Why January 7?
In ancient times, many, mostly unreliable methods had been used to calculate the dates according to either the lunar or solar cycles. By Roman times, the calendar had become three months out with the seasons, so in 46 BC, Julius Caesar commissioned the astronomer, Sosigenes to devise a more reliable method. This, we know as the Julian Calendar and was used widely for 1500 years. The month of his birth, Caesar had named Quintilis, but the Roman Senate later re-named it Julius (July) in his honour. In those days, February had 30 days every 4 years.
However, this calendar was still 11 minutes and 14 seconds longer than the solar year, so that by the year 1580, the calendar had accumulated 10 days off again. In 1582, therefore, Pope Gregory XIII corrected the difference between the sun and calendar by ordering 10 days dropped from October, the month with the least Roman Catholic Feast days. His calendar, we know as the Gregorian Calendar, which is used in almost all of the world today. Pope Gregory made further changes to keep the calendar in line, which on average is only 26.3 seconds longer than the solar year. The Gregorian Calendar is so accurate that it will take until the year 4316 to gain a whole day on the sun.
That year, 1582, October 5th became October 15th and was immediately adopted in most Roman Catholic nations of Europe. Various German states kept the Julian Calendar until 1700. Britain and the American Colonies didn't change until 1752, but Russia and Turkey did not adopt the Gregorian Calendar until the early 1900's.
So, January 7th by the Georgian Calendar would have been December 25th by the old Julian Calendar and is therefore why it is still Christmas Day for the Russian Orthodox Church. Many Russians will have celebrated along with the rest of us and will then celebrate again on the Orthodox date.
Just a warning to my GOMer - I may have to remove some of these links soon, to free up some web space. So if you haven't downloaded what you want - please do so in the next couple of weeks or they may be gone.
hey everyone. It's seems I forgot to post an actual due date for the GoM. In light of this, I choose the due date of January 17th. That gives everyone, the three day weekend of MLK Day for last minute work.
So I haven't been on the boards at all but have been hard at work on my GoM cover. And now I go in today to apologize for being late and see that the date got moved from the 7th to the 17th!! Woo hoo! I was going to finish today. So now I have ten extra days to try and make it not suck after all.
and quite coincidentally, my term of service (bless the federal government and their consideration for us non-permanent "transitional" employees) is ending this friday, so before i get re-appointed, i will have a five day vacation from the thirteenth to the seventeenth. so hopefully the song i turn in will be free from much sucking too!
Anyone who is finished can send their info to me from now through the due date (Jan 17). Please copy and paste the required info below into a PM to me and then add your info accordingly. This will avoid confusion in creating the page. Any questions/problems just give me a shout. Thanks.
OH YEAH - We need some artwork too if anyone is interested. I believe J$ is doing some, but the more the better.
1- Your Name as it is to appear on the GOM:
2- A Link to your website:(OPTIONAL)
3- Song Title:
4- A link to the song:
5- Original Artist:
6- Quote from you:(OPTIONAL)
7- Requested by:
8- (collab) Feat:(OPTIONAL)
9- Collab partner's website:(OPTIONAL)
Last edited by Eddiebangs on Fri Jan 12, 2007 8:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
