Gregorian/Julian calendars for the Christmas Day!

[Sam_777]

Why the Christian Churches are divided on Gregorian/Julian calendars for the Christmas Day!, why we have two days (25 December & 7 January)!

Logically shouldn’t we follow the most accurate one! why is that discrepancy .

 

[1ke]

The Orthodox do not follow the Gregorian calendar. They follow the Julian calendar.

As you know, the Chinese have a calendar, so do Muslims, so do Jews.

Until Christianity is again united, the East and West will continue to celebrate Christmas on different days.

 

[jakasaki]

The Orthodox do not follow the Gregorian calendar. They follow the Julian calendar.

As you know, the Chinese have a calendar, so do Muslims, so do Jews.

Until Christianity is again united, the East and West will continue to celebrate Christmas on different days.

Who are the “Orthodox” which follow the Julian…?

 

[Tyuiop411]

Who are the “Orthodox” which follow the Julian…?

I’ve heard them called Old Calendarists I also think the ROC follows the Julian calendar but I could be wrong on that. But i don’t see why anyone would want to use the Julian calendar since it is after all flawed.

 

[1ke]

Who are the “Orthodox” which follow the Julian…?

The ones celebrating Christmas today.

 

[Sam_777]

But i don’t see why anyone would want to use the Julian calendar since it is after all flawed.

Exactly, since its flawed why lots of Christians still using it!, I don’t think changing it would contradict anything in the Bible or would angry GOD !

 

[ConstantineTG]

Who are the “Orthodox” which follow the Julian…?

Ukrainians, Russians, etc.

By the way, Ukraine as a country celebrates Christmas on the Gregorian Jan 7. So this means all Orthodox and all Ukrainian Catholics celebrate it on this day. I’m not sure about Ukrainian Roman Catholics, but its a cultural thing as well as a religious thing they celebrate on this day. December 25 is what they refer to as the Polish Christmas (because most Roman Catholics they know are Polish). And they don’t like the Polish that much.

 

[ConstantineTG]

Exactly, since its flawed why lots of Christians still using it!, I don’t think changing it would contradict anything in the Bible or would angry GOD !

Because its their tradition.

 

[Sam_777]

Because its their tradition.

Tradition should not create contradiction!

Other religions are looking at you (Christians), if you do not want to unite on the dogma then at least you should unite on Jesus birth day…

 

[1ke]

Tradition should not create contradiction!

Other religions are looking at you (Christians), if you do not want to unite on the dogma then at least you should unite on Jesus birth day…

It’s not his actual birthday, it is a feast day on the calendar. There is nothing dogmatic about it. It has been celebrated on a number of different days in the history of the church.

 

[Sam_777]

It has been celebrated on a number of different days in the history of the church.

To end that discrepancy, make the celebration for all Churches from 25th December to 7th January with public holiday for everyone , and call that “Christmas Days” .

 

[ConstantineTG]

Tradition should not create contradiction!

Other religions are looking at you (Christians), if you do not want to unite on the dogma then at least you should unite on Jesus birth day…

Where’s the contradiction? For one thing its on the same day, December 25. Its just that December 25 on the Julian is January 7 on the Gregorian. Its like, why do the Chinese celebrate the New Year in late January or early February? And why a different day every year?

Besides, we are united by faith in God. Not a calendar.

 

[ConstantineTG]

To end that discrepancy, make the celebration for all Churches from 25th December to 7th January with public holiday for everyone , and call that “Christmas Days” .

Well, the 12 days of Christmas do end on January 6, which is the Eve of the Nativity on the Julian.

 

[Evan]

Well, the 12 days of Christmas do end on January 6, which is the Eve of the Nativity on the Julian.

But the difference between the 2 calendars changes by 3 days every 400 years.

Julius Caesar established a leap year every 4 years.
This led to the departure of the equinox from the start of spring over the centuries.
Pope Gregory adjusted the calendar by 10 or so days (to fix the error) and removed leap years from 3 days in every 400 years (no longer do we have leap days on century years that are not divisible by 4: no leap year on 1700 1800 1900 but is one on 2000).

Since the Orthodox do not follow the Pope, they did not make the change.

In the US we switched
As British Colonies Sept 3 1752 became Sept 9 1752
In Alaska October 6 1867 became October 18 1867

Russia did not switch 'til 1918 and Romania 'til 1919

China started using the Gregorian Calendar in 1912, but never used the Julian Calendar

For other countries see polysyllabic.com/?q=book/export/html/25

 

[ComeHome2Rome]

Why the Christian Churches are divided on Gregorian/Julian calendars for the Christmas Day!, why we have two days (25 December & 7 January)!

Logically shouldn’t we follow the most accurate one! why is that discrepancy .

Hi Sam,

The Julian Calendar was set up by a pre-Christianity Roman Emperor Julius Caesar and was in effect when Jesus was alive. Using that calendar what the world considers January 7th is actually December 25th on this older Julian Calendar. This means that ALL Christians celebrate Christ’s Birth on December 25th. While no Orthodox Christians use the Julian Calendar for secular purposes there are at least a couple small factions of Orthodox Christians who continue to use the Julian Calendar for religious purposes - these are commonly referred to in and out of their communities as “Old Calendarists”. “Old Calendarists” that I have come into contact with are very proud of the term and using the Julian Calendar for their religious purposes. Because of their use of the Julian Calendar, while they still celebrate Christ’s birth on December 25th, the date they use differs from the what the rest of the world uses for December 25th.

The **Gregorian Calendar **was set up by Pope Gregory the Great who reigned as Pope from 590 ad to 604 ad. Pope Gregory the Great died roughly 6 years before Mohammad began reciting the Quran & an entire 450 years prior to the 1054 split of Orthodox Christians from the Catholic Church. Today the majority of the world uses the Gregorian Calendar for it’s affairs both secular and religious. If you agree that I’ve posted this on January 9, 2012 then you are, whether you realize it or not, in line with a Catholic Pope by using the Gregorian Calendar.

The Gregorian Calendar used by most of the world is one of many of the ways that the Catholic Church has transformed the entire world. It’s Catholic and while the entire world uses it most non-Catholics don’t even realize it their Calendar came from the Catholic Church.

Blessings,
Come Home 2 Rome

 

[ConstantineTG]

But the difference between the 2 calendars changes by 3 days every 400 years.

Julius Caesar established a leap year every 4 years.
This led to the departure of the equinox from the start of spring over the centuries.
Pope Gregory adjusted the calendar by 10 or so days (to fix the error) and removed leap years from 3 days in every 400 years (no longer do we have leap days on century years that are not divisible by 4: no leap year on 1700 1800 1900 but is one on 2000).

Since the Orthodox do not follow the Pope, they did not make the change.

In the US we switched
As British Colonies Sept 3 1752 became Sept 9 1752
In Alaska October 6 1867 became October 18 1867

Russia did not switch 'til 1918 and Romania 'til 1919

China started using the Gregorian Calendar in 1912, but never used the Julian Calendar

For other countries see polysyllabic.com/?q=book/export/html/25

Many Orthodox today use a Revised Julian Calendar which is essentially the Gregorian Calendar but the calculation for Easter still uses the old Julian Calendar. And others outright use the Gregorian Calendar.

Those who stick to the old Julian Calendar do so because that is how they, as a culture, celebrated Christmas since their respective cultures became Christian. Imagine if you have to change Christmas in the US to another date today (give any hypothetical reason), it is not easy.

 

[MarkosC]

Hi Sam,

The Julian Calendar was set up by a pre-Christianity Roman Emperor Julius Caesar and was in effect when Jesus was alive. Using that calendar what the world considers January 7th is actually December 25th on this older Julian Calendar. This means that ALL Christians celebrate Christ’s Birth on December 25th. While no Orthodox Christians use the Julian Calendar for secular purposes there are at least a couple small factions of Orthodox Christians who continue to use the Julian Calendar for religious purposes - these are commonly referred to in and out of their communities as “Old Calendarists”. “Old Calendarists” that I have come into contact with are very proud of the term and using the Julian Calendar for their religious purposes. Because of their use of the Julian Calendar, while they still celebrate Christ’s birth on December 25th, the date they use differs from the what the rest of the world uses for December 25th.

The **Gregorian Calendar **was set up by Pope Gregory the Great who reigned as Pope from 590 ad to 604 ad. Pope Gregory the Great died roughly 6 years before Mohammad began reciting the Quran & an entire 450 years prior to the 1054 split of Orthodox Christians from the Catholic Church. Today the majority of the world uses the Gregorian Calendar for it’s affairs both secular and religious. If you agree that I’ve posted this on January 9, 2012 then you are, whether you realize it or not, in line with a Catholic Pope by using the Gregorian Calendar.

The Gregorian Calendar used by most of the world is one of many of the ways that the Catholic Church has transformed the entire world. It’s Catholic and while the entire world uses it most non-Catholics don’t even realize it their Calendar came from the Catholic Church.

Blessings,
Come Home 2 Rome

I’m sorry but this is wrong.

The Gregorian Calendar did not come from Pope Gregory the Great (Gregory I), but rather Pope Gregory XIII in 1582. Orthodoxy rejected it quickly (back at at time when only Constantinople and Moscow would have been needed to secure an agreement). England (and its Church) accepted it only in the mid 1700s, as I recall. And yes because Catholic Europe, and eventually Protestant Europe adopted the Gregorian calendar and because those civilizations were predominant in the setting of international standards, the Gregorian calendar is used for secular purposes in the majority, and perhaps all, countries.

Prior to this the Julian calendar was used; the Gregorian calendar came about due to (presumably) better Renaissance astronomical techniques, as well as a change in method to calculate Pascha.

Some Chalcedonian Orthodox Churches still use the Julian Calendar (some for practicality, some as a semi-dogmatic statement, some allegedly because their plans to change were disrupted by revolutions), others use the Gregorian calendar for the monthly cycle but the Julian to calculate Pascha (and from there the Lenten and Pentecost seasons). Reasons for this can be easily found for the curious; I admit I’m not too interested, though the Julian partisans have all kinds of reasons (some even allege that the Julian is more accurate - I’m not interested in this kind of astronomy and I withhold judgment). The calendar issue is on the agenda for the pan-Orthodox council and they could conceivably agree to the Gregorian calendar (assuming that this council ever happens).

Most of the non-Chalcedonian Orthodox churches still use the Julian calendar, since that was the calendar that was in use in most of the Christian world during Roman times and agreed upon at Nicea, and as far as I’ve seen there is no interest in changing things just because Rome did so.

 

[Sam_777]

If you agree that I’ve posted this on January 9, 2012 then you are, whether you realize it or not, in line with a Catholic Pope by using the Gregorian Calendar.

The Gregorian Calendar did not come from Pope Gregory the Great (Gregory I), but rather Pope Gregory XIII in 1582. Orthodoxy rejected it quickly (back at at time when only Constantinople and Moscow would have been needed to secure an agreement). England (and its Church) accepted it only in the mid 1700s, as I recall.

Well, I do not think it’s really important who started the Calendar as long as it’s accurate and reflect the real date of Jesus birth, and since all the Christians Sects are following Jesus, I think they must be united on that date.

However, as for the Gregorian Calendar, yes even here in Muhammed’s land (Saudi Arabia) we dumped Muhammed’s calendar (Hijri Calendar) ten years back and start using the Gregorian Calendar for all our financials including the government annual budget announcement, because we know it’s accurate unlike the Hijri one.

 

[milidrag]

Exactly, since its flawed why lots of Christians still using it!, I don’t think changing it would contradict anything in the Bible or would angry GOD !

Wrong. This is a misconception.

Julian calendar is less flawed than Gregorian one.

Julian calendar measures absolute time, e.g. how much exactly passed from a specific point in time, such as Christ’s birth and resurrection. It is therefore used in space missions, satellites, etc .

Gregorian one measures what is the time exactly at a certain point on Earth. It is therefore useless in space missions.

Now, what does a time in a specific point on Earth have with God’s measurement of time?

 

[Evan]

Wrong. This is a misconception.

Julian calendar is less flawed than Gregorian one.

Julian calendar measures absolute time, e.g. how much exactly passed from a specific point in time, such as Christ’s birth and resurrection. It is therefore used in space missions, satellites, etc .

Gregorian one measures what is the time exactly at a certain point on Earth. It is therefore useless in space missions.

Now, what does a time in a specific point on Earth have with God’s measurement of time?

Wrong. This is a misconception.

They measure the same thing. The counting of days in a year.

The Julian calendar adds and extra day every 4 years.
This could be restated as adding an extra 100 days every 400 years.
The Gregorian calendar adds and extra 97 days in 400 years.

The Julian calendar was more accurate than the Lunar calendars it replaced.
The Gregorian calendar is more accurate the the simple Julian calendar it replaced.

In any case, the Lunar, Julian, and Gregorian changes were always made in an attempt to get each year to agree with the revolution of the Earth about the Sun.

Lunar calendars use interstitial months
Julian and Gregorian calendars use interstitial days (leap days)