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Astronomical Signs
Sun.
Earth. r Aries.
Libra.
Neptune. ४ Taurus. m Scorpio.
D Moon. to Mars. ascending node. || Gemini. 1 Saggittarius.
Mercury. 24 Jupiter. & descenting node.
Cancer.
Capricornus. Venus.
Saturn. 6 conjunction.
W Virgo.
Aquarius.
Pisces. & Earth.
Earth.
Uranus. 8 opposition.
Ω Leo.
Month and Year. By the Julian Calendar established by Julius Cæsar, 46 в.c., the months were reconstructed: the Roman year, which began March 1st, and had but ten months, being changed to January 1st, and two months added. Thirtyone days were given to the first, third, fifth, seventh, eighth, tenth, and twelfth month, and thirty days each to the rest, except February, which on every fourth year received an intercalary day, made by the sexto Calendas Martius, whence "leap year" came to be called Bissextile. As the Julian year had 36544 days, its length exceeded the true solar year by 11 minutes 14 seconds, so that the equinox in the course of centuries fell back several days. To correct this error, Pope Gregory XIII., in 1582, reformed the calendar by suppressing ten days, restoring the Equinox to March 21st. The Gregorian Calender was adopted by Germany in 1700, and by English law in 1752, when the Julian Calendar, or old style, gave place to the new style. The festival of Easter, commemorating the resurrection of Christ, used to be observed on the 14th day of the moon, i.e., near the full moon-the same as the Jewish Passover. But the Council of Nice, A.D. 325, ordered Easter to be celebrated on the Sunday next succeeding the full moon, that comes on or next after the vernal equinox-March 21st; thus making Easter and the related feast and fast days movable holidays. In common business affairs, 30 days compose a month, and 52 weeks a year. The Lunar Cycle, or Golden Number, is a term of 19 years, after which the changes of the moon return on the same days of the month. The Solar Cycle is a period of 28 years, when the days of the week again return to the same days of the month. Owing to an error in the Julian calendar, it was decreed by the British Government that the day following the 2d of September 1752 should be called the 14th day of September, or that II days should be stricken from the calendar; hence, time, previous to this decree, is called Old Style (O.S.), and since, New Style (
N.S.). In Russia, time is still reckoned by the Old Style, hence their dates are 12 days behind ours.
The Christian Era was first invented and introduced at Rome by Dionysius, a monk, in 527, adopted in France, in 705; in Spain, in 1340; and in Portugal, in 1410. It was first used in books in 748. The birth of Christ was, however, four years earlier, that is, in 1887, really 1883 since His birth; the chronology was not inquired into until the reign of Justinian. The 46 years of the Julian calendar was the first of our era. The Hegira, or Flight, took place July 16th, 622, and is the Mohammedan era. Their year is 12 lunar months, or 354 days, 8 hours, 48 minutes; and II days being lost, a year must be allowed every 33, to reconcile their dates with ours. Greek Olympiads of 4 years began 776 в.c., and were continued until the fifth century. The era of the Seleucide 311 в.C., of Alexander 323 B.C., of the siege of Troy 1209 B.C., of the founding of Rome 754 B.C., of the battle of Actium 31 B.C., of the Cæsars 38 B.C., of Tyre 125 B.C., of Abraham 2016, of Moses 1582, of Antioch 49, were also used by various early writers. Early Christians dated from the accession of Diocletian in A.D. 284. The Vulgate fixes the epoch of Adam at 4004 B.C. The Samaritan Pentateuch makes it 4700; the Talmud, 5344; Hales, 5411; the Greek Church, 5508; the Septuagint, 5872; Pezron, 5872; Alphonso, King of Castile, 6934; the early Fathers, 5502 and 5592; 200 other authorities estimate it from 6984 to 3268 B.C. In India the priests claim a duration of about 2000 millions of years since the beginning, and allege that Brahma was 17 millions of years creating. They mention also those deluges and periodical submersions required by the claims of geology. Sir William Jones computes the first book of Vedas to be written about 2800 B. C.
MOVABLE FEASTS (for the Years from 1872 to 1900 inclusive). The Sunday after Septuagesima The First Day Easter Day.
Sundays after Trinity.
Year Ascension Whit Advent of our Epi- Sunday. of Lent.
Day.
Sunday.
Sunday Lord. phany.. 1872 3 January 28 February 14 March 31 May 9 May 19 26 Dec. 1 1873 1874 1875 1876 1 1877 1878 1879 4325354 February. 9 66 January 24 "
26 April 13 66 22 June 1 24 Nov. 30 1 " 18 " 5 66 14 May 24 25 29 66 10 February 13 March 1 March 28 April 16 " 6 66 16 26 ،، 28 ،، 25 June 4 24 Dec. 3 January 28 February 17 February 14 66 1 66 10 May 20 26 66 2 March 6 " 21 66 30 June 9 23 ،، 1 " 9 February 26 66 13 66 22 66 1 24 Nov. 30 1880 2 1881 5 January 25 February 13 66 11 1882 4 " 5 March 2 February 22 March 28 April 17 " 6 May 16 26 66 28 66 26 June 5 23 66 27 " 9 18 May 28 25 Dec. 3 1883 2 1884 4 January 21 February 10 " 7 March 25 " 3 66 13 27 66 2 " 27 April 13 " 22 June 1 24 Nov. 30 1885 3 66 1 " 18 66 5 " 14 May 24 25 66 29 1886 6 " 21 1887 1888 1889 1890 3 5 3 4 " 6 March 10 February 23 " 25 June 3 June 13 22 66 28 " 10 May 19 May 29 24 66 27 January 29 " 15 " 1 66 10 66 20 26 Dec. 2 February 17 " 2 March February 19 6 “ 21 66 30 June 9 23 66 1 " 6 66 15 May 25 25 Nov. 30 1891 2 January 25 66 11 1892 5 February 14 1893 3 January 29 March 2 February 15 March 29 April 17 " 7 7 66 17 26 66 29 “ 26 June 5 23 66 27 66 2 11 May 21 26 Dec. 3 1894 2 66 21 66 7 March 25 " 3 66 13 27 " 2 2 1895 4 February 10 " 27 April 14 " 23 June 2 24 66 1 " " " " 14 May 24 Nov. 29 " March " 27 June 6 ،، February 23 ،، 19 May 29 January 29 " " Dec. 3 February 11 ،، March 27 “ June 3 "