Some interesting calendar facts

• England adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1752. By then 11 days had to be dropped from the calendar. Riots broke out in the streets, demanding the 11 days back!

• In 1752, England decided to begin the year on January 1. Prior to this, the first day of the year was Annunciation Day, March 25, despite the use of the Julian calendar.

• The idea of using AD (Anno Domini = The Year of our Lord) to date the years of the Christian era, began with Dionysius Exigus in 533, with Christmas Day selected as the first day of year 1.

• In the Christian calendar, the date of Easter Day is the first Sunday after the full moon which occurs on or after March 21, unless the full moon is on a Sunday, in which case Easter Day is the following Sunday. So complex are the calculations to determine Easter that books called Computi were compiled to help the clergy. The best known example is found in the (Anglican) Book of Common Prayer.

• Until modern times, only the Church and the nobility could afford to have calendars. Some were very ornate – works of art in fact. Nowadays, virtually everyone has a copy.