Scholar-Journalist
The 13-month theory unveiled
By: Janvi Sharma, Apeejay School, Mahavir Marg
Technically, our calendar consists of twelve months, but in reality, there should be thirteen months. Here’s why-
To discover the root of this story, we need to delve into the past, in October (Georgian calendar) 1582. In the calendar of the following year, we observe that after 4th October comes 15th of October. This adjustment was made to align the calendar with the solar year more accurately. But if we take a look at a thirteen-month calendar, then each month would have 28 days (leaving one or two days to determine whether it is a leap year or not). This structure aims for a more uniform and predictable calendar system, with each month always having exactly four weeks and starting on the same day of the week. The 13-month calendar argues that it aligns better with lunar cycles, as there are roughly 13 lunar cycles in a solar year.
And it is a point to think that Sept in September means 7th and Oct in October means 8th, but they are the 9th and 10th months respectively in present-day calendars.
This thirteen-month calendar is still used in Ethiopia; moreover, there is a myth that the predictions made are related to this thirteen-month calendar. If we go back to 2012, there was a prediction made that the world may end; we can relate it to the coronavirus attack in 2020, as that year it was 2012 in Ethiopia. These were some points that were stated by the proponents of the thirteen-month calendar.
To know well about this theory, we need to flip the coin the discover what the people against the thirteen-month theory proclaim-
The 12-month system, and its associated dates and practices, is deeply ingrained in cultures worldwide. Shifting to a 13-month calendar would require a complete recalibration of how we understand time, affecting everything from birthdays and anniversaries to historical records and religious holidays.
The Earth’s orbit around the sun takes roughly 365.25 days. A 13-month calendar with 28 days per month (totaling 364 days) would leave a shortfall, requiring adjustments to align with the seasons. These are some of the reasons that people do not want adjustments to be made in the calendar.
What are your views on this deep theory, whether the calendar is suppressed and hidden from us, or whether it is just to match with rotation of the earth that the calendar was changed. At the end of the day, we never know the real reasons why these changes were made, it is just the person who attempted it knows, every writing has its own story to tell, and it is influenced by the writer’s thoughts itself………
