LWN's 2020 vision

Posted Jan 9, 2020 9:17 UTC (Thu) by Wol (subscriber, #4433)
In reply to: LWN's 2020 vision by pizza
Parent article: LWN's 2020 vision

> Why do we almost always (in the US at least) list spring as the "first" season?

Because, until a couple of hundred years ago, New Year's Day was the 25th March? I think it changed (in the Anglo-Saxon world) just before American Independence.

Incidentally, that's behind why October is named the 8th month etc etc - they were until two new months were stuck at the start of the year.

Cheers,
Wol

LWN's 2020 vision

Posted Jan 9, 2020 14:14 UTC (Thu) by amacater (subscriber, #790) [Link]

1752 should be the change for England (and, by extension) US at that stage. for fun - look at the calendar for September 1752.

March 25th was a quarter day - so that's when taxes fell due - and was the start of the legal new year because it was easier for judges to give up going on circuit and taking the courts around the country in the worst of the winter. January 1st was already established as New Years Day in some calendars in Europe.

A remnant of March 25th as quarter day is, allegedly, the ffact that the UK tax year runs until April 5th [March 25th + 11 days]

LWN's 2020 vision

Posted Jan 9, 2020 19:11 UTC (Thu) by chfisher (subscriber, #106449) [Link]

Actually no. The two months were stuck in as July and August September was 7, October was 8, November was 9 and December was 10. Julius Ceaser wanted a month and so did Augustus.