Actually, I think explaining our calendar would be one of the more interesting points of discussion. In fact, the very fact that this is somewhat controversial with folks feeling our calendar is 'illogical' reveals a lot about the current generation's materialistic, efficiency-obsessed world view.
It's like we've all lost the ability to see and understand symbolism and tradition.
Things to consider about the calendar in the West:
1. The West was once a Christian realm. The calendar reflects this. Lots of interesting history here, starting at least with Constantine.
2. I only _this_ year have noticed a push to make Monday the first day of the week. My first thought when I noticed this: it's explicitly an effort to de-emphasize #1. Sunday is the first day of the week because of the importance of the Resurrection for Christians. Changing Monday to the first day of the week is basically the same move the Jacobins for example attempted when they reset the year to 'years since the revolution' instead of 'anno Domini'.
3. Not all the 'West' uses the same calendar. The Orthodox East generally still uses the 'old' Julian calendar. There is currently a 13 day difference between the Julian and Gregorian. This is one of the reasons that Pascha (Easter) usually is celebrated on a different day in the Orthodox East than the Roman West (yes, Protestants, you're still with the Pope on this one).
4. p.s. the process by which the Gregorian calendar was inplemented is actually a very interesting story. There basically was a missing week in Oct when this was done (around 1430 as I recall?).
5. It gets better. Some Orthodox like the Russians celebrate Christmas on the old Julian calendar, which translates to Jan 5 on the Gregorian.
6. (Main point!) the calendar itself is _liturgical_. Feasts, fasts, death, regeneration. All these things are reflected in the calendar. Liturgy is fractal. It happens in the Church and is echoed higher and lower throughout different hierarchies. If you are at all interested in this, please look up Jonathan Pageau. He has some great podcasts and youtube videos...
It really is quite beautiful.
Unless you are a nerd and just want us to switch to stardates. Easier to program I guess but thoroughly boring and dehumanizing.
p.p.s. It occurs to me that not everyone will understand 'Orthodox East' and 'Roman West'. By Orthodox East, I basically mean Palestine and the Middle East, Egypt, Ethiopia, Greece, Eastern Europe, and Russia. Think the New Rome (Constantinople) and those lands once controlled by New Rome, e.g. the 'Eastern Roman Empire'. By 'Roman West', I mean Western Europe and those nations colonized or influenced by Western European countries. Perhaps more simply, 'Romain Catholic' realms.
It's like we've all lost the ability to see and understand symbolism and tradition.
Things to consider about the calendar in the West: 1. The West was once a Christian realm. The calendar reflects this. Lots of interesting history here, starting at least with Constantine. 2. I only _this_ year have noticed a push to make Monday the first day of the week. My first thought when I noticed this: it's explicitly an effort to de-emphasize #1. Sunday is the first day of the week because of the importance of the Resurrection for Christians. Changing Monday to the first day of the week is basically the same move the Jacobins for example attempted when they reset the year to 'years since the revolution' instead of 'anno Domini'. 3. Not all the 'West' uses the same calendar. The Orthodox East generally still uses the 'old' Julian calendar. There is currently a 13 day difference between the Julian and Gregorian. This is one of the reasons that Pascha (Easter) usually is celebrated on a different day in the Orthodox East than the Roman West (yes, Protestants, you're still with the Pope on this one). 4. p.s. the process by which the Gregorian calendar was inplemented is actually a very interesting story. There basically was a missing week in Oct when this was done (around 1430 as I recall?). 5. It gets better. Some Orthodox like the Russians celebrate Christmas on the old Julian calendar, which translates to Jan 5 on the Gregorian. 6. (Main point!) the calendar itself is _liturgical_. Feasts, fasts, death, regeneration. All these things are reflected in the calendar. Liturgy is fractal. It happens in the Church and is echoed higher and lower throughout different hierarchies. If you are at all interested in this, please look up Jonathan Pageau. He has some great podcasts and youtube videos...
It really is quite beautiful.
Unless you are a nerd and just want us to switch to stardates. Easier to program I guess but thoroughly boring and dehumanizing.
p.p.s. It occurs to me that not everyone will understand 'Orthodox East' and 'Roman West'. By Orthodox East, I basically mean Palestine and the Middle East, Egypt, Ethiopia, Greece, Eastern Europe, and Russia. Think the New Rome (Constantinople) and those lands once controlled by New Rome, e.g. the 'Eastern Roman Empire'. By 'Roman West', I mean Western Europe and those nations colonized or influenced by Western European countries. Perhaps more simply, 'Romain Catholic' realms.