MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

May your Christmas last 365 days in a year full of happiness and joy! Enjoy and be present in your family! Your presence is the best gift your family will receive!

IS IT CHRISTMAS FOR EVERYONE?

No, not all Christians celebrate Christmas today. And here’s the reason why.

There are two calendars for a solar year consisting of 12 months, each having 28-31 days. The Julian and the Gregorian calendars are both in use in today’s world. So what is different?

The Julian calendar is a reform of the old Roman calendar that took effect on January 1st 45 BC. It was proposed by Julius Caesar so it got the name, the Julian calendar. According to the Julian calendar, the solar year lasted 365 days and 6 hours.

The Gregorian calendar was introduced in October 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII as a reform of the Julian calendar. According to Pope Gregory, the discrepancy lay in the length of the solar year which was different and lasted exactly 365 days 5 hours and 46 min and 48 seconds.

The reformed calendar was initially adopted by Catholic countries in Europe and overseas while the Julian calendar is still used by parts of the Eastern Orthodox Church. These two calendars are usually referred to as the old and new calendars.

All this means that there is a 13 days difference between the two calendars.

The Gregorian calendar celebrates Christmas on 25 December. Thirteen days later, exactly on 7 January, the Julian calendar marks Christmas.

New Year starts on 1 January and according to the Julian calendar, New Year starts on 14 January.

HOWEVER, both calendars and people’s beliefs should be accepted and respected. Tolerance is what makes us human.

Let’s be Merry today! Christ the Saviour is born!

May Christmas bring you a careless year full of joy and happiness!