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Archiver > ORKNEY > 2004-05 > 1083713617


From: Darryl <>
Subject: Re: [Orkney] When did Summer start?
Date: Tue, 04 May 2004 16:33:37 -0700
References: <c4.bbe703c.2dc97145@cs.com>


Ken:

Did any one send the following definition? Unfortunately it doesn't fit your
interest either.

"An exception to this (definition of summer) is in the Irish Calendar, which
still follows the Celtic cycle, where it is counted as the whole months of
May, June and July." (from: http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Summer)

Darryl


----- Original Message -----
From: <>
To: <>
Sent: Tuesday, May 04, 2004 3:20 PM
Subject: [Orkney] When did Summer start?


> Listers,
>
> A few days ago I asked the question: "what date marked the first day of
> Summer in 1637?"
>
> This arose from a quotation from a Testament in 1640, which states in part
> that a death occurred "upon the tenth day of summar in the year of God
1637".
>
> The person who sent me the quotation, a Norwegian, said "first day of
summer
> in 1637 would have been 14 April in Norway and Denmark at that period of
> time, but am not sure this will apply to the Orkneys."
>
> With apologies to all Listers in the Southern Hemisphere, I have always
> understood that the four seasons all start (depending on the year) on
approximately
> the 21st day of March (Spring), June (Summer), September (Autumn) &
December
> (Winter). So I interpreted his comment to be not about the modern
calendar,
> but about the one in effect 350 years ago. I am aware of the differences
> between the Julian and Gregorian calendars, and that the "old reckoning"
started
> each year on about 25 April. But I couldn't see how either of these
factors
> could explain the 10 week difference in the start of Summer noted above.
>
> I had expected there might be some explanation as to why it was different
350
> years ago, but I was not anticipating some of the comments I received
about
> the modern calendar.
>
> I received a variety of suggestions, giving the start of Summer ranging
from
> 21 March to "last Sunday in March", 21 April, 6 May (calculated as 1/8
year
> before midsummer day, which they said was 21 June), and 21 June.
>
> This puzzles me greatly. My Oxford Concise clearly states that Summer
starts
> on 21 or 22 June, and my Funk & Wagnall agrees. Unfortunately, I don't
have
> a Chambers..... So, there appears to be a large debate (that I had never
> heard of before) as to when the seasons start (in modern times). We
should all
> take this as a warning not to state dates in any way other than "date &
month",
> or else we are likely to be misunderstood.
>
> Nobody commented on the calendar 350 years ago. Was it in an equally
> disputed state?
>
> This time, I suggest that replies all be posted to the List, so we can all
> see the explanations. :-))
>
> Ken Harrison
> North Vancouver, Canada
>
>
>
> ==== ORKNEY Mailing List ====
> >>>>TIP: When when posting your research interests, include the surnames
in your subject line - this will improve our list archive and assist future
researchers.<<<<
>


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