Lost Days

Words 395‘

’There is just not enough days to fill up the calendar’

‘What on earth are you on about?’

‘I think someone stole a few days.’
‘
That’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard you say, and besides, that’s really bad grammar.’

‘Okay then. There ARE just not enough days to fill up the calendar.’

‘How many days should there be?’

‘365, of course.’

‘Perhaps it’s a leap year?’

‘No. And anyway that gives an extra day and ten days have gone missing!’.’

‘Look, just calm down. You’re getting yourself in a tizz.’

‘I AM calm.’
‘
Okaay. Then why are you surrounded by all these screwed up balls of paper?’

‘I’m trying to count the days. There are definitely some missing.’

‘Oh yes! I remember now. I read about a decree in the ‘Town Crier.’ Apparently they’ve changed the calendar this year.’

‘Changed the calendar? What are you talking about?’

‘Well, you know how we currently use the Julian Calendar?’

‘Yes. So what?’

‘It was proving a little problematic. It’s great, but it’s eleven minutes and 14 seconds longer than the tropical year.

‘Tropical year?’

’That’s the time it takes for the sun to return to the same position as viewed by Earth.’

‘So what’s the problem ?’

‘Well, it means the calendar has been drifting almost a full day over the last 314 years!’

‘What’s going to happen?’

‘Well, this year, 1852, they’ve changed to a new calendar. It’s going to be called…drum roll please…the Gregorian Calendar!’

‘But what does that mean?’

‘What it means, dear chap, is they’ve decided to drop ten days.’

‘Ten days! Which days are they? I hope my birthday isn’t one of them.’

‘Were you born in October?’

‘Yes. The tenth, actually.’

‘Oh, that’s a bit of bad luck.’

‘Oh no. Don’t tell me.’

‘Yep, sorry. The tenth no longer exists. The Feast of St. Francis of Assisi on October the fourth will be directly followed by October fifteenth.’

‘What!’

‘I know, it must be a bit of a shock, but it’s all to do with getting Easter to fall on the first full moon following the vernal equinox.’

‘Well, that’s just great! Now I have to find a new birthday.’

‘Look on the bright side.The year’s not as long, which means Christmas comes around quicker!’

Written for Dialogue 500

JANUARY PROMPT/ There is just not enough days to fill-up the calendar.


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