| With 365 days a year except for leap years, which | | | | a leap month of 27 days was also introduced. The |
| have 366 days, our current calendar is probably the | | | | inclusion of the leap month, which was called the |
| most accurate calendar when it comes to measuring | | | | Mensis Intercalaris, in the regular calendar year was |
| the solar cycle. But did you know that the basis of our | | | | decided by an official called the pontifex maximus, |
| present calendar system has not always been | | | | although such inclusion usually happened in alternate |
| accurate? In fact, the origin of the calendar was very | | | | years. |
| inaccurate, missing about two months every year. This | | | | While the Roman calendar shifted from lunar to solar |
| calendar is the Roman calendar?an ancient calendar | | | | during the reign of Pompilius, the months of the |
| that eventually became the basis of the Western | | | | calendar remained lunar. Days for each month, for |
| calendar. | | | | example, were named based on the phases of the |
| According to traditions, the earliest version of the | | | | moon. In this system, three specific days were given |
| Roman calendar was invented by Romulus, the | | | | special names. These days were the Kalends, which |
| mythical founder of Rome in the 700s B.C. It was | | | | was the first day of the month, the Ides, which was |
| originally a lunar calendar made up of 10 months, | | | | the day of the Half Moon, and the Nones, which was |
| namely Martius (March), Aprilis (April), Maius (May), | | | | the day of the Full Moon. Furthermore, all other names |
| Junius (June), Quintilis (July), Sextilis (August), | | | | in a month were named in reference to these special |
| September, October, November, and December. The | | | | days. |
| said calendar was made up of only 304 days, with | | | | Through the years, the Roman calendar continued to |
| some 61 days of winter simply omitted. | | | | evolve and improve. The latest product of this |
| During the reign of Numa Pompilius, the first revision to | | | | evolution is what we now call the modern Western |
| the Roman calendar was made. During that time, the | | | | calendar. And while there may be few similarities |
| months of Ianuarius (January) and Februarius | | | | between our present calendar and the ancient Roman |
| (February) were added, making it a 12-month calendar | | | | calendar, the fact remains that our very accurate |
| of 355 days. To align the calendar with the solar year, | | | | calendar of today had very inaccurate roots. |