About the new and the old style in the calendar of Bulgarian holidays
Our
history is marked by dates. Unfortunately, mistakes are often made in
transferring the oldstyle into the new style. How can we avoid these mistakes? The new style, the Gregorian calendar, is introduced for the first time in some countries in 1582 in order to correct the old calendar of Guy Julius Caesar (the Julian calendar) since astronomers discovered that the summer equinox has moved 10 days forwards. Thus, with the calendar reform of Pope Gregory XIII, after 4 October 1582 comes not 5 but 15 October 1582. The new style is introduced by the countries at different times. In Bulgaria this is done in 1916. Thus, after 31 March 1916 old style comes 14 April 1916 new style, and he dates between 1 April and 13 April 1916 do not exist. The transformation of dates from the old style into dates of the new style in Bulgaria must be done in the following way: From 4 October 1582 to 28 February 1700 included, to get the date by the new style you have to add 10 days. From 29 february 1700 to 28 February 1800 included, you have to add 11 days. From 29 February 1800 to 28 February 1900, you must add 12 days. From 9 February 1900 to 31 March 1916 included, you must add 13 days. All other calculations result in mistakes. Thus the hanging of Vasil Levski is traditionally commemorated on February 19 instead of February 18. The heroic death of Hristo Botev – 20 May 1876, corresponds to June 1 by the new style, and not June 2. History is what makes a people great and we must not allow inaccuracies in it. The Bulgarian holidays are of two types - constant and movable. In this book they are referred to the year 2004. The constant holidays have fixed dates which do not change with the years. The movable holidays in the Bulgarian calendar are related to Easter and can easily be calculated for every following year. Christ’s Resurrection or Easter is celebrated according to the edicts of the First Ecumenical Council in Nicea in 325 and is always on the first Sunday after full moon, after the spring equinox and after the Jewish Passover. Therefore Easter in the Bulgarian calendar falls in the period between April 4 and May 8.
