The Year is Over!
Dec. 22nd, 2007 08:00 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mishalakMercedonius 1 after AUC 2760, Kalends
Well by the Orthodox Atheist calender anyway. Mercedonius is the intercalary month of five or six days that serves to keep the three-hundred and sixty day day year in alignment with the tropical (sun) year. Similar to the World Calendar popular between World War I and World War II and that was going to be adopted by the UN until a veto by the United States, it is a perpetual calender. The days of Mercedonius do not belong to either year they come between, though common practice is for them to be lumped in with the previous year.
Since Orthodox Atheism is not a majority anywhere the proposed five or six day holiday cannot take place on any large scale, but most adherents have some celebration that fits in with the Christian observance of Christmas and/or Boxing Day. Unlike most other Orthadox Atheist holidays Mercedonius is meant to be almost entirely frivolous, rather than a serious observance. Kalends, the first day, is supposed to be a day and night of masked partying similar to misrule carnivals of Europe.
Luckily I have a masquerade party to go to this year (provided I feel better by evening) so I'm able to take part in this tradition in a small way. The rest of my Mercedonius is going to be the usual celebrations on the cover of Christmas. I'm thinking a big ham with wine for Yule. Possibly pudding.
Well by the Orthodox Atheist calender anyway. Mercedonius is the intercalary month of five or six days that serves to keep the three-hundred and sixty day day year in alignment with the tropical (sun) year. Similar to the World Calendar popular between World War I and World War II and that was going to be adopted by the UN until a veto by the United States, it is a perpetual calender. The days of Mercedonius do not belong to either year they come between, though common practice is for them to be lumped in with the previous year.
Since Orthodox Atheism is not a majority anywhere the proposed five or six day holiday cannot take place on any large scale, but most adherents have some celebration that fits in with the Christian observance of Christmas and/or Boxing Day. Unlike most other Orthadox Atheist holidays Mercedonius is meant to be almost entirely frivolous, rather than a serious observance. Kalends, the first day, is supposed to be a day and night of masked partying similar to misrule carnivals of Europe.
Luckily I have a masquerade party to go to this year (provided I feel better by evening) so I'm able to take part in this tradition in a small way. The rest of my Mercedonius is going to be the usual celebrations on the cover of Christmas. I'm thinking a big ham with wine for Yule. Possibly pudding.