Abstract
AT the approach of the end of a century, this subject naturally comes to the front again; but it has lately been somewhat unexpectedly raised to special prominence by the suggested probability of one at least of the Oriental countries of Europe adopting the usage which, on the initiative of Rome in 1582, all the western nations gradually accepted, England (we say advisedly England not Britain, because Scotland adopted it before the union even of the crowns) being the last in 1752. America having been colonised by the western Europeans, and the United States having been still British colonies at the date last mentioned, the Gregorian style is universal in that continent. But eastern Europe, including Russia and all the nationalities of the Balkan peninsula, still adheres to the old Julian style; and this chiefly because the Christians of these countries belong to the Greek or Eastern Church, though it is difficult to see why this should restrain them from falling in with a change which has many conveniences, and would bring their dates into uniformity with those of the Latin, Teutonic, and Scandinavian nations—an object of increasing importance, as intercommunication is constantly becoming more frequent.
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LYNN, W. Styles of the Calendar. Nature 56, 180–181 (1897). https://doi.org/10.1038/056180a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/056180a0