The world's calendars

Returning to the topic of calendars, I was searching around looking for the world’s oldest calendar. The calendar that we all know and use everyday, and computers have accepted widely is based on the Christian calendar – or the calendar of business and commerce. Of course, most of the world does not identify with this Christian only thinking – including myself. In China, the next year January 26, 2009 will be January 1, 4706. In Jewish places the year will be 5765 or 5766 (I am not sure of how exactly this is to be calculated – please correct me). In Islam the year is 1426, and in India 1927 for the Sakra Era. However, the Belizean Maya have the year from the old calendar at 10,000! While calculating from this the new Mayan calendar year would be about 5000.

So what is the oldest calendar in the world? I guess between the Chinese, the Jews and the Mayans you can take your pick and use what you wish. The Christian calendar is probably the youngest and the most non-sense calendar in existence.

How can we be 2009 years after the birth of Christ? How can they have just skipped an entire lifetime, leaving all the peasants who were born at about the same time as Christ was to be completely forgotten about? Among all the religions of the world the Christian is got to be the craziest one. I came across an
article in the BBC’s news files about the oldest know lunar calendar dating back 15,000 years. What could be the oldest lunar calendar may have been discovered on the walls of the famous Lascaux caves in France. Whatever your preference in calendar maybe don’t forget the other 10 to 20 other or more calendars in existence that are still used for religious ceremonies and special events.

Tags: calendars, personalities