by Limbourg brothers (fl. 1402–1416)
Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

This became apparent by the Middle Ages and calls for it to be resolved became more urgent. It was no longer minutes but by then 10 days. This would ultimately result in the Gregorian Calendar (named for Pope Gregory XIII) that was adopted in 1548 by the Catholic church and the Papal States. This resolved the major problem regarding the scheduling of Easter. Since however this was a civic reform, it was up to each nation to decide whether to implement or not. It would gradually be adopted by many countries. Spain was the first to switch over and that included much of Roman Catholic Europe. Protestant countries were not keen on changing right away since the reform was made by the Catholic Church. The British would adopt it 1750 but by a method to avoid saying it was from the Catholic Church. Sweden adopted in 1753. Turkey would switch to using the fiscal year as Gregorian in 1917 and then for the entire calendar in 1926. Russia, under the Communist government, changed in 1918. Greece would change in 1923. Saudi Arabia would formally adopt it in 2016. The change between calendars was startling at first. You might be in November and suddenly thirteen days back in October!

Eastern Orthodox denominations decided for religious purposes to use the Julian rather than Gregorian for their liturgical year (separate from the civic calendar). Which is why in countries  like Greece or Russia the celebration of Christmas and Easter is currently 13 days after it is celebrated elsewhere.

Sources

Boeckmann, Catherine. “The Month of January 2026: Holidays, Fun Facts, Folklore.” Almanac.Com. Last modified December 9, 2025. https://www.almanac.com/content/month-january-holidays-facts-folklore.

Tikkanen, Amy. “Why Does the New Year Start on January 1?” Encyclopedia Britannica. Accessed December 31, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/story/why-does-the-new-year-start-on-january-1.

“The Month of January.” https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/months/january.html

History, Miscellaneous

Welcome to June

June calendar from the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry
From Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry Folio 6, verso: June
Between 1412 and 1416, circa 1440 or between 1485 and 1486
Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

 

Welcome to June! June is the 6th month on the Gregorian and Julian calendars and is one of four months with 30 days long. It marks the beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere and winter in the Southern Hemisphere. The Summer Solstice takes place between June 20-22 and is the longest day of the year. June comes from the Latin Iunius, possibly named for the goddess Juno, and on the old Roman calendar was the fourth month of the year.

Midsummer is celebrated on either the Summer Solstice or St. John’s Day (24 June) in Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Father’s Day is observed globally but with varying dates. The U.S. observes it on the 3rd Sunday in June. Juneteenth, a U.S. federal holiday on June 19, commemorates the Emancipation Proclamation read in Galveston, Texas, freeing enslaved people.

June is popular for weddings and celebrations, a tradition that comes from Roman times when marrying in June was considered lucky. The birthstones are pearl, alexandrite, and moonstone, with rose and honeysuckle as the flowers. Though summer officially begins at the solstice, it is considered to start at the beginning of June for commercial and agricultural purposes

For More Information

History, Miscellaneous

Welcome to April

April, Brevarium Grimani fol. 5v (Flemish)
Circa 1510
Venedig, Biblioteca Marciana
Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

April is the fourth month on the current Gregorian and Julian calendar. On the old Roman calendar, it was the second month after March since there was no January or February. In the Northern Hemisphere, April is the first month of spring while in the Southern, it is fall. Since the month was seen as a month of sun and and growth, the Romans named the month Aprillis. The name possibly is connected to the Greek goddess Aphrodite, but its origin is unclear. However, the name has stuck and called today April.

With winter over in the Northern Hemisphere, it is a time of joy the days get warmer. The cold days of rain, snow, and frost begin to recede in earnest in most places though the further north you are, it will hold out for a bit longer. April is known for countless festivities to herald this time of year. Of course, April 1 is April Fool’s Day, which is celebrated globally as a day of playing pranks. It is thought that it began as a way to celebrate the end of winter since people would be happy to see it go. So, playing joyful pranks on friends and neighbors would occur. April also is often a time of two major celebrations for Christianity and Judaism: Easter and Passover.

The first full moon in April has both religious and secular meanings. Since Jews use a lunar calendar, Passover occurs in the seventh month and on the 14th day at the full moon. The Western Christian church generally observes Easter after the first full moon after the Vernal Equinox in March. Thus, the first Sunday after the Paschal Moon is when Easter Sunday will be observed. Sometimes Easter and Passover will be celebrated at nearly the same time. However sometimes the astronomical date and the ecclesiastical date do not always sync up. At the Council of Nicea in 325 AD, it was decided Easter Sunday would be celebrated on the first Sunday after the Vernal Equinox (usually March 21). It was further decided that Easter Sunday, to accommodate a full moon right after the equinox, would be celebrated between March 22 up to April 25. Sometimes Easter Sunday will occur March since the full moon (sometimes called the Lenten Moon in this case) occurs right after the equinox.

As you might guess, this involves a lot of calculations (called Computus) to get everything properly set up for Lent and Easter Sunday for each liturgical year. Since the Western churches use the Gregorian calendar, it corrects the problems of the older Julian calendar during the solar year. Eastern Orthodox still uses the Julian calendar for its liturgical year, so its observance of Easter can fall a week or several weeks later. Every four years, both calendars align, and both observe Easter Sunday on the same date. Since Easter Sunday also determines public holidays in different countries, the dates for those holidays change each year as well.

Other cultures had different names for the April moon. One is the Pink Moon. This was used in some places in North America. It did not denote the moon was pink but that a certain flower turned pink in April. Breaking Moon was used by Native Americans in Dakota as the return of warmth meant the end of ice. Names were sometimes connected to when certain animals returned from their winter retreats (Moon When Ducks Return etc.)

Of course, there is a lot of folklore around the first moon in April. Here are some favorites:

A full Moon in April brings frost. If the full Moon rises pale, expect rain.

“A cold April the barn will fill.”
(Old Farmer’s Almanac)

Suggested Reading

Catherine Boeckmann, “The Month of April 2025: Holidays, Fun Facts, Folklore,” Almanac.Com, last modified March 21, 2025, https://www.almanac.com/content/month-april-holidays-fun-facts-folklore.

“The Month of April,” https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/months/april.html.

Stephen Bedard, “How Is the Date for Easter Calculated? – History of Christianity,” History of Christianity, last modified March 29, 2025, https://historyofchristianitypodcast.com/2025/03/28/how-is-the-date-for-easter-calculated/.

History, Miscellaneous

Welcome to March

Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry Folio 3, verso: March Part of Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry Date between 1412 and 1416 and circa 1440 Conde Museum, France Public Domain (US) via Wikimedia Commons

March is the third month on both the old Julian and current Gregorian calendar. It is the month that begins spring in the Northern Hemisphere and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. March is believed to be derived from the Roman god Mars (Greek equivalent Ares). Before the advent of the Julian calendar, Romans considered March the first month of the new year. With winter over, it was also the start of military campaigns to resume. Festivals were also held at this time in ancient Rome to honor Mars as well.

The March equinox is usually around March 21-22. Many spring festivals take place in March. Passover and Easter may take place in March, but not always as it is dependent upon very specific calculations and can change from year to year. St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17. If it falls on a Friday, Catholics are given dispensation to eat meat on that day (at least in Ireland and in areas where the feast is celebrated) If it falls on a Sunday, the diocese that observes the day will do so on Monday. For Ireland, since St. Patrick is its patron saint, it will be celebrated on Sunday replacing the normally observed day of Lent.

St. Patrick’s Day postcard, 1912 of “Old Weir Bridge” at Dinis Cottage, in Killarney National Park, Ireland.
Public Domain/Wikipedia

The famous Ides of March (March 15) was once a day to pay debts in Rome, but it became infamously associated with the assassination of Julius Caesar on that day in 44 BC. Daylight Saving Time begins in the U.S. and Canada on the second Sunday in March. For most of Europe, this will occur on March 31. The first full moon of March is often called the Worm Moon as many earthworms are being noticed in the Northern Hemisphere.

For Further Information

———. “The Month of March 2025: Holidays, Fun Facts, Folklore.” Almanac.Com. Last modified February 19, 2025. https://www.almanac.com/content/month-march-holidays-fun-facts-folklore.

“The Month of March,” last modified February 20, 2025, https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/months/march.html.

Byrd, Deborah, and Deborah Byrd. “March Equinox 2025: All You Need to Know.” EarthSky | Updates on Your Cosmos and World. Last modified December 12, 2024. https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/everything-you-need-to-know-vernal-or-spring-equinox/.

History, Miscellaneous

Welcome to February

February by Leandro Bassano,1595/1600
Public Domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

February is the second month on the Gregorian and Julian calendars. With 28 days (except in leap years when there are 29), it is the shortest month of the year. On the old Roman calendar, the year ended in December, and the new year started in March. The name is derived from Februarius, a purification ritual that was held around 15 February on the old Roman lunar calendar. While in the northern hemisphere February is still winter heading towards spring, in the southern seasons are switched so they are heading towards autumn.

With shorter number of days, it is the one month that can pass without a full moon (it happened in 2018). There are many fascinating names used during the month such as Snow Moon to indicate snow is on the ground. Some Native American tribes call it the Hunger Moon due to limited food sources during winter.

February is considered the snowiest month of winter, though that can of course vary by the year. 2 February has been set aside (for reasons far longer than be put here) as a day for weather forecasting by various animals. The most famous is of course Punxsutawney Phil and if the groundhog sees his shadow then six weeks more of winter is expected. He is rated by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as being accurate 40% of the time.  A lot of people trek to see the groundhog in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania so it has become quite an event. The whole idea comes from German settlers who back in Germany used badgers for the same purpose. Lacking badgers here, groundhogs were used and so the whole thing mushroomed into what it is today.

There is also a religious connection to 2 February. In most Christian churches, 2 February is celebrated as either Candlemas (the old name) or Presentation of the Lord. The faithful will bring candles to be blessed to be used during winter (and beyond as needed). And then the day is celebrated as also when the infant Jesus is brought to the temple in Jerusalem to be presented in accordance with the law of Moses. There Simeon, a prophet who had been told he would see the promised messiah before he died, took the infant into his arms and blessed him:

Now thou dost dismiss thy servant, O Lord, according to thy word in peace; Because my eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples: A light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. And his father and mother were wondering at those things which were spoken concerning him. And Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary his mother: Behold this child is set for the fall, and for the resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be contradicted; And thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that, out of many hearts, thoughts may be revealed. (Luke 2:25-35)

The February flowers are violet (to signify loyalty, faithfulness and watchfulness) and the primrose (to let someone know you cannot be without them). Of course, roses are the unofficial flower since Valentine’s Day on 14 February usually means a lot of roses are purchased for wives and girlfriends.

For More Information

Boeckmann, Catherine. “February Calendar 2025: Holidays, Fun Facts, and Folklore.” Almanac.Com. Last modified January 29, 2025. https://www.almanac.com/content/month-february-holidays-fun-facts-folklore.

“The Month of February,” https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/months/february.html.

Contributors to Wikimedia projects, “1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/February,” Wikisource, the Free Online Library, last modified August 14, 2020, https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1911_Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica/February.

Cecil Adams, “How Come February Has Only 28 Days? – the Straight Dope,” The Straight Dope, last modified July 28, 2020, https://www.straightdope.com/21341610/how-come-february-has-only-28-days.

Christmas, Religion

Today is Eastern Orthodox Christmas Day (7 Jan)

The Adoration of the Shepherds (Gerard van Honthorst 1590–1656)
Image: Public Domain (Wikipedia)

Most Eastern Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas Day on 7 January as they follow the Julian calendar rather than the Gregorian for liturgical feasts and occasions such as Christmas. When Pope Gregory XIII proclaimed it in a Papal Bull in 1582 proclaiming the new calendar, it took a long while for it to be full implemented (over 300 years). Some of it was due to countries being Protestant and not wanting to adopt a calendar proclaimed by a pope. Other reasons include local customs and traditions, and in some cases, governments just being slow to implement a major change (it meant resetting the calendar back 13 days when implemented). No one doubted the accuracy of the new calendar as it corrected the problems of the old Julian.

For Eastern Orthodox, it was a bit more complicated. First it was not exactly welcomed by the Eastern Orthodox bishops that the new calendar was issued by Pope Gregory XIII. It came with some additional items that Eastern Orthodox bishops did not agree with. In the end, it was decided while they had no problems with the calendar itself, the additional items Pope Gregory attached to his Papal Bull, they had to reject it. In 1923 the Congress of Constantinople attempted to correct it with a Revised Julian Calendar. This calendar synchronized with the Gregorian for nearly all the important dates (except Easter). The Orthodox Churches of Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Greece, Cyprus, Romania, Poland, and Bulgaria accepted this. However, the Orthodox Churches of Jerusalem, Russia, Serbia, Ukraine, and Georgia rejected it. Easter poses a problem as well due to its calculations. The Revised Julian Calendar churches follow a different formula for Easter which all of the Eastern Orthodox churches that follow the Julian reject.

For Further Information

Christmas Worldwide, “Eastern Orthodox Christmas: Celebrations in Russia, Greece, and Ukraine – Christmas Worldwide,” Christmas Worldwide, last modified October 18, 2024, https://christmases.net/eastern-orthodox-christmas-celebrations-in-russia-greece-and-ukraine/.

“A Papal Calendar?,” Orthodox Church in America, last modified January 3, 2017, https://www.oca.org/reflections/fr.-lawrence-farley/a-papal-calendar.

“Explanation of the Julian Calendar,” St Andrew Fool for Christ Orthodox Church, https://www.standrewfoolforchrist.org/explanation-of-the-julian-calendar.html.

“Church Calendar – OrthodoxWiki,” https://orthodoxwiki.org/Church_Calendar.

“Revised Julian Calendar – OrthodoxWiki,” https://orthodoxwiki.org/Revised_Julian_Calendar.

History, Miscellaneous

Welcome to January

Photo of Head of Janus
Vatican Museum, Rome
Source: Loudon Dodd (via Wikimedia)

January is the first month on the Gregorian and the Julian calendar. It is named after the Roman god of doors, Janus, as this month is a doorway into the new year. Janus is an interesting Roman god as he is two-faced. Thus, he can see both the future and the past. In January, you can see the previous year and view the upcoming one. The old Roman calendar ended in December and did not start up till March. This was changed later with the addition of January to replace March but was made official when the Julian calendar was adopted in 8 BC. The new Julian calendar used the solar cycle rather than the lunar making it more accurate. Unfortunately, its creator Sosigenes, an Alexandrian astronomer who helped create the Egyptian solar calendar, made a small mathematical error of 11 minutes and 14 seconds. Small but significant as the calendar started going out of sync with the solar cycle over time making it hard to use for holy days that required a precise measurement in order to be done at the correct date and time.

Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry Folio 1, verso: January
Part of Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry by Limbourg brothers (fl. 1402–1416)
Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

This became apparent by the Middle Ages and calls for it to be resolved became more urgent. It was no longer minutes but by then 10 days. This would ultimately result in the Gregorian Calendar (named for Pope Gregory XIII) that was adopted in 1548 by the Catholic church and the Papal States. This resolved the major problem regarding the scheduling of Easter. Since however this was a civic reform, it was up to each nation to decide whether to implement or not. It would gradually be adopted by many countries. Spain was the first to switch over and that included much of Roman Catholic Europe. Protestant countries were not keen on changing right away since the reform was made by the Catholic Church. The British would adopt it 1750 but by a method to avoid saying it was from the Catholic Church. Sweden adopted in 1753. Turkey would switch to using the fiscal year as Gregorian in 1917 and then for the entire calendar in 1926. Russia, under the Communist government, changed in 1918. Greece would change in 1923. Saudi Arabia would formally adopt it in 2016. The change between calendars was startling at first. You might be in November and suddenly thirteen days back in October!

Eastern Orthodox denominations decided for religious purposes to use the Julian rather than Gregorian for their liturgical year (separate from the civic calendar). Which is why in countries  like Greece or Russia the celebration of Christmas and Easter is currently 13 days after it is celebrated elsewhere.

For Further Information

Amy Tikkanen, “Why Does the New Year Start on January 1?,” Encyclopedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/story/why-does-the-new-year-start-on-january-1.

“The Month of January,” https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/months/january.html.

Catherine Boeckmann, “The Month of January 2025: Holidays, Fun Facts, Folklore,” Almanac.Com, last modified January 2, 2025, https://www.almanac.com/content/month-january-holidays-facts-folklore.

History, Miscellaneous

Welcome to June

June calendar from the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry
From Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry Folio 6, verso: June
Between 1412 and 1416, circa 1440 or between 1485 and 1486
Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

June is the sixth month on both the Gregorian and Julian calendars.  June is one four months to be only 30 days long. June marks the beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere (and the reverse below the equator.) The Summer Solstice usually occurs between the 20-22 of the month and is the longest day of the year. June gets its name from the Latin Iunius, which was used on the old Roman calendar (which June was the fourth month since March used to be the first month) and believed to be named for the Roman god Juno. Juno was the wife and sister of Jupiter (the Roman version of Zeus, king of the gods). Juno was the protector of the nation and watched over women. She was also associated with youth.

Midsummer is celebrated in June on the summer solstice or St. John’s Day on 24 June. It is mainly celebrated in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden but the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania celebrate it as well.  Father’s Day is celebrated around the world in June but not on the same date. 19 June is Juneteenth, a federal holiday  in the United States, which commemorates the Emancipation Proclamation read aloud in Galveston, Texas. This freed the enslaved people in the state that had been outside of Union Army control.

Rose is the June Flower.
Les Roses by Pierre-Joseph Redouté (1759-1840)
Photo:Public Domain (US Library of Congress: lccn.loc.gov/50049695)

It is a month of celebrations and weddings are very popular during this month. During Roman times getting married during the month of June was considered lucky and has become traditional since then as the month for preferred weddings. The June symbols are pearl, alexandrite and moonstone for the birthstones, with the rose and honeysuckle for the flowers. Although officially summer does not begin until the solstice, for commercial and agricultural purposes summer begins when the month begins.

Sources

“The Month of June 2024: Holidays, Fun Facts, Folklore.” Almanac.com, 29 May 2024, www.almanac.com/content/month-june-holidays-fun-facts-folklore.

The Month of June. www.timeanddate.com/calendar/months/june.html.

—. June – Wikipedia. 2 June 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/June.

Miscellaneous

Welcome to November

Le Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry-November
Jean Colombe (1430–1493)
Public Domain (Wikimedia)

November is the last month of Autumn in the Northern Hemisphere, and the last month of Spring in the Southern. The name November comes from the Latin novem, which means nine. This was its position on the old Roman calendar as that calendar only had ten months. The name remained despite it becoming the 11th month of the newer Julian and later Gregorian calendars. Daylight Savings Time, if it has not come to an end already, ends for everyone in the Northern in November. The annual Leonid Meteor Shower is usually around November 17-18. The first full moon of November is often called the Beaver Moon since many beavers build their dams around this time. In the United States, the major holiday is Thanksgiving celebrated on the last Thursday of the month.

The symbols for November are the topaz (birthstone that symbolizes friendship), and its flower is the chrysanthemum.