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French Republican calendar

The French Republican calendar (French: calendrier républicain français), also commonly called the French Revolutionary calendar (calendrier révolutionnaire français), was a calendar created and implemented during the French Revolution, and used by the French government for about 12 years from late 1793 to 1805, and for 18 days by the Paris Commune in 1871.

French Republican Calendar of 1794, drawn by Philibert-Louis Debucourt

The revolutionary system was designed in part to remove all religious and royalist influences from the calendar, and was part of a larger attempt at decimalisation in France (which also included decimal time of day, decimalisation of currency, and metrication). It was used in government records in France and other areas under French rule, including Belgium, Luxembourg, and parts of the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Malta, and Italy.

Beginning and ending

The National Constituent Assembly at first intended to create a new calendar marking the "era of Liberty", beginning on 14 July 1789, the date of the Storming of the Bastille. However, on 2 January 1792 its successor the Legislative Assembly decided that Year IV of Liberty had begun the day before. Year I had therefore begun on 1 January 1789.

On 21 September 1792, the French First Republic was proclaimed, and the new National Convention decided that 1792 was to be known as Year I of the French Republic. It decreed on 2 January 1793 that Year II of the Republic had begun the day before. However, the new calendar as adopted by the Convention in October 1793 made 22 September 1792 the first day of Year I.

Ultimately, the calendar came to commemorate the Republic, and not the Revolution. The Common Era, commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, was abolished and replaced with 'l'ère républicaine', the Republican Era, signifying the "age of reason" overcoming superstition, as part of the campaign of dechristianization.

The First Republic ended with the coronation of Napoleon I as Emperor on 11 Frimaire, Year XIII, or 2 December 1804. Despite this, the republican calendar continued to be used until 1 January 1806, when Napoleon declared it abolished. It was briefly used again for a few weeks of the Paris Commune, in May 1871.

Overview and origins

Precursor

The prominent atheist essayist and philosopher Sylvain Maréchal published the first edition of his Almanach des Honnêtes-gens (Almanac of Honest People) in 1788.[1] The first month in the almanac is "Mars, ou Princeps" (March, or First), the last month is "Février, ou Duodécembre" (February, or Twelfth). The lengths of the months are the same as those in the Gregorian calendar; however, the 10th, 20th, and 30th days are singled out of each month as the end of a décade (group of ten days). Individual days were assigned, instead of to the traditional saints, to people noteworthy for mostly secular achievements. Later editions of the almanac would switch to the Republican Calendar.[2]

History

 
A copy of the French Republican Calendar in the Historical Museum of Lausanne

The days of the French Revolution and Republic saw many efforts to sweep away various trappings of the Ancien Régime (the old feudal monarchy); some of these were more successful than others. The new Republican government sought to institute, among other reforms, a new social and legal system, a new system of weights and measures (which became the metric system), and a new calendar. Amid nostalgia for the ancient Roman Republic, the theories of the Age of Enlightenment were at their peak, and the devisers of the new systems looked to nature for their inspiration. Natural constants, multiples of ten, and Latin as well as Ancient Greek derivations formed the fundamental blocks from which the new systems were built.

The new calendar was created by a commission under the direction of the politician Gilbert Romme seconded by Claude Joseph Ferry [fr] and Charles-François Dupuis. They associated with their work the chemist Louis-Bernard Guyton de Morveau, the mathematician and astronomer Joseph-Louis Lagrange, the astronomer Jérôme Lalande, the mathematician Gaspard Monge, the astronomer and naval geographer Alexandre Guy Pingré, and the poet, actor and playwright Fabre d'Églantine, who invented the names of the months, with the help of André Thouin, gardener at the Jardin des plantes of the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris. As the rapporteur of the commission, Charles-Gilbert Romme presented the new calendar to the Jacobin-controlled National Convention on 23 September 1793, which adopted it on 24 October 1793 and also extended it proleptically to its epoch of 22 September 1792. It is because of his position as rapporteur of the commission that the creation of the republican calendar is attributed to Romme.[3]

The calendar is frequently named the "French Revolutionary Calendar" because it was created during the Revolution, but this is a slight misnomer. In France, it is known as the calendrier républicain as well as the calendrier révolutionnaire. There was initially a debate as to whether the calendar should celebrate the Great Revolution, which began in July 1789, or the Republic, which was established in 1792.[4] Immediately following 14 July 1789, papers and pamphlets started calling 1789 year I of Liberty and the following years II and III. It was in 1792, with the practical problem of dating financial transactions, that the legislative assembly was confronted with the problem of the calendar. Originally, the choice of epoch was either 1 January 1789 or 14 July 1789. After some hesitation the assembly decided on 2 January 1792 that all official documents would use the "era of Liberty" and that the year IV of Liberty started on 1 January 1792. This usage was modified on 22 September 1792 when the Republic was proclaimed and the Convention decided that all public documents would be dated Year I of the French Republic. The decree of 2 January 1793 stipulated that the year II of the Republic began on 1 January 1793; this was revoked with the introduction of the new calendar, which set 22 September 1793 as the beginning of year II. The establishment of the Republic was used as the epochal date for the calendar; therefore, the calendar commemorates the Republic, and not the Revolution.

French coins of the period naturally used this calendar. Many show the year (French: an) in Arabic numbers, although Roman numerals were used on some issues. Year 11 coins typically have a XI date to avoid confusion with the Roman II.

The French Revolution is usually considered to have ended with the coup of 18 Brumaire, Year VIII (9 November 1799), the coup d'état of Napoleon Bonaparte against the established constitutional regime of the Directoire.

 
1 Floréal, Year 79 issue of The Son of Père Duchêne, a newspaper published during the Paris Commune.

The Concordat of 1801 re-established the Roman Catholic Church as an official institution in France, although not as the state religion of France. The concordat took effect from Easter Sunday, 28 Germinal, Year XI (8 April 1802); it restored the names of the days of the week to the ones from the Gregorian calendar, and fixed Sunday as the official day of rest and religious celebration.[5] However, the other attributes of the republican calendar, the months, and years, remained as they were.

The French Republic ended with the coronation of Napoleon as Empereur des Français (Emperor of the French) on 11 Frimaire, Year XIII (2 December 1804), but the republican calendar would remain in place for another year. Napoleon finally abolished the republican calendar with effect from 1 January 1806 (the day after 10 Nivôse Year XIV), a little over twelve years after its introduction. It was, however, used again briefly in the Journal officiel for some dates during a short period of the Paris Commune, 6–23 May 1871 (16 Floréal–3 Prairial Year LXXIX).[6]

Calendar design

 
L AN 2 DE LA REPUBLIQUE FR (Year 2 of the French Republic) on a barn near Geneva, dating to 1793 or 1794

Years appear in writing as Roman numerals (usually), with epoch 22 September 1792, the beginning of the "Republican Era" (the day the French First Republic was proclaimed, one day after the Convention abolished the monarchy). As a result, Roman Numeral I indicates the first year of the republic, that is, the year before the calendar actually came into use. By law, the beginning of each year was set at midnight, beginning on the day the apparent autumnal equinox falls at the Paris Observatory.

There were twelve months, each divided into three ten-day weeks called décades. The tenth day, décadi, replaced Sunday as the day of rest and festivity. The five or six extra days needed to approximate the solar or tropical year were placed after the months at the end of each year and called complementary days. This arrangement was an almost exact copy of the calendar used by the Ancient Egyptians, though in their case the beginning of the year was not marked by the autumnal equinox.

A period of four years ending on a leap day was to be called a "Franciade". The name "Olympique" was originally proposed[7] but changed to Franciade to commemorate the fact that it had taken the revolution four years to establish a republican government in France.[8]

The leap year was called Sextile, an allusion to the "bissextile" leap years of the Julian and Gregorian calendars, because it contained a sixth complementary day.

Decimal time

Each day in the Republican Calendar was divided into ten hours, each hour into 100 decimal minutes, and each decimal minute into 100 decimal seconds. Thus an hour was 144 conventional minutes (2.4 times as long as a conventional hour), a minute was 86.4 conventional seconds (44% longer than a conventional minute), and a second was 0.864 conventional seconds (13.6% shorter than a conventional second).

Clocks were manufactured to display this decimal time, but it did not catch on. Mandatory use of decimal time was officially suspended 7 April 1795, although some cities continued to use decimal time as late as 1801.[9]

The numbering of years in the Republican Calendar by Roman numerals ran counter to this general decimalization tendency.

Months

The Republican calendar year began the day the autumnal equinox occurred in Paris, and had twelve months of 30 days each, which were given new names based on nature, principally having to do with the prevailing weather in and around Paris and sometimes evoking the Medieval Labours of the Months. The extra five or six days in the year were not given a month designation, but considered Sansculottides or Complementary Days.

  • Autumn:
    • Vendémiaire (from French vendange, derived from Latin vindemia, "vintage"), starting 22, 23, or 24 September
    • Brumaire (from French brume, "mist", from Latin brūma, "winter solstice; winter; winter cold"), starting 22, 23, or 24 October
    • Frimaire (from French frimas, "frost"), starting 21, 22, or 23 November
  • Winter:
    • Nivôse (from Latin nivosus, "snowy"), starting 21, 22, or 23 December
    • Pluviôse (from French pluvieux, derived from Latin pluvius, "rainy"), starting 20, 21, or 22 January
    • Ventôse (from French venteux, derived from Latin ventosus, "windy"), starting 19, 20, or 21 February
  • Spring:
    • Germinal (from French germination), starting 20 or 21 March
    • Floréal (from French fleur, derived from Latin flos, "flower"), starting 20 or 21 April
    • Prairial (from French prairie, "meadow"), starting 20 or 21 May
  • Summer:
    • Messidor (from Latin messis, "harvest"), starting 19 or 20 June
    • Thermidor (or Fervidor*) (from Greek thermon, "summer heat"), starting 19 or 20 July
    • Fructidor (from Latin fructus, "fruit"), starting 18 or 19 August

*Note: On many printed calendars of Year II (1793–94), the month of Thermidor was named Fervidor (from Latin fervidus, "burning hot").

Most of the month names were new words coined from French, Latin, or Greek. The endings of the names are grouped by season. "Dor" means "giving" in Greek.[10]

In Britain, a contemporary wit mocked the Republican Calendar by calling the months: Wheezy, Sneezy and Freezy; Slippy, Drippy and Nippy; Showery, Flowery and Bowery; Hoppy, Croppy and Poppy.[11][12] The historian Thomas Carlyle suggested somewhat more serious English names in his 1837 work The French Revolution: A History,[10] namely Vintagearious, Fogarious, Frostarious, Snowous, Rainous, Windous, Buddal, Floweral, Meadowal, Reapidor, Heatidor, and Fruitidor. Like the French originals, they are neologisms suggesting a meaning related to the season.

Ten days of the week

 
French Revolutionary pocket watch showing ten-day décade names and thirty-day month numbers from the Republican Calendar, but with duodecimal time. On display at the Musée d'Art et d'Histoire (Neuchâtel) In Switzerland.

The month is divided into three décades or "weeks" of ten days each, named simply:

  • primidi (first day)
  • duodi (second day)
  • tridi (third day)
  • quartidi (fourth day)
  • quintidi (fifth day)
  • sextidi (sixth day)
  • septidi (seventh day)
  • octidi (eighth day)
  • nonidi (ninth day)
  • décadi (tenth day)

Décadis became official days of rest instead of Sundays, in order to diminish the influence of the Catholic Church. They were used for the festivals of a succession of new religions meant to replace Catholicism: the Cult of Reason, the Cult of the Supreme Being, the Decadary Cult, and Theophilanthropy. Christian holidays were officially abolished in favor of revolutionary holidays.

The law of 13 Fructidor year VI (August 30, 1798) required that marriages must only be celebrated on décadis. This law was applied from the 1st Vendémiaire year VII (September 22, 1798) to 28 Pluviôse year VIII (February 17, 1800).

Décades were abandoned at the changeover from Germinal to Floréal an X (20 to 21 April 1802), after Napoleon's Concordat with the Pope.[13]

Rural calendar

The Catholic Church used a calendar of saints, which named each day of the year after an associated saint. To reduce the influence of the Church, Fabre d'Églantine introduced a Rural Calendar in which each day of the year had a unique name associated with the rural economy, stated to correspond to the time of year. Every décadi (ending in 0) was named after an agricultural tool. Each quintidi (ending in 5) was named for a common animal. The rest of the days were named for "grain, pasture, trees, roots, flowers, fruits" and other plants, except for the first month of winter, Nivôse, during which the rest of the days were named after minerals.[14][15]

Our starting point was the idea of celebrating, through the calendar, the agricultural system, and of leading the nation back to it, marking the times and the fractions of the year by intelligible or visible signs taken from agriculture and the rural economy. (...)

As the calendar is something that we use so often, we must take advantage of this frequency of use to put elementary notions of agriculture before the people – to show the richness of nature, to make them love the fields, and to methodically show them the order of the influences of the heavens and of the products of the earth.

The priests assigned the commemoration of a so-called saint to each day of the year: this catalogue exhibited neither utility nor method; it was a collection of lies, of deceit or of charlatanism.

We thought that the nation, after having kicked out this canonised mob from its calendar, must replace it with the objects that make up the true riches of the nation, worthy objects not from a cult, but from agriculture – useful products of the soil, the tools that we use to cultivate it, and the domesticated animals, our faithful servants in these works; animals much more precious, without doubt, to the eye of reason, than the beatified skeletons pulled from the catacombs of Rome.

So we have arranged in the column of each month, the names of the real treasures of the rural economy. The grains, the pastures, the trees, the roots, the flowers, the fruits, the plants are arranged in the calendar, in such a way that the place and the day of the month that each product occupies is precisely the season and the day that Nature presents it to us.

— Fabre d'Églantine, "Rapport fait à la Convention nationale au nom de la Commission chargée de la confection du Calendrier",[16] Imprimerie nationale, 1793

Autumn

 
Vendémiaire
(22 September – 21 October)
1 22 Sep Raisin (Grape)
2 23 Sep Safran (Saffron)
3 24 Sep Châtaigne (Chestnut)
4 25 Sep Colchique (Autumn Crocus)
5 26 Sep Cheval (Horse)
6 27 Sep Balsamine (Impatiens)
7 28 Sep Carotte (Carrot)
8 29 Sep Amaranthe (Amaranth)
9 30 Sep Panais (Parsnip)
10 1 Oct Cuve (Vat)
11 2 Oct Pomme de terre (Potato)
12 3 Oct Immortelle (Strawflower)
13 4 Oct Potiron (Winter squash)
14 5 Oct Réséda (Mignonette)
15 6 Oct Âne (Donkey)
16 7 Oct Belle de nuit (Four o'clock flower)
17 8 Oct Citrouille (Pumpkin)
18 9 Oct Sarrasin (Buckwheat)
19 10 Oct Tournesol (Sunflower)
20 11 Oct Pressoir (Wine-Press)
21 12 Oct Chanvre (Hemp)
22 13 Oct Pêche (Peach)
23 14 Oct Navet (Turnip)
24 15 Oct Amaryllis (Amaryllis)
25 16 Oct Bœuf (Ox)
26 17 Oct Aubergine (Eggplant)
27 18 Oct Piment (Chili pepper)
28 19 Oct Tomate (Tomato)
29 20 Oct Orge (Barley)
30 21 Oct Tonneau (Barrel)
 
Brumaire
(22 October – 20 November)
1 22 Oct Pomme (Apple)
2 23 Oct Céleri (Celery)
3 24 Oct Poire (Pear)
4 25 Oct Betterave (Beetroot)
5 26 Oct Oie (Goose)
6 27 Oct Héliotrope (Heliotrope)
7 28 Oct Figue (Common fig)
8 29 Oct Scorsonère (Black Salsify)
9 30 Oct Alisier (Chequer Tree)
10 31 Oct Charrue (Plough)
11 1 Nov Salsifis (Salsify)
12 2 Nov Mâcre (Water caltrop)
13 3 Nov Topinambour (Jerusalem artichoke)
14 4 Nov Endive (Endive)
15 5 Nov Dindon (Turkey)
16 6 Nov Chervis (Skirret)
17 7 Nov Cresson (Watercress)
18 8 Nov Dentelaire (Leadworts)
19 9 Nov Grenade (Pomegranate)
20 10 Nov Herse (Harrow)
21 11 Nov Bacchante (Baccharis)
22 12 Nov Azerole (Azarole)
23 13 Nov Garance (Madder)
24 14 Nov Orange (Orange)
25 15 Nov Faisan (Pheasant)
26 16 Nov Pistache (Pistachio Nut)
27 17 Nov Macjonc (Tuberous pea)
28 18 Nov Coing (Quince)
29 19 Nov Cormier (Service tree)
30 20 Nov Rouleau (Roller)
 
Frimaire
(21 November – 20 December)
1 21 Nov Raiponce (Rampion)
2 22 Nov Turneps (Cattle turnip)
3 23 Nov Chicorée (Chicory)
4 24 Nov Nèfle (Medlar)
5 25 Nov Cochon (Pig)
6 26 Nov Mâche (Lamb's lettuce)
7 27 Nov Chou-fleur (Cauliflower)
8 28 Nov Miel (Honey)
9 29 Nov Genièvre (Juniper)
10 30 Nov Pioche (Pickaxe)
11 1 Dec Cire (Wax)
12 2 Dec Raifort (Horseradish)
13 3 Dec Cèdre (Cedar tree)
14 4 Dec Sapin (Fir)
15 5 Dec Chevreuil (Roe deer)
16 6 Dec Ajonc (Gorse)
17 7 Dec Cyprès (Cypress Tree)
18 8 Dec Lierre (Ivy)
19 9 Dec Sabine (Savin Juniper)
20 10 Dec Hoyau (Grub-hoe)
21 11 Dec Érable à sucre (Sugar Maple)
22 12 Dec Bruyère (Heather)
23 13 Dec Roseau (Reed plant)
24 14 Dec Oseille (Sorrel)
25 15 Dec Grillon (Cricket)
26 16 Dec Pignon (Pine nut)
27 17 Dec Liège (Cork)
28 18 Dec Truffe (Truffle)
29 19 Dec Olive (Olive)
30 20 Dec Pelle (Shovel)

Winter

 
Nivôse
(21 December – 19 January)
1 21 Dec Tourbe (Peat)
2 22 Dec Houille (Coal)
3 23 Dec Bitume (Bitumen)
4 24 Dec Soufre (Sulphur)
5 25 Dec Chien (Dog)
6 26 Dec Lave (Lava)
7 27 Dec Terre végétale (Topsoil)
8 28 Dec Fumier (Manure)
9 29 Dec Salpêtre (Saltpeter)
10 30 Dec Fléau (Flail)
11 31 Dec Granit (Granite)
12 1 Jan Argile (Clay)
13 2 Jan Ardoise (Slate)
14 3 Jan Grès (Sandstone)
15 4 Jan Lapin (Rabbit)
16 5 Jan Silex (Flint)
17 6 Jan Marne (Marl)
18 7 Jan Pierre à chaux (Limestone)
19 8 Jan Marbre (Marble)
20 9 Jan Van (Winnowing fan)
21 10 Jan Pierre à plâtre (Gypsum)
22 11 Jan Sel (Salt)
23 12 Jan Fer (Iron)
24 13 Jan Cuivre (Copper)
25 14 Jan Chat (Cat)
26 15 Jan Étain (Tin)
27 16 Jan Plomb (Lead)
28 17 Jan Zinc (Zinc)
29 18 Jan Mercure (Mercury)
30 19 Jan Crible (Sieve)
 
Pluviôse
(20 January – 18 February)
1 20 Jan Lauréole (Spurge-laurel)
2 21 Jan Mousse (Moss)
3 22 Jan Fragon (Butcher's Broom)
4 23 Jan Perce-neige (Snowdrop)
5 24 Jan Taureau (Bull)
6 25 Jan Laurier-thym (Laurustinus)
7 26 Jan Amadouvier (Tinder polypore)
8 27 Jan Mézéréon (Daphne mezereum)
9 28 Jan Peuplier (Poplar)
10 29 Jan Coignée (Axe)
11 30 Jan Ellébore (Hellebore)
12 31 Jan Brocoli (Broccoli)
13 1 Feb Laurier (Bay laurel)
14 2 Feb Avelinier (Filbert)
15 3 Feb Vache (Cow)
16 4 Feb Buis (Box Tree)
17 5 Feb Lichen (Lichen)
18 6 Feb If (Yew tree)
19 7 Feb Pulmonaire (Lungwort)
20 8 Feb Serpette (Billhook)
21 9 Feb Thlaspi (Pennycress)
22 10 Feb Thimelé (Rose Daphne)
23 11 Feb Chiendent (Couch grass)
24 12 Feb Trainasse (Common Knotgrass)
25 13 Feb Lièvre (Hare)
26 14 Feb Guède (Woad)
27 15 Feb Noisetier (Hazel)
28 16 Feb Cyclamen (Cyclamen)
29 17 Feb Chélidoine (Celandine)
30 18 Feb Traîneau (Sleigh)
 
Ventôse
(19 February – 20 March)
1 19 Feb Tussilage (Coltsfoot)
2 20 Feb Cornouiller (Dogwood)
3 21 Feb Violier (Matthiola)
4 22 Feb Troène (Privet)
5 23 Feb Bouc (Billygoat)
6 24 Feb Asaret (Wild Ginger)
7 25 Feb Alaterne (Italian Buckthorn)
8 26 Feb Violette (Violet)
9 27 Feb Marceau (Goat Willow)
10 28 Feb Bêche (Spade)
11 1 Mar Narcisse (Narcissus)
12 2 Mar Orme (Elm)
13 3 Mar Fumeterre (Common fumitory)
14 4 Mar Vélar (Hedge mustard)
15 5 Mar Chèvre (Goat)
16 6 Mar Épinard (Spinach)
17 7 Mar Doronic (Doronicum)
18 8 Mar Mouron (Pimpernel)
19 9 Mar Cerfeuil (Chervil)
20 10 Mar Cordeau (Twine)
21 11 Mar Mandragore (Mandrake)
22 12 Mar Persil (Parsley)
23 13 Mar Cochléaria (Scurvy-grass)
24 14 Mar Pâquerette (Daisy)
25 15 Mar Thon (Tuna)
26 16 Mar Pissenlit (Dandelion)
27 17 Mar Sylvie (Wood Anemone)
28 18 Mar Capillaire (Maidenhair fern)
29 19 Mar Frêne (Ash tree)
30 20 Mar Plantoir (Dibber)

Spring

 
Germinal
(21 March – 19 April)
1 21 Mar Primevère (Primrose)
2 22 Mar Platane (Plane Tree)
3 23 Mar Asperge (Asparagus)
4 24 Mar Tulipe (Tulip)
5 25 Mar Poule (Hen)
6 26 Mar Bette (Chard)
7 27 Mar Bouleau (Birch)
8 28 Mar Jonquille (Daffodil)
9 29 Mar Aulne (Alder)
10 30 Mar Couvoir (Incubator)
11 31 Mar Pervenche (Periwinkle)
12 1 Apr Charme (Hornbeam)
13 2 Apr Morille (Morel)
14 3 Apr Hêtre (Beech Tree)
15 4 Apr Abeille (Bee)
16 5 Apr Laitue (Lettuce)
17 6 Apr Mélèze (Larch)
18 7 Apr Ciguë (Hemlock)
19 8 Apr Radis (Radish)
20 9 Apr Ruche (Beehive)
21 10 Apr Gainier (Judas tree)
22 11 Apr Romaine (Romaine lettuce)
23 12 Apr Marronnier (Horse chestnut)
24 13 Apr Roquette (Arugula or Rocket)
25 14 Apr Pigeon (Pigeon)
26 15 Apr Lilas (Lilac)
27 16 Apr Anémone (Anemone)
28 17 Apr Pensée (Pansy)
29 18 Apr Myrtille (Bilberry)
30 19 Apr Greffoir (Grafting knife)
 
Floréal
(20 April – 19 May)
1 20 Apr Rose (Rose)
2 21 Apr Chêne (Oak Tree)
3 22 Apr Fougère (Fern)
4 23 Apr Aubépine (Hawthorn)
5 24 Apr Rossignol (Nightingale)
6 25 Apr Ancolie (Common Columbine)
7 26 Apr Muguet (Lily of the valley)
8 27 Apr Champignon (Button mushroom)
9 28 Apr Hyacinthe (Hyacinth)
10 29 Apr Râteau (Rake)
11 30 Apr Rhubarbe (Rhubarb)
12 1 May Sainfoin (Sainfoin)
13 2 May Bâton d'or (Wallflower)
14 3 May Chamerisier (Fan Palm tree)
15 4 May Ver à soie (Silkworm)
16 5 May Consoude (Comfrey)
17 6 May Pimprenelle (Salad burnet)
18 7 May Corbeille d'or (Basket of Gold)
19 8 May Arroche (Orache)
20 9 May Sarcloir (Weeding hoe)
21 10 May Statice (Sea thrift)
22 11 May Fritillaire (Fritillary)
23 12 May Bourrache (Borage)
24 13 May Valériane (Valerian)
25 14 May Carpe (Carp)
26 15 May Fusain (Euonymus)
27 16 May Civette (Chives)
28 17 May Buglosse (Bugloss)
29 18 May Sénevé (White mustard)
30 19 May Houlette (Shepherd's crook)
 
Prairial
(20 May – 18 June)
1 20 May Luzerne (Lucerne)
2 21 May Hémérocalle (Daylily)
3 22 May Trèfle (Clover)
4 23 May Angélique (Angelica)
5 24 May Canard (Duck)
6 25 May Mélisse (Lemon balm)
7 26 May Fromental (Oat grass)
8 27 May Martagon (Martagon lily)
9 28 May Serpolet (Wild Thyme)
10 29 May Faux (Scythe)
11 30 May Fraise (Strawberry)
12 31 May Bétoine (Betony)
13 1 Jun Pois (Pea)
14 2 Jun Acacia (Acacia)
15 3 Jun Caille (Quail)
16 4 Jun Œillet (Carnation)
17 5 Jun Sureau (Elderberry)
18 6 Jun Pavot (Poppy plant)
19 7 Jun Tilleul (Linden or Lime tree)
20 8 Jun Fourche (Pitchfork)
21 9 Jun Barbeau (Cornflower)
22 10 Jun Camomille (Camomile)
23 11 Jun Chèvrefeuille (Honeysuckle)
24 12 Jun Caille-lait (Bedstraw)
25 13 Jun Tanche (Tench)
26 14 Jun Jasmin (Jasmine)
27 15 Jun Verveine (Vervain)
28 16 Jun Thym (Thyme)
29 17 Jun Pivoine (Peony)
30 18 Jun Chariot (Handcart)

Summer

 
Messidor
(19 June – 18 July)
1 19 Jun Seigle (Rye)
2 20 Jun Avoine (Oat)
3 21 Jun Oignon (Onion)
4 22 Jun Véronique (Speedwell)
5 23 Jun Mulet (Mule)
6 24 Jun Romarin (Rosemary)
7 25 Jun Concombre (Cucumber)
8 26 Jun Échalote (Shallot)
9 27 Jun Absinthe (Wormwood)
10 28 Jun Faucille (Sickle)
11 29 Jun Coriandre (Coriander)
12 30 Jun Artichaut (Artichoke)
13 1 Jul Girofle (Clove)
14 2 Jul Lavande (Lavender)
15 3 Jul Chamois (Chamois)
16 4 Jul Tabac (Tobacco)
17 5 Jul Groseille (Redcurrant)
18 6 Jul Gesse (Hairy Vetchling)
19 7 Jul Cerise (Cherry)
20 8 Jul Parc (Livestock pen)
21 9 Jul Menthe (Mint)
22 10 Jul Cumin (Cumin)
23 11 Jul Haricot (Bean)
24 12 Jul Orcanète (Alkanet)
25 13 Jul Pintade (Guineafowl)
26 14 Jul Sauge (Sage)
27 15 Jul Ail (Garlic)
28 16 Jul Vesce (Tare)
29 17 Jul Blé (Wheat)
30 18 Jul Chalémie (Shawm)
 
Thermidor
(19 July – 17 August)
1 19 Jul Épeautre (Spelt)
2 20 Jul Bouillon blanc (Common mullein)
3 21 Jul Melon (Melon)
4 22 Jul Ivraie (Ryegrass)
5 23 Jul Bélier (Ram)
6 24 Jul Prêle (Horsetail)
7 25 Jul Armoise (Mugwort)
8 26 Jul Carthame (Safflower)
9 27 Jul Mûre (Blackberry)
10 28 Jul Arrosoir (Watering can)
11 29 Jul Panic (Foxtail millet)
12 30 Jul Salicorne (Common Glasswort)
13 31 Jul Abricot (Apricot)
14 1 Aug Basilic (Basil)
15 2 Aug Brebis (Ewe)
16 3 Aug Guimauve (Marshmallow)
17 4 Aug Lin (Flax)
18 5 Aug Amande (Almond)
19 6 Aug Gentiane (Gentian)
20 7 Aug Écluse (Lock)
21 8 Aug Carline (Carline thistle)
22 9 Aug Câprier (Caper)
23 10 Aug Lentille (Lentil)
24 11 Aug Aunée (Inula)
25 12 Aug Loutre (Otter)
26 13 Aug Myrte (Myrtle)
27 14 Aug Colza (Rapeseed)
28 15 Aug Lupin (Lupin)
29 16 Aug Coton (Cotton)
30 17 Aug Moulin (Mill)
 
Fructidor
(18 August – 16 September)
1 18 Aug Prune (Plum)
2 19 Aug Millet (Millet)
3 20 Aug Lycoperdon (Puffball)
4 21 Aug Escourgeon (Six-row Barley)
5 22 Aug Saumon (Salmon)
6 23 Aug Tubéreuse (Tuberose)
7 24 Aug Sucrion (Winter Barley)
8 25 Aug Apocyn (Apocynum)
9 26 Aug Réglisse (Liquorice)
10 27 Aug Échelle (Ladder)
11 28 Aug Pastèque (Watermelon)
12 29 Aug Fenouil (Fennel)
13 30 Aug Épine vinette (European Barberry)
14 31 Aug Noix (Walnut)
15 1 Sep Truite (Trout)
16 2 Sep Citron (Lemon)
17 3 Sep Cardère (Teasel)
18 4 Sep Nerprun (Buckthorn)
19 5 Sep Tagette (Mexican Marigold)
20 6 Sep Hotte (Harvesting basket)
21 7 Sep Églantier (Wild Rose)
22 8 Sep Noisette (Hazelnut)
23 9 Sep Houblon (Hops)
24 10 Sep Sorgho (Sorghum)
25 11 Sep Écrevisse (Crayfish)
26 12 Sep Bigarade (Bitter orange)
27 13 Sep Verge d'or (Goldenrod)
28 14 Sep Maïs (Maize or Corn)
29 15 Sep Marron (Sweet Chestnut)
30 16 Sep Panier (Pack Basket)

Complementary days

Five extra days – six in leap years – were national holidays at the end of every year. These were originally known as les sans-culottides (after sans-culottes), but after year III (1795) as les jours complémentaires:

Converting from the Gregorian Calendar

During the Republic

 
Fountain in Octon, Hérault with date 5 Ventôse an 109 (24 February 1901)

Below are the Gregorian dates each year of the Republican Era (Ere Républicain in French) began while the calendar was in effect.

ER AD/CE
I (1) 22 September 1792
II (2) 22 September 1793
III (3) 22 September 1794
IV (4) 23 September 1795*
V (5) 22 September 1796
VI (6) 22 September 1797
VII (7) 22 September 1798
VIII (8) 23 September 1799*
IX (9) 23 September 1800
X (10) 23 September 1801
XI (11) 23 September 1802
XII (12) 24 September 1803*
XIII (13) 23 September 1804
XIV (14) 23 September 1805
LXXIX (79) 23 September 1870

Leap years are highlighted

  • Extra (sextile) day inserted before date, due to previous leap year[17]

After the Republic

The Republican Calendar was abolished in the year XIV (1805). After this year, there are two historically attested calendars which may be used to determine dates. Both calendars gave the same dates for years 17 to 52 (1808-1844), always beginning on 23 September, and it was suggested that the revised calendar be implemented during this period, before the Republican Calendar was abolished.

  • Republican Calendar: The only legal calendar during the Republic. The first day of the year, 1 Vendémiaire, is always the day autumn begins in Paris. About every 30 years, leap years are 5 years apart instead of 4, as happened between the leap years 15 and 20.[18] The lengths of the first 524 years were calculated by Delambre.
  • Revised Republican Calendar: Following a proposal by Delambre in order to make leap years regular and predictable, with leap years being every year divisible by 4, except years divisible by 100 and not by 400. Years divisible by 4000 would also be ordinary years. Intended to be implemented in year 3, the revised calendar was abandoned after the death of the head of the calendar committee, Gilbert Romme. This calendar also has the benefit that every year in the third century of the Republican Era (1992–2091) begins on 22 September.[19]
ER AD/CE Republican Revised

XV (15)

1806

23 September

23 September

XVI (16)

1807

24 September*

23 September

XVII (17)

1808

23 September

23 September*

XVIII (18)

1809

23 September

23 September

XIX (19)

1810

23 September

23 September

XX (20)

1811

23 September

23 September

CCXXIX (229)

2020

22 September

22 September*

CCXXX (230)

2021

22 September

22 September

CCXXXI (231)

2022

23 September*

22 September

CCXXXII (232)

2023

23 September

22 September

CCXXXIII (233)

2024

22 September

22 September*

CCXXXiv (234)

2025

22 September

22 September

CCXXXV (235)

2026

23 September*

22 September

CCXXXVI (236)

2027

23 September

22 September

CCXXXVII (237)

2028

22 September

22 September*

CCXXXVIII (238)

2029

22 September

22 September

CCXXxIX (239)

2030

22 September

22 September

CCXL (240)

2031

23 September*

22 September

CCXLI (241)

2032

22 September

22 September*

Leap years are highlighted

  • Extra (sextile) day inserted before date, due to previous leap year

Current date and time

For this calendar, Romme’s revised method of calculating leap years is used. Other methods may differ by one day. Time may be cached and therefore not accurate. Decimal time is according to Paris mean time, which is 9 minutes 21 seconds (6.49 decimal minutes) ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. (This tool calibrates the time, if calibration is desired.)


231 Germinal CCXXXI
 
Primidi
Duodi
Tridi
Quartidi
Quintidi
Sextidi
Septidi
Octidi
Nonidi
Décadi
décade 19
1 Tuesday
21 March 2023
2 Wednesday
22 March 2023
3 Thursday
23 March 2023
4 Friday
24 March 2023
5 Saturday
25 March 2023
6 Sunday
26 March 2023
7 Monday
27 March 2023
8 Tuesday
28 March 2023
9 Wednesday
29 March 2023
10 Thursday
30 March 2023
décade 20
11 Friday
31 March 2023
12 Saturday
1 April 2023
13 Sunday
2 April 2023
14 Monday
3 April 2023
15 Tuesday
4 April 2023
16 Wednesday
5 April 2023
17 Thursday
6 April 2023
18 Friday
7 April 2023
19 Saturday
8 April 2023
20 Sunday
9 April 2023
décade 21
21 Monday
10 April 2023
22 Tuesday
11 April 2023
23 Wednesday
12 April 2023
24 Thursday
13 April 2023
25 Friday
14 April 2023
26 Saturday
15 April 2023
27 Sunday
16 April 2023
28 Monday
17 April 2023
29 Tuesday
18 April 2023
30 Wednesday
19 April 2023
10 h
Paris
7h72m75s
 
18:23:25
24 h
Greenwich

Criticism and shortcomings

 
Clock dial displaying both decimal and duodecimal time

Leap years in the calendar are a point of great dispute, due to the contradicting statements in the establishing decree[20] stating:

Each year begins at midnight, with the day on which the true autumnal equinox falls for the Paris Observatory.

and:

The four-year period, after which the addition of a day is usually necessary, is called the Franciade in memory of the revolution which, after four years of effort, led France to republican government. The fourth year of the Franciade is called Sextile.

These two specifications are incompatible, as leap years defined by the autumnal equinox in Paris do not recur on a regular four-year schedule. Thus, the years III, VII, and XI were observed as leap years, and the years XV and XX were also planned as such, even though they were five years apart.

 
Clock dial displaying both decimal (inside the circle) and duodecimal time (on the outer rim)

A fixed arithmetic rule for determining leap years was proposed by Jean Baptiste Joseph Delambre and presented to the Committee of Public Education by Gilbert Romme on 19 Floréal An III (8 May 1795). The proposed rule was to determine leap years by applying the rules of the Gregorian calendar to the years of the French Republic (years IV, VIII, XII, etc. were to be leap years) except that year 4000 (the last year of ten 400-year periods) should be a common year instead of a leap year. Shortly thereafter, Romme was sentenced to the guillotine and committed suicide, and the proposal was never adopted, although Jérôme Lalande repeatedly proposed it for a number of years. The proposal was intended to avoid uncertain future leap years caused by the inaccurate astronomical knowledge of the 1790s (even today, this statement is still valid due to the uncertainty in ΔT). In particular, the committee noted that the autumnal equinox of year 144 was predicted to occur at 11:59:40 pm local apparent time in Paris, which was closer to midnight than its inherent 3 to 4 minute uncertainty.

The calendar was abolished by an act dated 22 Fructidor an XIII (9 September 1805) and signed by Napoleon, which referred to a report by Michel-Louis-Étienne Regnaud de Saint-Jean d'Angély and Jean Joseph Mounier, listing two fundamental flaws.

  1. The rule for leap years depended upon the uneven course of the sun, rather than fixed intervals, so that one must consult astronomers to determine when each year started, especially when the equinox happened close to midnight, as the exact moment could not be predicted with certainty.
  2. Both the era and the beginning of the year were chosen to commemorate a historical event that occurred on the first day of autumn in France, whereas the other European nations began the year near the beginning of winter or spring, thus being impediments to the calendar's adoption in Europe and America, and even a part of the French nation, where the Gregorian calendar continued to be used, as it was required for religious purposes.

The report also noted that the 10-day décade was unpopular and had already been suppressed three years earlier in favor of the seven-day week, removing what was considered by some as one of the calendar's main benefits.[21] The 10-day décade was unpopular with laborers because they received only one full day of rest out of ten, instead of one in seven, although they also got a half-day off on the fifth day (thus 36 full days and 36 half days in a year, for a total of 54 free days, compared to the usual 52 or 53 Sundays). It also, by design, conflicted with Sunday religious observances.

Another criticism of the calendar was that despite the poetic names of its months, they were tied to the climate and agriculture of metropolitan France and therefore not applicable to France's overseas territories.[22]

Famous dates and other cultural references

 
Décret de la Convention 9 Brumaire An III above the entrance to the ENS

The "Coup of 18 Brumaire" or "Brumaire" was the coup d'état of Napoleon Bonaparte on 18 Brumaire An VIII (9 November 1799), which many historians consider to be the end of the French Revolution. Karl Marx's 1852 essay The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte compares the coup d'état of 1851 of Louis Napoléon unfavorably to his uncle's earlier coup, with the statement "History repeats ... first as tragedy, then as farce".

Another famous revolutionary date is 9 Thermidor An II (27 July 1794), the date the Convention turned against Maximilien Robespierre, who, along with others associated with the Mountain, was guillotined the following day. Based on this event, the term "Thermidorian" entered the Marxist vocabulary as referring to revolutionaries who destroy the revolution from the inside and turn against its true aims. For example, Leon Trotsky and his followers used this term about Joseph Stalin.

Émile Zola's novel Germinal takes its name from the calendar's month of Germinal.

The seafood dish Lobster Thermidor was named after the 1891 play Thermidor, set during the Revolution.[23][24]

The French frigates of the Floréal class all bear names of Republican months.

The Convention of 9 Brumaire An III, 30 October 1794, established the École normale supérieure. The date appears prominently on the entrance to the school.

The French composer Fromental Halévy was born 7 Prairial VIII (27 May 1799), the day of fromental (oatgrass).

Neil Gaiman's The Sandman series included a story called "Thermidor" that takes place in that month during the French Revolution.[25]

See also

References

  1. ^ Sylvain, Maréchal (1836). Almanach des Honnêtes-gens. gallica.bnf.fr. Gallica. pp. 14–15.
  2. ^ Sylvain, Maréchal (1799). "Almanach des honnêtes gens pour l'an VIII". gallica.bnf.fr. Gallica.
  3. ^ James Guillaume, Procès-verbaux du Comité d'instruction publique de la Convention nationale, t. I, pp. 227–228 et t. II, pp. 440–448; Michel Froechlé, " Le calendrier républicain correspondait-il à une nécessité scientifique ? ", Congrès national des sociétés savantes : scientifiques et sociétés, Paris, 1989, pp. 453–465.
  4. ^ Le calendrier républicain: de sa création à sa disparition. Bureau des longitudes. 1994. p. 19. ISBN 978-2-910015-09-1.
  5. ^ "Concordat de 1801 Napoleon Bonaparte religion en france Concordat de 1801". Roi-president.com. 21 November 2007. Archived from the original on 10 September 2012. Retrieved 30 January 2009.
  6. ^ Réimpression du Journal Officiel de la République française sous la Commune du 19 mars au 24 mai 1871. V. Bunel. 1871. pp. 477–.
  7. ^ Le calendrier républicain: de sa création à sa disparition. Bureau des longitudes. 1994. p. 26. ISBN 978-2-910015-09-1.
  8. ^ Le calendrier républicain: de sa création à sa disparition. Bureau des longitudes. 1994. p. 36. ISBN 978-2-910015-09-1.
  9. ^ Richard A. Carrigan, Jr. "Decimal Time". American Scientist, (May–June 1978), 66(3): 305–313.
  10. ^ a b Thomas Carlyle (1867). The French revolution: a history. Harper.
  11. ^ Sporting Magazine, vol. 15, Rogerson and Tuxford, January 1800, p. 210, retrieved 23 December 2014
  12. ^ John Brady (1812), Clavis Calendaria: Or, A Compendious Analysis of the Calendar; Illustrated with Ecclesiastical, Historical, and Classical Anecdotes, vol. 1, Rogerson and Tuxford, p. 38
  13. ^ Antoine Augustin Renouard (1822). Manuel pour la concordance des calendriers républicain et grégorien (2 ed.). A. A. Renouard. Retrieved 14 September 2009.
  14. ^ Edouard Terwecoren (1870). Collection de Précis historiques. J. Vandereydt. p. 31.
  15. ^ Philippe-Joseph-Benjamin Buchez, Prosper Charles Roux (1837). Histoire parlementaire de la révolution française. Paulin. p. 415.
  16. ^ Convention nationale. Rapport fait à la Convention nationale, dans la séance du 3 du second mois de la seconde année de la République Française, au nom de la Commission chargée de la confection du Calendrier ; Par Ph. Fr. Na. Fabre-D'Eglantine,... Imprimé par ordre de la Convention nationale available at Gallica
  17. ^ Parise, Frank (2002). The Book of Calendars. Gorgias Press. p. 376. ISBN 978-1-931956-76-5.
  18. ^ Sébastien Louis Rosaz (1810). Concordance de l'Annuaire de la République française avec le calendrier grégorien.
  19. ^ . Prairial.free.fr. Archived from the original on 18 May 2011. Retrieved 30 January 2009.
  20. ^ "Le Calendrier Republicain". Gefrance.com. 30 May 2020. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  21. ^ Antoine Augustin Renouard (1822). Manuel pour la concordance des calendriers républicain et grégorien: ou, Recueil complet de tous les annuaires depuis la première année républicaine (2 ed.). A. A. Renouard. p. 217.
  22. ^ Canes, Kermit (2012). The Esoteric Codex: Obsolete Calendars. LULU Press. ISBN 978-1-365-06556-9.
  23. ^ James, Kenneth (15 November 2006). Escoffier: The King of Chefs. Continuum International Publishing Group. p. 44. ISBN 978-1-85285-526-0. Retrieved 11 March 2012.
  24. ^ "Lobster thermidor". Online Dictionary. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 11 March 2012.
  25. ^ Gaiman, Neil (w), Woch, Stan (p), Giordano, Nick (i), Vozzo, Daniel (col), Klein, Todd (let), Berger, Karen (ed). "Thermidor" The Sandman v29, (August 1991), Vertigo Comics

Further reading

  • Ozouf, Mona, 'Revolutionary Calendar' in Furet, François and Mona Ozouf, eds., Critical Dictionary of the French Revolution (1989)
  • Shaw, Matthew, Time and the French Revolution: a history of the French Republican Calendar, 1789-Year XIV (2011)

External links

  • Date converter for numerous calendars, including this one
  • iCalendar files for the French Republican calendar, for use in Outlook, Google Calendar, etc.
  • Dials & Symbols of the French revolution. The Republican Calendar and Decimal time.


french, republican, calendar, french, calendrier, républicain, français, also, commonly, called, french, revolutionary, calendar, calendrier, révolutionnaire, français, calendar, created, implemented, during, french, revolution, used, french, government, about. The French Republican calendar French calendrier republicain francais also commonly called the French Revolutionary calendar calendrier revolutionnaire francais was a calendar created and implemented during the French Revolution and used by the French government for about 12 years from late 1793 to 1805 and for 18 days by the Paris Commune in 1871 French Republican Calendar of 1794 drawn by Philibert Louis Debucourt The revolutionary system was designed in part to remove all religious and royalist influences from the calendar and was part of a larger attempt at decimalisation in France which also included decimal time of day decimalisation of currency and metrication It was used in government records in France and other areas under French rule including Belgium Luxembourg and parts of the Netherlands Germany Switzerland Malta and Italy Contents 1 Beginning and ending 2 Overview and origins 2 1 Precursor 2 2 History 2 3 Calendar design 2 4 Decimal time 3 Months 4 Ten days of the week 5 Rural calendar 5 1 Autumn 5 2 Winter 5 3 Spring 5 4 Summer 6 Complementary days 7 Converting from the Gregorian Calendar 7 1 During the Republic 7 2 After the Republic 8 Current date and time 9 Criticism and shortcomings 10 Famous dates and other cultural references 11 See also 12 References 13 Further reading 14 External linksBeginning and ending EditThe National Constituent Assembly at first intended to create a new calendar marking the era of Liberty beginning on 14 July 1789 the date of the Storming of the Bastille However on 2 January 1792 its successor the Legislative Assembly decided that Year IV of Liberty had begun the day before Year I had therefore begun on 1 January 1789 On 21 September 1792 the French First Republic was proclaimed and the new National Convention decided that 1792 was to be known as Year I of the French Republic It decreed on 2 January 1793 that Year II of the Republic had begun the day before However the new calendar as adopted by the Convention in October 1793 made 22 September 1792 the first day of Year I Ultimately the calendar came to commemorate the Republic and not the Revolution The Common Era commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ was abolished and replaced with l ere republicaine the Republican Era signifying the age of reason overcoming superstition as part of the campaign of dechristianization The First Republic ended with the coronation of Napoleon I as Emperor on 11 Frimaire Year XIII or 2 December 1804 Despite this the republican calendar continued to be used until 1 January 1806 when Napoleon declared it abolished It was briefly used again for a few weeks of the Paris Commune in May 1871 Overview and origins EditPrecursor Edit The prominent atheist essayist and philosopher Sylvain Marechal published the first edition of his Almanach des Honnetes gens Almanac of Honest People in 1788 1 The first month in the almanac is Mars ou Princeps March or First the last month is Fevrier ou Duodecembre February or Twelfth The lengths of the months are the same as those in the Gregorian calendar however the 10th 20th and 30th days are singled out of each month as the end of a decade group of ten days Individual days were assigned instead of to the traditional saints to people noteworthy for mostly secular achievements Later editions of the almanac would switch to the Republican Calendar 2 History Edit A copy of the French Republican Calendar in the Historical Museum of Lausanne The days of the French Revolution and Republic saw many efforts to sweep away various trappings of the Ancien Regime the old feudal monarchy some of these were more successful than others The new Republican government sought to institute among other reforms a new social and legal system a new system of weights and measures which became the metric system and a new calendar Amid nostalgia for the ancient Roman Republic the theories of the Age of Enlightenment were at their peak and the devisers of the new systems looked to nature for their inspiration Natural constants multiples of ten and Latin as well as Ancient Greek derivations formed the fundamental blocks from which the new systems were built The new calendar was created by a commission under the direction of the politician Gilbert Romme seconded by Claude Joseph Ferry fr and Charles Francois Dupuis They associated with their work the chemist Louis Bernard Guyton de Morveau the mathematician and astronomer Joseph Louis Lagrange the astronomer Jerome Lalande the mathematician Gaspard Monge the astronomer and naval geographer Alexandre Guy Pingre and the poet actor and playwright Fabre d Eglantine who invented the names of the months with the help of Andre Thouin gardener at the Jardin des plantes of the Museum National d Histoire Naturelle in Paris As the rapporteur of the commission Charles Gilbert Romme presented the new calendar to the Jacobin controlled National Convention on 23 September 1793 which adopted it on 24 October 1793 and also extended it proleptically to its epoch of 22 September 1792 It is because of his position as rapporteur of the commission that the creation of the republican calendar is attributed to Romme 3 The calendar is frequently named the French Revolutionary Calendar because it was created during the Revolution but this is a slight misnomer In France it is known as the calendrier republicain as well as the calendrier revolutionnaire There was initially a debate as to whether the calendar should celebrate the Great Revolution which began in July 1789 or the Republic which was established in 1792 4 Immediately following 14 July 1789 papers and pamphlets started calling 1789 year I of Liberty and the following years II and III It was in 1792 with the practical problem of dating financial transactions that the legislative assembly was confronted with the problem of the calendar Originally the choice of epoch was either 1 January 1789 or 14 July 1789 After some hesitation the assembly decided on 2 January 1792 that all official documents would use the era of Liberty and that the year IV of Liberty started on 1 January 1792 This usage was modified on 22 September 1792 when the Republic was proclaimed and the Convention decided that all public documents would be dated Year I of the French Republic The decree of 2 January 1793 stipulated that the year II of the Republic began on 1 January 1793 this was revoked with the introduction of the new calendar which set 22 September 1793 as the beginning of year II The establishment of the Republic was used as the epochal date for the calendar therefore the calendar commemorates the Republic and not the Revolution French coins of the period naturally used this calendar Many show the year French an in Arabic numbers although Roman numerals were used on some issues Year 11 coins typically have a XI date to avoid confusion with the Roman II The French Revolution is usually considered to have ended with the coup of 18 Brumaire Year VIII 9 November 1799 the coup d etat of Napoleon Bonaparte against the established constitutional regime of the Directoire 1 Floreal Year 79 issue of The Son of Pere Duchene a newspaper published during the Paris Commune The Concordat of 1801 re established the Roman Catholic Church as an official institution in France although not as the state religion of France The concordat took effect from Easter Sunday 28 Germinal Year XI 8 April 1802 it restored the names of the days of the week to the ones from the Gregorian calendar and fixed Sunday as the official day of rest and religious celebration 5 However the other attributes of the republican calendar the months and years remained as they were The French Republic ended with the coronation of Napoleon as Empereur des Francais Emperor of the French on 11 Frimaire Year XIII 2 December 1804 but the republican calendar would remain in place for another year Napoleon finally abolished the republican calendar with effect from 1 January 1806 the day after 10 Nivose Year XIV a little over twelve years after its introduction It was however used again briefly in the Journal officiel for some dates during a short period of the Paris Commune 6 23 May 1871 16 Floreal 3 Prairial Year LXXIX 6 Calendar design Edit L AN 2 DE LA REPUBLIQUE FR Year 2 of the French Republic on a barn near Geneva dating to 1793 or 1794 Years appear in writing as Roman numerals usually with epoch 22 September 1792 the beginning of the Republican Era the day the French First Republic was proclaimed one day after the Convention abolished the monarchy As a result Roman Numeral I indicates the first year of the republic that is the year before the calendar actually came into use By law the beginning of each year was set at midnight beginning on the day the apparent autumnal equinox falls at the Paris Observatory There were twelve months each divided into three ten day weeks called decades The tenth day decadi replaced Sunday as the day of rest and festivity The five or six extra days needed to approximate the solar or tropical year were placed after the months at the end of each year and called complementary days This arrangement was an almost exact copy of the calendar used by the Ancient Egyptians though in their case the beginning of the year was not marked by the autumnal equinox A period of four years ending on a leap day was to be called a Franciade The name Olympique was originally proposed 7 but changed to Franciade to commemorate the fact that it had taken the revolution four years to establish a republican government in France 8 The leap year was called Sextile an allusion to the bissextile leap years of the Julian and Gregorian calendars because it contained a sixth complementary day Decimal time Edit Main article Decimal time France Each day in the Republican Calendar was divided into ten hours each hour into 100 decimal minutes and each decimal minute into 100 decimal seconds Thus an hour was 144 conventional minutes 2 4 times as long as a conventional hour a minute was 86 4 conventional seconds 44 longer than a conventional minute and a second was 0 864 conventional seconds 13 6 shorter than a conventional second Clocks were manufactured to display this decimal time but it did not catch on Mandatory use of decimal time was officially suspended 7 April 1795 although some cities continued to use decimal time as late as 1801 9 The numbering of years in the Republican Calendar by Roman numerals ran counter to this general decimalization tendency Months EditThe Republican calendar year began the day the autumnal equinox occurred in Paris and had twelve months of 30 days each which were given new names based on nature principally having to do with the prevailing weather in and around Paris and sometimes evoking the Medieval Labours of the Months The extra five or six days in the year were not given a month designation but considered Sansculottides or Complementary Days Autumn Vendemiaire from French vendange derived from Latin vindemia vintage starting 22 23 or 24 September Brumaire from French brume mist from Latin bruma winter solstice winter winter cold starting 22 23 or 24 October Frimaire from French frimas frost starting 21 22 or 23 November Winter Nivose from Latin nivosus snowy starting 21 22 or 23 December Pluviose from French pluvieux derived from Latin pluvius rainy starting 20 21 or 22 January Ventose from French venteux derived from Latin ventosus windy starting 19 20 or 21 February Spring Germinal from French germination starting 20 or 21 March Floreal from French fleur derived from Latin flos flower starting 20 or 21 April Prairial from French prairie meadow starting 20 or 21 May Summer Messidor from Latin messis harvest starting 19 or 20 June Thermidor or Fervidor from Greek thermon summer heat starting 19 or 20 July Fructidor from Latin fructus fruit starting 18 or 19 August Note On many printed calendars of Year II 1793 94 the month of Thermidor was named Fervidor from Latin fervidus burning hot Most of the month names were new words coined from French Latin or Greek The endings of the names are grouped by season Dor means giving in Greek 10 In Britain a contemporary wit mocked the Republican Calendar by calling the months Wheezy Sneezy and Freezy Slippy Drippy and Nippy Showery Flowery and Bowery Hoppy Croppy and Poppy 11 12 The historian Thomas Carlyle suggested somewhat more serious English names in his 1837 work The French Revolution A History 10 namely Vintagearious Fogarious Frostarious Snowous Rainous Windous Buddal Floweral Meadowal Reapidor Heatidor and Fruitidor Like the French originals they are neologisms suggesting a meaning related to the season Ten days of the week Edit French Revolutionary pocket watch showing ten day decade names and thirty day month numbers from the Republican Calendar but with duodecimal time On display at the Musee d Art et d Histoire Neuchatel In Switzerland The month is divided into three decades or weeks of ten days each named simply primidi first day duodi second day tridi third day quartidi fourth day quintidi fifth day sextidi sixth day septidi seventh day octidi eighth day nonidi ninth day decadi tenth day Decadis became official days of rest instead of Sundays in order to diminish the influence of the Catholic Church They were used for the festivals of a succession of new religions meant to replace Catholicism the Cult of Reason the Cult of the Supreme Being the Decadary Cult and Theophilanthropy Christian holidays were officially abolished in favor of revolutionary holidays The law of 13 Fructidor year VI August 30 1798 required that marriages must only be celebrated on decadis This law was applied from the 1st Vendemiaire year VII September 22 1798 to 28 Pluviose year VIII February 17 1800 Decades were abandoned at the changeover from Germinal to Floreal an X 20 to 21 April 1802 after Napoleon s Concordat with the Pope 13 Rural calendar EditThe Catholic Church used a calendar of saints which named each day of the year after an associated saint To reduce the influence of the Church Fabre d Eglantine introduced a Rural Calendar in which each day of the year had a unique name associated with the rural economy stated to correspond to the time of year Every decadi ending in 0 was named after an agricultural tool Each quintidi ending in 5 was named for a common animal The rest of the days were named for grain pasture trees roots flowers fruits and other plants except for the first month of winter Nivose during which the rest of the days were named after minerals 14 15 Our starting point was the idea of celebrating through the calendar the agricultural system and of leading the nation back to it marking the times and the fractions of the year by intelligible or visible signs taken from agriculture and the rural economy As the calendar is something that we use so often we must take advantage of this frequency of use to put elementary notions of agriculture before the people to show the richness of nature to make them love the fields and to methodically show them the order of the influences of the heavens and of the products of the earth The priests assigned the commemoration of a so called saint to each day of the year this catalogue exhibited neither utility nor method it was a collection of lies of deceit or of charlatanism We thought that the nation after having kicked out this canonised mob from its calendar must replace it with the objects that make up the true riches of the nation worthy objects not from a cult but from agriculture useful products of the soil the tools that we use to cultivate it and the domesticated animals our faithful servants in these works animals much more precious without doubt to the eye of reason than the beatified skeletons pulled from the catacombs of Rome So we have arranged in the column of each month the names of the real treasures of the rural economy The grains the pastures the trees the roots the flowers the fruits the plants are arranged in the calendar in such a way that the place and the day of the month that each product occupies is precisely the season and the day that Nature presents it to us Fabre d Eglantine Rapport fait a la Convention nationale au nom de la Commission chargee de la confection du Calendrier 16 Imprimerie nationale 1793 Autumn Edit Vendemiaire 22 September 21 October 122 SepRaisin Grape 223 SepSafran Saffron 324 SepChataigne Chestnut 425 SepColchique Autumn Crocus 526 SepCheval Horse 627 SepBalsamine Impatiens 728 SepCarotte Carrot 829 SepAmaranthe Amaranth 930 SepPanais Parsnip 101 OctCuve Vat 112 OctPomme de terre Potato 123 OctImmortelle Strawflower 134 OctPotiron Winter squash 145 OctReseda Mignonette 156 OctAne Donkey 167 OctBelle de nuit Four o clock flower 178 OctCitrouille Pumpkin 189 OctSarrasin Buckwheat 1910 OctTournesol Sunflower 2011 OctPressoir Wine Press 2112 OctChanvre Hemp 2213 OctPeche Peach 2314 OctNavet Turnip 2415 OctAmaryllis Amaryllis 2516 OctBœuf Ox 2617 OctAubergine Eggplant 2718 OctPiment Chili pepper 2819 OctTomate Tomato 2920 OctOrge Barley 3021 OctTonneau Barrel Brumaire 22 October 20 November 122 OctPomme Apple 223 OctCeleri Celery 324 OctPoire Pear 425 OctBetterave Beetroot 526 OctOie Goose 627 OctHeliotrope Heliotrope 728 OctFigue Common fig 829 OctScorsonere Black Salsify 930 OctAlisier Chequer Tree 1031 OctCharrue Plough 111 NovSalsifis Salsify 122 NovMacre Water caltrop 133 NovTopinambour Jerusalem artichoke 144 NovEndive Endive 155 NovDindon Turkey 166 NovChervis Skirret 177 NovCresson Watercress 188 NovDentelaire Leadworts 199 NovGrenade Pomegranate 2010 NovHerse Harrow 2111 NovBacchante Baccharis 2212 NovAzerole Azarole 2313 NovGarance Madder 2414 NovOrange Orange 2515 NovFaisan Pheasant 2616 NovPistache Pistachio Nut 2717 NovMacjonc Tuberous pea 2818 NovCoing Quince 2919 NovCormier Service tree 3020 NovRouleau Roller Frimaire 21 November 20 December 121 NovRaiponce Rampion 222 NovTurneps Cattle turnip 323 NovChicoree Chicory 424 NovNefle Medlar 525 NovCochon Pig 626 NovMache Lamb s lettuce 727 NovChou fleur Cauliflower 828 NovMiel Honey 929 NovGenievre Juniper 1030 NovPioche Pickaxe 111 DecCire Wax 122 DecRaifort Horseradish 133 DecCedre Cedar tree 144 DecSapin Fir 155 DecChevreuil Roe deer 166 DecAjonc Gorse 177 DecCypres Cypress Tree 188 DecLierre Ivy 199 DecSabine Savin Juniper 2010 DecHoyau Grub hoe 2111 DecErable a sucre Sugar Maple 2212 DecBruyere Heather 2313 DecRoseau Reed plant 2414 DecOseille Sorrel 2515 DecGrillon Cricket 2616 DecPignon Pine nut 2717 DecLiege Cork 2818 DecTruffe Truffle 2919 DecOlive Olive 3020 DecPelle Shovel Winter Edit Nivose 21 December 19 January 121 DecTourbe Peat 222 DecHouille Coal 323 DecBitume Bitumen 424 DecSoufre Sulphur 525 DecChien Dog 626 DecLave Lava 727 DecTerre vegetale Topsoil 828 DecFumier Manure 929 DecSalpetre Saltpeter 1030 DecFleau Flail 1131 DecGranit Granite 121 JanArgile Clay 132 JanArdoise Slate 143 JanGres Sandstone 154 JanLapin Rabbit 165 JanSilex Flint 176 JanMarne Marl 187 JanPierre a chaux Limestone 198 JanMarbre Marble 209 JanVan Winnowing fan 2110 JanPierre a platre Gypsum 2211 JanSel Salt 2312 JanFer Iron 2413 JanCuivre Copper 2514 JanChat Cat 2615 JanEtain Tin 2716 JanPlomb Lead 2817 JanZinc Zinc 2918 JanMercure Mercury 3019 JanCrible Sieve Pluviose 20 January 18 February 120 JanLaureole Spurge laurel 221 JanMousse Moss 322 JanFragon Butcher s Broom 423 JanPerce neige Snowdrop 524 JanTaureau Bull 625 JanLaurier thym Laurustinus 726 JanAmadouvier Tinder polypore 827 JanMezereon Daphne mezereum 928 JanPeuplier Poplar 1029 JanCoignee Axe 1130 JanEllebore Hellebore 1231 JanBrocoli Broccoli 131 FebLaurier Bay laurel 142 FebAvelinier Filbert 153 FebVache Cow 164 FebBuis Box Tree 175 FebLichen Lichen 186 FebIf Yew tree 197 FebPulmonaire Lungwort 208 FebSerpette Billhook 219 FebThlaspi Pennycress 2210 FebThimele Rose Daphne 2311 FebChiendent Couch grass 2412 FebTrainasse Common Knotgrass 2513 FebLievre Hare 2614 FebGuede Woad 2715 FebNoisetier Hazel 2816 FebCyclamen Cyclamen 2917 FebChelidoine Celandine 3018 FebTraineau Sleigh Ventose 19 February 20 March 119 FebTussilage Coltsfoot 220 FebCornouiller Dogwood 321 FebViolier Matthiola 422 FebTroene Privet 523 FebBouc Billygoat 624 FebAsaret Wild Ginger 725 FebAlaterne Italian Buckthorn 826 FebViolette Violet 927 FebMarceau Goat Willow 1028 FebBeche Spade 111 MarNarcisse Narcissus 122 MarOrme Elm 133 MarFumeterre Common fumitory 144 MarVelar Hedge mustard 155 MarChevre Goat 166 MarEpinard Spinach 177 MarDoronic Doronicum 188 MarMouron Pimpernel 199 MarCerfeuil Chervil 2010 MarCordeau Twine 2111 MarMandragore Mandrake 2212 MarPersil Parsley 2313 MarCochlearia Scurvy grass 2414 MarPaquerette Daisy 2515 MarThon Tuna 2616 MarPissenlit Dandelion 2717 MarSylvie Wood Anemone 2818 MarCapillaire Maidenhair fern 2919 MarFrene Ash tree 3020 MarPlantoir Dibber Spring Edit Germinal 21 March 19 April 121 MarPrimevere Primrose 222 MarPlatane Plane Tree 323 MarAsperge Asparagus 424 MarTulipe Tulip 525 MarPoule Hen 626 MarBette Chard 727 MarBouleau Birch 828 MarJonquille Daffodil 929 MarAulne Alder 1030 MarCouvoir Incubator 1131 MarPervenche Periwinkle 121 AprCharme Hornbeam 132 AprMorille Morel 143 AprHetre Beech Tree 154 AprAbeille Bee 165 AprLaitue Lettuce 176 AprMeleze Larch 187 AprCigue Hemlock 198 AprRadis Radish 209 AprRuche Beehive 2110 AprGainier Judas tree 2211 AprRomaine Romaine lettuce 2312 AprMarronnier Horse chestnut 2413 AprRoquette Arugula or Rocket 2514 AprPigeon Pigeon 2615 AprLilas Lilac 2716 AprAnemone Anemone 2817 AprPensee Pansy 2918 AprMyrtille Bilberry 3019 AprGreffoir Grafting knife Floreal 20 April 19 May 120 AprRose Rose 221 AprChene Oak Tree 322 AprFougere Fern 423 AprAubepine Hawthorn 524 AprRossignol Nightingale 625 AprAncolie Common Columbine 726 AprMuguet Lily of the valley 827 AprChampignon Button mushroom 928 AprHyacinthe Hyacinth 1029 AprRateau Rake 1130 AprRhubarbe Rhubarb 121 MaySainfoin Sainfoin 132 MayBaton d or Wallflower 143 MayChamerisier Fan Palm tree 154 MayVer a soie Silkworm 165 MayConsoude Comfrey 176 MayPimprenelle Salad burnet 187 MayCorbeille d or Basket of Gold 198 MayArroche Orache 209 MaySarcloir Weeding hoe 2110 MayStatice Sea thrift 2211 MayFritillaire Fritillary 2312 MayBourrache Borage 2413 MayValeriane Valerian 2514 MayCarpe Carp 2615 MayFusain Euonymus 2716 MayCivette Chives 2817 MayBuglosse Bugloss 2918 MaySeneve White mustard 3019 MayHoulette Shepherd s crook Prairial 20 May 18 June 120 MayLuzerne Lucerne 221 MayHemerocalle Daylily 322 MayTrefle Clover 423 MayAngelique Angelica 524 MayCanard Duck 625 MayMelisse Lemon balm 726 MayFromental Oat grass 827 MayMartagon Martagon lily 928 MaySerpolet Wild Thyme 1029 MayFaux Scythe 1130 MayFraise Strawberry 1231 MayBetoine Betony 131 JunPois Pea 142 JunAcacia Acacia 153 JunCaille Quail 164 JunŒillet Carnation 175 JunSureau Elderberry 186 JunPavot Poppy plant 197 JunTilleul Linden or Lime tree 208 JunFourche Pitchfork 219 JunBarbeau Cornflower 2210 JunCamomille Camomile 2311 JunChevrefeuille Honeysuckle 2412 JunCaille lait Bedstraw 2513 JunTanche Tench 2614 JunJasmin Jasmine 2715 JunVerveine Vervain 2816 JunThym Thyme 2917 JunPivoine Peony 3018 JunChariot Handcart Summer Edit Messidor 19 June 18 July 119 JunSeigle Rye 220 JunAvoine Oat 321 JunOignon Onion 422 JunVeronique Speedwell 523 JunMulet Mule 624 JunRomarin Rosemary 725 JunConcombre Cucumber 826 JunEchalote Shallot 927 JunAbsinthe Wormwood 1028 JunFaucille Sickle 1129 JunCoriandre Coriander 1230 JunArtichaut Artichoke 131 JulGirofle Clove 142 JulLavande Lavender 153 JulChamois Chamois 164 JulTabac Tobacco 175 JulGroseille Redcurrant 186 JulGesse Hairy Vetchling 197 JulCerise Cherry 208 JulParc Livestock pen 219 JulMenthe Mint 2210 JulCumin Cumin 2311 JulHaricot Bean 2412 JulOrcanete Alkanet 2513 JulPintade Guineafowl 2614 JulSauge Sage 2715 JulAil Garlic 2816 JulVesce Tare 2917 JulBle Wheat 3018 JulChalemie Shawm Thermidor 19 July 17 August 119 JulEpeautre Spelt 220 JulBouillon blanc Common mullein 321 JulMelon Melon 422 JulIvraie Ryegrass 523 JulBelier Ram 624 JulPrele Horsetail 725 JulArmoise Mugwort 826 JulCarthame Safflower 927 JulMure Blackberry 1028 JulArrosoir Watering can 1129 JulPanic Foxtail millet 1230 JulSalicorne Common Glasswort 1331 JulAbricot Apricot 141 AugBasilic Basil 152 AugBrebis Ewe 163 AugGuimauve Marshmallow 174 AugLin Flax 185 AugAmande Almond 196 AugGentiane Gentian 207 AugEcluse Lock 218 AugCarline Carline thistle 229 AugCaprier Caper 2310 AugLentille Lentil 2411 AugAunee Inula 2512 AugLoutre Otter 2613 AugMyrte Myrtle 2714 AugColza Rapeseed 2815 AugLupin Lupin 2916 AugCoton Cotton 3017 AugMoulin Mill Fructidor 18 August 16 September 118 AugPrune Plum 219 AugMillet Millet 320 AugLycoperdon Puffball 421 AugEscourgeon Six row Barley 522 AugSaumon Salmon 623 AugTubereuse Tuberose 724 AugSucrion Winter Barley 825 AugApocyn Apocynum 926 AugReglisse Liquorice 1027 AugEchelle Ladder 1128 AugPasteque Watermelon 1229 AugFenouil Fennel 1330 AugEpine vinette European Barberry 1431 AugNoix Walnut 151 SepTruite Trout 162 SepCitron Lemon 173 SepCardere Teasel 184 SepNerprun Buckthorn 195 SepTagette Mexican Marigold 206 SepHotte Harvesting basket 217 SepEglantier Wild Rose 228 SepNoisette Hazelnut 239 SepHoublon Hops 2410 SepSorgho Sorghum 2511 SepEcrevisse Crayfish 2612 SepBigarade Bitter orange 2713 SepVerge d or Goldenrod 2814 SepMais Maize or Corn 2915 SepMarron Sweet Chestnut 3016 SepPanier Pack Basket Complementary days EditMain article Sansculottides Five extra days six in leap years were national holidays at the end of every year These were originally known as les sans culottides after sans culottes but after year III 1795 as les jours complementaires 1st complementary day La Fete de la Vertu Celebration of Virtue on 17 or 18 September 2nd complementary day La Fete du Genie Celebration of Talent on 18 or 19 September 3rd complementary day La Fete du Travail Celebration of Labour on 19 or 20 September 4th complementary day La Fete de l Opinion Celebration of Convictions on 20 or 21 September 5th complementary day La Fete des Recompenses Celebration of Honors Awards on 21 or 22 September 6th complementary day La Fete de la Revolution Celebration of the Revolution on 22 or 23 September on leap years only Converting from the Gregorian Calendar EditDuring the Republic Edit Fountain in Octon Herault with date 5 Ventose an 109 24 February 1901 Below are the Gregorian dates each year of the Republican Era Ere Republicain in French began while the calendar was in effect ER AD CEI 1 22 September 1792II 2 22 September 1793III 3 22 September 1794IV 4 23 September 1795 V 5 22 September 1796VI 6 22 September 1797VII 7 22 September 1798VIII 8 23 September 1799 IX 9 23 September 1800X 10 23 September 1801XI 11 23 September 1802XII 12 24 September 1803 XIII 13 23 September 1804XIV 14 23 September 1805LXXIX 79 23 September 1870Leap years are highlightedExtra sextile day inserted before date due to previous leap year 17 After the Republic Edit The Republican Calendar was abolished in the year XIV 1805 After this year there are two historically attested calendars which may be used to determine dates Both calendars gave the same dates for years 17 to 52 1808 1844 always beginning on 23 September and it was suggested that the revised calendar be implemented during this period before the Republican Calendar was abolished Republican Calendar The only legal calendar during the Republic The first day of the year 1 Vendemiaire is always the day autumn begins in Paris About every 30 years leap years are 5 years apart instead of 4 as happened between the leap years 15 and 20 18 The lengths of the first 524 years were calculated by Delambre Revised Republican Calendar Following a proposal by Delambre in order to make leap years regular and predictable with leap years being every year divisible by 4 except years divisible by 100 and not by 400 Years divisible by 4000 would also be ordinary years Intended to be implemented in year 3 the revised calendar was abandoned after the death of the head of the calendar committee Gilbert Romme This calendar also has the benefit that every year in the third century of the Republican Era 1992 2091 begins on 22 September 19 ER AD CE Republican RevisedXV 15 1806 23 September 23 SeptemberXVI 16 1807 24 September 23 SeptemberXVII 17 1808 23 September 23 September XVIII 18 1809 23 September 23 SeptemberXIX 19 1810 23 September 23 SeptemberXX 20 1811 23 September 23 SeptemberCCXXIX 229 2020 22 September 22 September CCXXX 230 2021 22 September 22 SeptemberCCXXXI 231 2022 23 September 22 SeptemberCCXXXII 232 2023 23 September 22 SeptemberCCXXXIII 233 2024 22 September 22 September CCXXXiv 234 2025 22 September 22 SeptemberCCXXXV 235 2026 23 September 22 SeptemberCCXXXVI 236 2027 23 September 22 SeptemberCCXXXVII 237 2028 22 September 22 September CCXXXVIII 238 2029 22 September 22 SeptemberCCXXxIX 239 2030 22 September 22 SeptemberCCXL 240 2031 23 September 22 SeptemberCCXLI 241 2032 22 September 22 September Leap years are highlightedExtra sextile day inserted before date due to previous leap yearCurrent date and time EditFor this calendar Romme s revised method of calculating leap years is used Other methods may differ by one day Time may be cached and therefore not accurate Decimal time is according to Paris mean time which is 9 minutes 21 seconds 6 49 decimal minutes ahead of Greenwich Mean Time This tool calibrates the time if calibration is desired 231 Germinal CCXXXI PrimidiDuodiTridiQuartidiQuintidiSextidiSeptidiOctidiNonidiDecadi decade 191 Tuesday21 March 20232 Wednesday22 March 20233 Thursday23 March 20234 Friday24 March 20235 Saturday25 March 20236 Sunday26 March 20237 Monday27 March 20238 Tuesday28 March 20239 Wednesday29 March 202310 Thursday30 March 2023 decade 2011 Friday31 March 202312 Saturday1 April 202313 Sunday2 April 202314 Monday3 April 202315 Tuesday4 April 202316 Wednesday5 April 202317 Thursday6 April 202318 Friday7 April 202319 Saturday8 April 202320 Sunday9 April 2023 decade 2121 Monday10 April 202322 Tuesday11 April 202323 Wednesday12 April 202324 Thursday13 April 202325 Friday14 April 202326 Saturday15 April 202327 Sunday16 April 202328 Monday17 April 202329 Tuesday18 April 202330 Wednesday19 April 2023 10 hParis7h72m75s 18 23 2524 hGreenwichCriticism and shortcomings Edit Clock dial displaying both decimal and duodecimal time Leap years in the calendar are a point of great dispute due to the contradicting statements in the establishing decree 20 stating Each year begins at midnight with the day on which the true autumnal equinox falls for the Paris Observatory and The four year period after which the addition of a day is usually necessary is called the Franciade in memory of the revolution which after four years of effort led France to republican government The fourth year of the Franciade is called Sextile These two specifications are incompatible as leap years defined by the autumnal equinox in Paris do not recur on a regular four year schedule Thus the years III VII and XI were observed as leap years and the years XV and XX were also planned as such even though they were five years apart Clock dial displaying both decimal inside the circle and duodecimal time on the outer rim A fixed arithmetic rule for determining leap years was proposed by Jean Baptiste Joseph Delambre and presented to the Committee of Public Education by Gilbert Romme on 19 Floreal An III 8 May 1795 The proposed rule was to determine leap years by applying the rules of the Gregorian calendar to the years of the French Republic years IV VIII XII etc were to be leap years except that year 4000 the last year of ten 400 year periods should be a common year instead of a leap year Shortly thereafter Romme was sentenced to the guillotine and committed suicide and the proposal was never adopted although Jerome Lalande repeatedly proposed it for a number of years The proposal was intended to avoid uncertain future leap years caused by the inaccurate astronomical knowledge of the 1790s even today this statement is still valid due to the uncertainty in DT In particular the committee noted that the autumnal equinox of year 144 was predicted to occur at 11 59 40 pm local apparent time in Paris which was closer to midnight than its inherent 3 to 4 minute uncertainty The calendar was abolished by an act dated 22 Fructidor an XIII 9 September 1805 and signed by Napoleon which referred to a report by Michel Louis Etienne Regnaud de Saint Jean d Angely and Jean Joseph Mounier listing two fundamental flaws The rule for leap years depended upon the uneven course of the sun rather than fixed intervals so that one must consult astronomers to determine when each year started especially when the equinox happened close to midnight as the exact moment could not be predicted with certainty Both the era and the beginning of the year were chosen to commemorate a historical event that occurred on the first day of autumn in France whereas the other European nations began the year near the beginning of winter or spring thus being impediments to the calendar s adoption in Europe and America and even a part of the French nation where the Gregorian calendar continued to be used as it was required for religious purposes The report also noted that the 10 day decade was unpopular and had already been suppressed three years earlier in favor of the seven day week removing what was considered by some as one of the calendar s main benefits 21 The 10 day decade was unpopular with laborers because they received only one full day of rest out of ten instead of one in seven although they also got a half day off on the fifth day thus 36 full days and 36 half days in a year for a total of 54 free days compared to the usual 52 or 53 Sundays It also by design conflicted with Sunday religious observances Another criticism of the calendar was that despite the poetic names of its months they were tied to the climate and agriculture of metropolitan France and therefore not applicable to France s overseas territories 22 Famous dates and other cultural references EditThis section possibly contains original research Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations Statements consisting only of original research should be removed October 2017 Learn how and when to remove this template message See also Glossary of the French Revolution Events commonly known by their Revolutionary dates Decret de la Convention 9 Brumaire An III above the entrance to the ENS The Coup of 18 Brumaire or Brumaire was the coup d etat of Napoleon Bonaparte on 18 Brumaire An VIII 9 November 1799 which many historians consider to be the end of the French Revolution Karl Marx s 1852 essay The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte compares the coup d etat of 1851 of Louis Napoleon unfavorably to his uncle s earlier coup with the statement History repeats first as tragedy then as farce Another famous revolutionary date is 9 Thermidor An II 27 July 1794 the date the Convention turned against Maximilien Robespierre who along with others associated with the Mountain was guillotined the following day Based on this event the term Thermidorian entered the Marxist vocabulary as referring to revolutionaries who destroy the revolution from the inside and turn against its true aims For example Leon Trotsky and his followers used this term about Joseph Stalin Emile Zola s novel Germinal takes its name from the calendar s month of Germinal The seafood dish Lobster Thermidor was named after the 1891 play Thermidor set during the Revolution 23 24 The French frigates of the Floreal class all bear names of Republican months The Convention of 9 Brumaire An III 30 October 1794 established the Ecole normale superieure The date appears prominently on the entrance to the school The French composer Fromental Halevy was born 7 Prairial VIII 27 May 1799 the day of fromental oatgrass Neil Gaiman s The Sandman series included a story called Thermidor that takes place in that month during the French Revolution 25 See also EditAgricultural cycle Calendar reform Dechristianisation of France Decimal time Soviet calendar Solar Hijri calendar astronomical equinox based calendar used in Iran World CalendarReferences Edit Sylvain Marechal 1836 Almanach des Honnetes gens gallica bnf fr Gallica pp 14 15 Sylvain Marechal 1799 Almanach des honnetes gens pour l an VIII gallica bnf fr Gallica James Guillaume Proces verbaux du Comite d instruction publique de la Convention nationale t I pp 227 228 et t II pp 440 448 Michel Froechle Le calendrier republicain correspondait il a une necessite scientifique Congres national des societes savantes scientifiques et societes Paris 1989 pp 453 465 Le calendrier republicain de sa creation a sa disparition Bureau des longitudes 1994 p 19 ISBN 978 2 910015 09 1 Concordat de 1801 Napoleon Bonaparte religion en france Concordat de 1801 Roi president com 21 November 2007 Archived from the original on 10 September 2012 Retrieved 30 January 2009 Reimpression du Journal Officiel de la Republique francaise sous la Commune du 19 mars au 24 mai 1871 V Bunel 1871 pp 477 Le calendrier republicain de sa creation a sa disparition Bureau des longitudes 1994 p 26 ISBN 978 2 910015 09 1 Le calendrier republicain de sa creation a sa disparition Bureau des longitudes 1994 p 36 ISBN 978 2 910015 09 1 Richard A Carrigan Jr Decimal Time American Scientist May June 1978 66 3 305 313 a b Thomas Carlyle 1867 The French revolution a history Harper Sporting Magazine vol 15 Rogerson and Tuxford January 1800 p 210 retrieved 23 December 2014 John Brady 1812 Clavis Calendaria Or A Compendious Analysis of the Calendar Illustrated with Ecclesiastical Historical and Classical Anecdotes vol 1 Rogerson and Tuxford p 38 Antoine Augustin Renouard 1822 Manuel pour la concordance des calendriers republicain et gregorien 2 ed A A Renouard Retrieved 14 September 2009 Edouard Terwecoren 1870 Collection de Precis historiques J Vandereydt p 31 Philippe Joseph Benjamin Buchez Prosper Charles Roux 1837 Histoire parlementaire de la revolution francaise Paulin p 415 Convention nationale Rapport fait a la Convention nationale dans la seance du 3 du second mois de la seconde annee de la Republique Francaise au nom de la Commission chargee de la confection du Calendrier Par Ph Fr Na Fabre D Eglantine Imprime par ordre de la Convention nationale available at Gallica Parise Frank 2002 The Book of Calendars Gorgias Press p 376 ISBN 978 1 931956 76 5 Sebastien Louis Rosaz 1810 Concordance de l Annuaire de la Republique francaise avec le calendrier gregorien Brumaire Calendrier Republicain Prairial free fr Archived from the original on 18 May 2011 Retrieved 30 January 2009 Le Calendrier Republicain Gefrance com 30 May 2020 Retrieved 25 June 2021 Antoine Augustin Renouard 1822 Manuel pour la concordance des calendriers republicain et gregorien ou Recueil complet de tous les annuaires depuis la premiere annee republicaine 2 ed A A Renouard p 217 Canes Kermit 2012 The Esoteric Codex Obsolete Calendars LULU Press ISBN 978 1 365 06556 9 James Kenneth 15 November 2006 Escoffier The King of Chefs Continuum International Publishing Group p 44 ISBN 978 1 85285 526 0 Retrieved 11 March 2012 Lobster thermidor Online Dictionary Merriam Webster Retrieved 11 March 2012 Gaiman Neil w Woch Stan p Giordano Nick i Vozzo Daniel col Klein Todd let Berger Karen ed Thermidor The Sandman v29 August 1991 Vertigo ComicsFurther reading EditOzouf Mona Revolutionary Calendar in Furet Francois and Mona Ozouf eds Critical Dictionary of the French Revolution 1989 Shaw Matthew Time and the French Revolution a history of the French Republican Calendar 1789 Year XIV 2011 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to French Republican Calendar Wikisource has original text related to this article Decree of the National Convention on the establishment of the Republican calendar Date converter for numerous calendars including this one iCalendar files for the French Republican calendar for use in Outlook Google Calendar etc Dials amp Symbols of the French revolution The Republican Calendar and Decimal time Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title French Republican calendar amp oldid 1145679164, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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