Tangled Branches: Cultivated
happenings in and around my zone 6b gardens in northern Virginia and in central Virginia
Monday, September 22, 2008
Equinox
If the French Revolutionary Calendar had been a global success, today would be New Year's Day. I learned of the French Revolutionary Calendar only recently and I admire the way they tied it to the agricultural year. We've just finished the month of Fructidor, followed by the intercalary days of
- Jour de la vertu (Day of virtue)
- Jour du génie (Day of genius)
- Jour du travail (Day of labour)
- Jour de l'opinion (Day of opinion)
- Jour des récompenses (Day of rewards)
- Jour de la révolution (Day of the revolution), but this didn't happen every year.
In fact, each day of the year had its own name, corresponding to natural and agricultural seasonal events. I don't understand the logic behind naming the 10th days - the days of rest - for tools. Maybe that was to fix one's mind on the week ahead?
Enjoy the rest of your Monday.
6 Comments:
What a fascinating calendar! I want a Day of Opinions...Do you think we get them or give them?
Gail
Gail: I would think we could give and receive. My opinion is that the calendar should have remained in use, but public opinion must have been against it. ;-)
Fascinating information, Entangled, but I side with the peasants - a day off every ten days instead of every seven? Phooie!
I might have been annoyed at d'Eglantine if my friends got cool Birthday names like Plumbago, Lavender or Fig while I was stuck with Barrel, Twine or Saltpeter. Never underestimate the power of the personal.
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Interesting site..Love the part about the bird sightings. I saw a hummingbird about a month ago out on Long Island. I was so happy..Enjoyed your site...
Wait, what do you do on the Day of Genius? Sit around and be smarter than usual? Intriguing... I've enjoyed stumbling into your site. Wonderful pictures!
Annie: Yeah, I suppose I wouldn't much like one day off in 10 either. Maybe we gardeners could invent a new calendar? Keep the 7 day week and rename the individual days with names of beautiful plants only? Something to think about...
John: Thanks for stopping by. Hummingbirds are so fascinating. I'm curious to see how late in the season I'll see one. This year I didn't put up any feeders for them - just planted flowers.
Mamawhatthe: Clever user name! You're a genius already! Wikipedia translates that day a bit differently - calling it Celebration of Talent - and says "The fête du génie should be dedicated to the most precious and, for the nation, most useful achievements of the human mind accomplished in the past year." And which genius got to define these achievements, I wonder?
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