264 NEW YEAR'S DAY AND THE CALENDAR 



but 1700, 1880 and 1900, though according to the former 

 law leap-years, were made common years, whilst 2000 

 will be a leap-year. In order to correct a further minute 

 error, namely, the fact that the calendar year as now 

 amended is 26 sec. longer than the true solar year, it is 

 proposed that the year 4000 and all its multiples shall be 

 common years, and not leap years. This is a matter 

 which, though practical, is of distinctly remote im- 

 portance. Some people like to look well ahead. 



The alteration in the calendar made by Pope Gregory 

 was successfully opposed for a long time in Great Britain 

 by popular prejudice. It was called "new style," and 

 was at last accepted, as in other European countries, but 

 has never been adopted in Russia, which retains the " old 

 style." An Act of Parliament was passed in 1751 order- 

 ing that the day following September 2nd, 1752, should 

 be accounted the fourteenth of that month. Many people 

 thought that they had been cheated out of eleven days of 

 life, and there were serious riots ! The change had been 

 already made in Scotland in the year 1600 without much 

 outcry. The Scotch were either too " canny " or too dull 

 to " fash " themselves about it. 



Let us now revert for a moment to the proceedings of 

 Oriental potentates in regard to astronomers, a class of 

 scientific functionaries whom they have from remote ages 

 been in the habit of employing. It appears that in China 

 there is no attempt to make the civil year or year of the 

 calendar coincide with the astronomical year. The astro- 

 nomical year is reckoned as beginning when the sun enters 

 Capricorn, our winter solstice, and is thus more reason- 

 ably defined than is the commencement of our New Year, 

 which is nine days late. Twelve months are recognised ; 

 the first is called Tzu, the second Chou, and the third 

 Yin, and the rest respectively Mao, Chen, Su, Wu, Wei, 

 Shen, Yu, Hsu, Hai. But the calendar year, on the other 



