Common-Civil-Calendar-and-Time
Encyclopedia
The Common-Civil-Calendar-and-Time Calendar (C&T) is a proposal for calendar reform
. It is one of many examples of leap week calendar
s, calendar
s which maintain synchronization with the solar year by intercalating
entire weeks rather than single days.
In 2004, Dick Henry, a professor of astronomy
at Johns Hopkins University
, proposed the adoption of a calendar which he credits to Robert McClennon. It is very similar to the Gregorian calendar
but is identical from year to year in most years. It is kept in sync with the Earth's orbit by adding a whole intercalary week-long period, named "Newton," at irregular intervals of 5, 6 or 7 years. January, February, April, May, July, August, October and November have thirty days, March, June, September, and December have thirty-one. "Newton" week, in years that contain it, falls between June and July.
Each year always begins from December 28 - January 3. This changes the month number for July, August, September, October, November and December. The list of years that contain "Newton" week must be calculated by computer or obtained from a table or almanac, as it follows no simple rule. There is a Newton year list on the website and these are the years which contain 53 ISO weeks
.
Henry argues that his proposal will succeed where others have failed because it keeps the weekly cycle perfectly intact and therefore respects the Fourth Commandment
of Judaism and Christianity. This calendar also urges people for adoption and attempts to convince people it is the best calendar ever proposed. Henry tells supporters of other calendar proposals to support a switch to the C&T.
He had advocated transition to the calendar on January 1, 2006 as that is a year in which his calendar and the Gregorian calendar begin the year in sync. But since that date has been missed and so did he miss dropping off December 31, 2006, he recommended simply dropping December 30, 2007 and December 31, 2007 from the calendar and starting on January 1, 2008. That has also been missed thus the current recommendation is 2012.
Robert McClennon's version of the calendar differed from Henry's in that it has a simple rule for determining which years have a leap week. This rule resembles the Gregorian Leap Year rule. Years whose numbers are divisible by 5 have a leap week, but years whose numbers are divisible by 40 do not have a leap week unless also divisible by 400. The main drawback of this rule is that the new year varies 17 days relative to the Gregorian new year (because year 1965 begins 11 days earlier than Gregorian 1965 and year 2036 begins 6 days later than Gregorian 2036).
Calendar reform
A calendar reform is any significant revision of a calendar system. The term sometimes is used instead for a proposal to switch to a different calendar.Most calendars have several rules which could be altered by reform:...
. It is one of many examples of leap week calendar
Leap week calendar
A leap week calendar is a calendar system with a whole number of weeks every year, and with every year starting on the same weekday. Most leap week calendars are proposed reforms to the civil calendar, but some - such as the ISO week number calendar - are simply conveniences for specific...
s, calendar
Calendar
A calendar is a system of organizing days for social, religious, commercial, or administrative purposes. This is done by giving names to periods of time, typically days, weeks, months, and years. The name given to each day is known as a date. Periods in a calendar are usually, though not...
s which maintain synchronization with the solar year by intercalating
Intercalation
Intercalation is the insertion of a leap day, week or month into some calendar years to make the calendar follow the seasons or moon phases. Lunisolar calendars may require intercalations of both days and months.- Solar calendars :...
entire weeks rather than single days.
In 2004, Dick Henry, a professor of astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
at Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
, proposed the adoption of a calendar which he credits to Robert McClennon. It is very similar to the Gregorian calendar
Gregorian calendar
The Gregorian calendar, also known as the Western calendar, or Christian calendar, is the internationally accepted civil calendar. It was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom the calendar was named, by a decree signed on 24 February 1582, a papal bull known by its opening words Inter...
but is identical from year to year in most years. It is kept in sync with the Earth's orbit by adding a whole intercalary week-long period, named "Newton," at irregular intervals of 5, 6 or 7 years. January, February, April, May, July, August, October and November have thirty days, March, June, September, and December have thirty-one. "Newton" week, in years that contain it, falls between June and July.
Each year always begins from December 28 - January 3. This changes the month number for July, August, September, October, November and December. The list of years that contain "Newton" week must be calculated by computer or obtained from a table or almanac, as it follows no simple rule. There is a Newton year list on the website and these are the years which contain 53 ISO weeks
ISO week date
The ISO week date system is a leap week calendar system that is part of the ISO 8601 date and time standard. The system is used in government and business for fiscal years, as well as in timekeeping....
.
Henry argues that his proposal will succeed where others have failed because it keeps the weekly cycle perfectly intact and therefore respects the Fourth Commandment
Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments, also known as the Decalogue , are a set of biblical principles relating to ethics and worship, which play a fundamental role in Judaism and most forms of Christianity. They include instructions to worship only God and to keep the Sabbath, and prohibitions against idolatry,...
of Judaism and Christianity. This calendar also urges people for adoption and attempts to convince people it is the best calendar ever proposed. Henry tells supporters of other calendar proposals to support a switch to the C&T.
He had advocated transition to the calendar on January 1, 2006 as that is a year in which his calendar and the Gregorian calendar begin the year in sync. But since that date has been missed and so did he miss dropping off December 31, 2006, he recommended simply dropping December 30, 2007 and December 31, 2007 from the calendar and starting on January 1, 2008. That has also been missed thus the current recommendation is 2012.
Robert McClennon's version of the calendar differed from Henry's in that it has a simple rule for determining which years have a leap week. This rule resembles the Gregorian Leap Year rule. Years whose numbers are divisible by 5 have a leap week, but years whose numbers are divisible by 40 do not have a leap week unless also divisible by 400. The main drawback of this rule is that the new year varies 17 days relative to the Gregorian new year (because year 1965 begins 11 days earlier than Gregorian 1965 and year 2036 begins 6 days later than Gregorian 2036).