carrs@TROUT.NOSC.MIL (Stephen M. Carr) (01/11/88)
-------
Forwarded mail follows:
From yx0quinn@nardacva.arpa Sun Jan 10 09:52:03 1988
Message-Id: <8801101751.AA05806@trout.nosc.mil>
Date: 10 Jan 88 12:49:00 EST
From: "NEAL_QUINN" <yx0quinn@nardacva.arpa>
Subject: RE: Forwarded: Leaping Lizards
To: "carrs" <carrs>
Reply-To: "NEAL_QUINN" <yx0quinn@nardacva.arpa>
Steve,
Just some historical clarification: the Pope was worried that Easter
had been steadily marching closer to winter as the years wore on, thus moving
it further away from the traditional renewal period of the year, the commence-
ment of Spring. He not only adjusted the calendar, but also 'floated' the
day of Easter by making it the first Sunday after the first full moon after
the Vernal Equinox, thereby keeping it in line with the pagan rites that at
that time were providing fierce competition in the plebicite.
Also, there were two major adjustments to what is now the Julian cal-
endar: The first by Gaius Julius Caesar, who stole days from February to make
his one of the longest months, and another by Augustus Caesar, who also followed
suite.
R,
NAQJR
------
-------