Idk if this is a stupid question or not lol. Obviously when moving from one year to the next, January is right in front of December, e.g. December 2023 is right behind January 2024, but is there a reason that months were designed so that winter carries on into the next calendar year?
We have 12 months and 4 seasons, so each season perfectly divides into 3 months a season. With that in mind, why didn’t we design the months so that winter is in 3 consecutive months within the same calendar year?
I’m not sure if I’ve articulated what I mean properly, so let me know if further clarification is needed.
In: Planetary Science
It’s politics of Ancient Rome leaking out into a modern day.
January 1st is when newly elected Roman Consuls (“President” and “Vice-President” of Rome) took office. Romans held the office of Consul in a high honor, and their names were displayed in all public places together with a calendar tracking their term. For many regular Romans, this was *the* calendar that they see 90% of the time. Even if officially the year started on a different date – average roman didn’t care.
Now, why did Consuls took office in the middle of the winter? Well, historically, they did it on a different days, but Jan 1st is the one that had finally stuck. Consuls were also Commanders-in-Chief – so it make sense to switch office when there is the least military need. Fighting in the winter was extremely dangerous at the time, so most armies stayed put. Old Consuls could bring their army home before Jan 1st, so the new Consuls could take over and drill it until spring.
When Julius Caesar reformed the calendar – he officially confirmed Jan 1st as the start of a year.
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