The Evil One

I'm aware of the problem, I was merely simplifying for the sake of pointing out the contradiction between M and L and the difficulty it leads to in saying anything at all about when Jesus was born - much less attempting to anchor the origin of the New Year to that alleged event.

diana

The Jewish year is lunar with a leap month every third year or so to adjust it to the solar year (but it isn't quite that simple). Thus, Jewish shift from year to year on our solar calendar, but as much as 33 days (my approximation).

Here's a fascinating little writeup on the Jewish year and how it's calculated. Completely irrelevant but interesting tidbit:

Easier to calculate with a sundial than a mechanical device, I'll warrant.

I know the Islamic calendar is also lunar-based, but don't know how closely they follow the complex rules used to calculate the Jewish calendar.

History records no such person. IMAO, such a slaughter would surely have been recorded somewhere, probably several somewheres.

d

Jackalope

New Year's Eve? It's Hogmanay! A fine, fine excuse to get blind drunk and dance and play music. And in older times, to wander from house to house in the neighborhood.

Fast away the old year's past
Cast away your sins
There's lots of lovely new ones
As another year begins

Some years ago, I found out that I can still play Auld Lang Syne even when
I'm throwing up, rolling on the floor drunk. Every musician should have at least one tune that's irrevokably burned into their neurons. I guess that's mine.

And we might as well go by the astronomical dates for seasons, since here in the US it varies so widely as to be a moot point otherwise. I've lived places where it regularly snowed at Easter. Here in the SF Bay Area, summer doesn't actually start until September. So we've welcomed in the summer on many a May morning with our umbrellas and/or overcoats. It made May 1st in Rochester, England seem mild in comparison. It only drizzled a little there. And spring starting on March 21st is a real laugh. That's the middle of the heavy rainy season here (as in floods and mudslides season). I did more St.Patrick's Day parades in the rain...

Compare that to Kalalora's experience, who's also in California, but about 400 miles south of here. We're just to widely-scattered to even attempt to go by the local seasons--when they're consistant enough to count on.

kjartan

Maybe we should invent a new international calendar based on something more universal than keep on counting the years since different religious figures allegedly came to life.

Asha'man

As the story goes, the shepherds were out watching their flock when Jesus was born. This happens only in the Spring, when young lambs make tasty treats for nearby predators.

Ierrellus

I know of the Saturnalia. Just got into the mode of Xians stealing New Years and thought Herod's syphilitic madness might have caused him to believe some unknown newborn was a threat to him. I prefer Spring for New Years.

mirage

<nitpick>It is extremely unlikely that syphilis was present in that region much before the middle ages</nitpick>

Ierrellus

mirage,

I'll try to locate where I read that about Herod. Too many books. Too little time.

Ierrellus

mirage,

googled results--Herod had "probably a cancer-like affection called Fournier's gangrene." AKA Fournier's syphiloma, which probably accounts for my error.
Anyway his private parts were rotting away.