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French Republican Calendar


JohnRoss

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Has anyone else come across this, eg here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Republican_Calendar/Y11 ? The better half was tracing her family tree, the French branch of the family, and came across this being used on records of births, deaths etc which at first sight proved most confusing. It would seem that from 1793 the calendar was used by the French government for about 12 years. The years being numbered from the revolution starting with 1 and so on. The year starting in late September with the month of Vendémiaire and running through to Fructidor. There were twelve months of 30 days each with extra days tacked on at the end of the year, 5 or 6 as needed. Each month consisted of three ten day weeks called décades. It would seem it was only used for a short time so maybe that is why it was not featured in any history book that I have read, not that I read that many now!.....................JR 

PS It is interesting to note that the young ladies are only in a state of undress during the warmer months of Messidor, Thermidor and Fructidor

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Not Jeanne Antoinette Poisson and we all know who the balloonist was eh Dr..............................JR

PS Sorry a bit away with the fairies when I wrote that. Interesting to know what the thinking was to have a new calendar not in line with anybody else in the world. No wonder they packed it in after a short time. I suppose it was hey up with the revolution and down with the aristos let us change everything to celebrate. I doubt that the average citizen in the street took much notice of it. Took some time for reality to kick in! I like À la lantérne les aristos!: http://www.blakeneymanor.com/phrase.html

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Spare a thought for Frenchie and I, who had to learn these and their "equivalent" by heart when we were at school...[:'(]

As for calendars which are "at odd with the world", the Hebrew, Islamic and Indian calendars are in use alongside the Gregorian calendar.

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I imagine that revolutionary clocks would have been of not much use outside of France, would not have done much for their export trade. This site shows some clock dials of the period. http://www.antique-horology.org/_Editorial/RepublicanCalendar/default.htm  I wonder if it affected trade with their buddies the revolutionary Americans.................................JR
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