For 170 years, crossing the Channel from the UK to France would have brought you 11 days forward in time, and crossing back would have brought you 11 days earlier. Why? Because the Church of England wasn't about to adopt
a new Calendar instituted by
a Catholic pope. After all, if the old style was
good enough for Caesar.... In fact, it took over 300 years for the new Gregorian Calendar to
come into use throughout Europe, causing, no doubt, more than a few missed lunch dates as people forgot to
convert between them as they traveled.
There are, of course,
many other calendars in use around the world, and no shortage of people suggesting that
let's do the time warp again.
posted by John Kenneth Fisher
on Jan 30, 2005 -
16 comments