Positivist calendar
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The positivist calendar was proposed by Auguste Comte in 1849 as a reform of the Gregorian calendar which would mark the transition to (as he saw it) the new, enlightened era of Positivism.
Structure of the calendar[edit]
Months[edit]
The calendar contained 13 months of 28 days each. The French names of Janvier through Décembre were retained from the Gregorian calendar for the first 12 months, with the 13th being named Final.
Weeks[edit]
The seven-day week was also retained, with the French day-names. Weeks began on Lundi (Monday).
Extra days[edit]
To bring the total to 365 days, an epagomenal day named Fête gènérale des Morts ("Festival of the Dead") was added after the last day of Final. It was not counted as part of a week, thus allowing every year to start on Lundi. For leap years, assigned the same way as in the Gregorian system, the leap day was added at the end of the year. The leap day was named Fête gènérale des Sainte Femmes ("Festival of Holy Women").
Commemorations[edit]
Comte proposed that each month honor a particular period of history or area of human achievement, as well as one person who exemplified it. In addition, each day of the month would be dedicated to a major figure in that area, with Dimanche (Sunday) reserved for especially important people. The complete list of commemorations would be:
External links[edit]
- Calendrier positiviste (PDF of 1993 reprint)
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