I have often read that in the Middle Ages in Britain (and elsewhere), New Year was celebrated on March 25th. Does this mean that the number of the year actually changed on that date, and if not, was there another name given to the date on which the year number actually changed?

peasypod

This all came from the Feast of the Annunciation. (I like 'Lady Day' better) The Annunciation Style dating concept was used in Britain until January 1, 1752, except Scotland which changed to Circumcision Style dating on 1 January 1600. The rest of Great Britain changed to Circumcision Style (the mind boggles..) on the 1 January preceding the conversion from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar on the third-14th of September 1752. The calendar act of 1751 explains all this in detail. http://www.adsb.co.uk/date_and_time/calendar_reform_1752/ Dec 30 05, 10:17 PM

gmackematix

Right, so February 1749 in our calendar was February 1748 in Britain and hence had 29 days in it. Weird. I suppose Catholic Europe changed New Year's Day to Jan 1st when Oct 5th 1582 became October 15th 1582, hence the dual feeling of when the day should be in common usage prior to 1752 in Britain. I gathered that on the eighth day Christ was circumcised according to Matthew (or was it Luke?) but it seems a little appropriate that this should mark a time of change. Still, it's also a bit ironic that a change brought about by Catholics should make the pagan origins of the name "January" more appropriate once again. Anyway, Happy Feast of the Circumcision peasy and all others at AFT! Dec 31 05, 5:45 AM

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Britain adopted the Gregorian Calendar on Thursday, 14 September 1752 and New Year's Day changed from March 25 to January 1 in 1752. Was the previous leap year four years before, i.e. 1747 (old Style)= 1748 New Style or 1748 (Old style)= 1749 New Style? Soon it will be March 20 and the first day of Spring, and I have always thought that March 21 was the first day of Spring. Why does Spring begin March 20th this year? If one changes their name on their Social Security card but keeps the same number, does that mean they have legally changed their name? What city was originally known as "Losantiville" and in what year was it changed to its current name?

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