The old date does of course persist to this day in the start of the tax year being the 5th April as that is the 25th March after being adjusted by 11 days for the calendar change!
"The old supputation of the year not to be made use of after Dec. 1751. Year to commence for the future on 1 Jan.The days to be numbered as now until 2d Sept. 1752; and the day following to be accounted 14 Sept. omitting 11 days."
By my reading of your text, you omitted 13 days....
One can see how a date somewhere near the Spring equinox might be found auspicious. Also that there are arguments for beginning the academic year after the students have had a long vacation to go home and help bring in the harvest. But what was so compelling about 1st January? It is not even the first day perceptibly longer than the shortest day, at the winter solstice a week earlier.
The old date does of course persist to this day in the start of the tax year being the 5th April as that is the 25th March after being adjusted by 11 days for the calendar change!
Great comment! I have quoted this on my social media feeds.
It makes for a good quiz question: "How many days were there in the year 1751?"
Correct answer: 282
"omitting the days from 2 September to 14 September 1752."
Should the from, be a between or even a betwixt? as the 11 days omitted were 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13.
Yours etc.
A. Pedant
Go for it: argue with a 1750 statute!
"The old supputation of the year not to be made use of after Dec. 1751. Year to commence for the future on 1 Jan.The days to be numbered as now until 2d Sept. 1752; and the day following to be accounted 14 Sept. omitting 11 days."
By my reading of your text, you omitted 13 days....
A very Happy New Year to you and yours! Thank you for yet another delightful post enlightening us in more ways than one.
One can see how a date somewhere near the Spring equinox might be found auspicious. Also that there are arguments for beginning the academic year after the students have had a long vacation to go home and help bring in the harvest. But what was so compelling about 1st January? It is not even the first day perceptibly longer than the shortest day, at the winter solstice a week earlier.
Fascinating as always