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As a Persian, I always found the Gregorian calendar weird. In Iran and some other countries, Jalali calendar is used which is much more straightforward: https:

As a Persian, I always found the Gregorian calendar weird. In Iran and some other countries, Jalali calendar is used which is much more straightforward: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jalali_calendar https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jalali_calendar The Iranian calendar (also known as Persian calendar or the Jalaali Calendar) is a solar calendar currently used in Iran and Afghanistan. It is observation-based, rather than rule-based, beginning each year on the vernal equinox as precisely determined by astronomical observations from Tehran. There are 12 months. The first 6 have 31 days and the rest have 30 days, except the last month which is 29 days. Every 4 years, it's a leap year and the last month becomes also 30 days. It's also precisely set to follow seasons. For example, the first day of Fall is actually the first day of "Mehr" (the 7th month). For some reason, the Gregorian calendar has it on Sep. 22.

walrus01 4y ago
For what it's worth many early European cultures also considered the start of the year to be at the start of spring, generally the same idea as Nowruz, which is where we got Easter from as a conglomeration of "pagan" rituals and Christian religion. Unfortunately we ended up with this weird Dec. 31st at the end of a year in the middle of winter which doesn't make any logical sense.
- BuckRogers 4y ago
  There’s more similarities than just that. Iran was founded by Indo-Europeans.
  - behnamoh 4y ago
    Many similarities in languages too. Persian (Farsi) has the same root as some European languages (and should not be confused with Arabic, which is totally different than both). In Persian | In English mädar | mother barädar | brother dokhtar | daughter pedar | father bad | bad ...
    - BuckRogers 4y ago
      I’m familiar. It is fascinating. Same with Sanskrit. I don’t know if we’re all descended from the same people exactly, or if the Indo Europeans were just an extremely successful core group with a culture that all of us adopted as the natives wherever they spread to. But they certainly had a successful culture. Iran should really be an ally with the western democracies. Those people are actually pretty advanced and modern, considering where they are placed in the world.
      - behnamoh 4y ago
        I say that to my American and European friends, that Iranians have a lot more in common with them than with the rest of the middle east. There are exceptions, of course, but the general public is really well educated, open minded, and leaning towards Western values and culture. Too bad that the country has received such a negative reputation over the past 4 decades due to its (non-Iranian) regime.
        BuckRogers 4y ago
        I’m American and that’s my perspective. I can’t be the only one. I never even understood why Iran and the US were at odds. Seems entirely based on politics/elites. From what I see, Iranians would be my first pick as allies in the region. We certainly chose poorly with Saudi Arabia.
        Slava_Propanei 4y ago
        Non-Western values and culture are a great portion of why we need Iran. A shelter from and an antidote to global liberal hegemony.
thaumasiotes 4y ago
> It's also precisely set to follow seasons. For example, the first day of Fall is actually the first day of "Mehr" (the 7th month). For some reason, the Gregorian calendar has it on Sep. 22. This doesn't really work; the first day of Fall differs from place to place according to the specifics of the local climate.
- tomtomistaken 4y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equinox https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equinox
  - thaumasiotes 4y ago
    Why would that be considered the first day of Fall? Even taking a purely astronomical perspective, the autumnal equinox would be the center of Fall, not the beginning.
    - samatman 4y ago
      As a not-at-all neutral observation, you post an enormous amount, are obnoxious in your confidence, and frequently wrong.
      - bawolff 4y ago
        This seems a bit mean, especially given its a pretty natural question as to why the equinox is considered start of fall instead of midautumn (in certain regions) Edit: i take it back.
    - bawolff 4y ago
      Because https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seasonal_lag https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seasonal_lag
      - thaumasiotes 4y ago
        Yes, from a seasonal perspective, the timing of a season varies idiosyncratically from place to place. That was the first thing I said. Why would you then want to locate the beginning of Fall on the equinox? Quoting from your link: > seasonal lag is not "seasonally symmetric"; that is, the period between the winter solstice and thermal midwinter (coldest time) is not the same as between the summer solstice and thermal midsummer (hottest time). > In mid-latitude continental climates, [seasonal lag] is approximately 20–25 days in winter and 25–35 days in summer. > there is no meteorological reason for designating these dates as the first days of their respective seasons.
2dvisio 4y ago
Yes. My partner is Iranian and their birthday is out of sync (earlier) every leap year. We “discovered” that the one first year it happen to us when suddenly received birthday wishes by all their Iranian network the day “before” the Gregorian calendar birthday.
LudwigNagasena 4y ago
> For example, the first day of Fall is actually the first day of "Mehr" (the 7th month). For some reason, the Gregorian calendar has it on Sep. 22. That’s just a convention. In Russia we use “meteorological” convention, for example, and so each season starts on the 1st of some month (March, June, September, December). It is off from the astronomical convention by ≈20 days and it is off from reality by whatever depending on your location and your feelings on what constitutes seasons.
fluoridation 4y ago
The Julian calendar, which the Gregorian is a revision of, was designed precisely so that societies didn't need a public servant dedicated to keeping the calendar up to date. >For example, the first day of Fall is actually the first day of "Mehr" (the 7th month). For some reason, the Gregorian calendar has it on Sep. 22. The particular locations of the equinoxes and solstices on the calendar isn't as important as keeping them more or less in the same places as time goes on.

walrus01 4y ago

For what it's worth many early European cultures also considered the start of the year to be at the start of spring, generally the same idea as Nowruz, which is where we got Easter from as a conglomeration of "pagan" rituals and Christian religion. Unfortunately we ended up with this weird Dec. 31st at the end of a year in the middle of winter which doesn't make any logical sense.

BuckRogers 4y ago
There’s more similarities than just that. Iran was founded by Indo-Europeans.
- behnamoh 4y ago
  Many similarities in languages too. Persian (Farsi) has the same root as some European languages (and should not be confused with Arabic, which is totally different than both). In Persian | In English mädar | mother barädar | brother dokhtar | daughter pedar | father bad | bad ...
  - BuckRogers 4y ago
    I’m familiar. It is fascinating. Same with Sanskrit. I don’t know if we’re all descended from the same people exactly, or if the Indo Europeans were just an extremely successful core group with a culture that all of us adopted as the natives wherever they spread to. But they certainly had a successful culture. Iran should really be an ally with the western democracies. Those people are actually pretty advanced and modern, considering where they are placed in the world.
    - behnamoh 4y ago
      I say that to my American and European friends, that Iranians have a lot more in common with them than with the rest of the middle east. There are exceptions, of course, but the general public is really well educated, open minded, and leaning towards Western values and culture. Too bad that the country has received such a negative reputation over the past 4 decades due to its (non-Iranian) regime.
      - BuckRogers 4y ago
        I’m American and that’s my perspective. I can’t be the only one. I never even understood why Iran and the US were at odds. Seems entirely based on politics/elites. From what I see, Iranians would be my first pick as allies in the region. We certainly chose poorly with Saudi Arabia.
      - Slava_Propanei 4y ago
        Non-Western values and culture are a great portion of why we need Iran. A shelter from and an antidote to global liberal hegemony.

thaumasiotes 4y ago

> It's also precisely set to follow seasons. For example, the first day of Fall is actually the first day of "Mehr" (the 7th month). For some reason, the Gregorian calendar has it on Sep. 22. This doesn't really work; the first day of Fall differs from place to place according to the specifics of the local climate.

tomtomistaken 4y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equinox https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equinox
- thaumasiotes 4y ago
  Why would that be considered the first day of Fall? Even taking a purely astronomical perspective, the autumnal equinox would be the center of Fall, not the beginning.
  - samatman 4y ago
    As a not-at-all neutral observation, you post an enormous amount, are obnoxious in your confidence, and frequently wrong.
    - bawolff 4y ago
      This seems a bit mean, especially given its a pretty natural question as to why the equinox is considered start of fall instead of midautumn (in certain regions) Edit: i take it back.
  - bawolff 4y ago
    Because https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seasonal_lag https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seasonal_lag
    - thaumasiotes 4y ago
      Yes, from a seasonal perspective, the timing of a season varies idiosyncratically from place to place. That was the first thing I said. Why would you then want to locate the beginning of Fall on the equinox? Quoting from your link: > seasonal lag is not "seasonally symmetric"; that is, the period between the winter solstice and thermal midwinter (coldest time) is not the same as between the summer solstice and thermal midsummer (hottest time). > In mid-latitude continental climates, [seasonal lag] is approximately 20–25 days in winter and 25–35 days in summer. > there is no meteorological reason for designating these dates as the first days of their respective seasons.

2dvisio 4y ago

Yes. My partner is Iranian and their birthday is out of sync (earlier) every leap year. We “discovered” that the one first year it happen to us when suddenly received birthday wishes by all their Iranian network the day “before” the Gregorian calendar birthday.

LudwigNagasena 4y ago

> For example, the first day of Fall is actually the first day of "Mehr" (the 7th month). For some reason, the Gregorian calendar has it on Sep. 22. That’s just a convention. In Russia we use “meteorological” convention, for example, and so each season starts on the 1st of some month (March, June, September, December). It is off from the astronomical convention by ≈20 days and it is off from reality by whatever depending on your location and your feelings on what constitutes seasons.

fluoridation 4y ago

The Julian calendar, which the Gregorian is a revision of, was designed precisely so that societies didn't need a public servant dedicated to keeping the calendar up to date. >For example, the first day of Fall is actually the first day of "Mehr" (the 7th month). For some reason, the Gregorian calendar has it on Sep. 22. The particular locations of the equinoxes and solstices on the calendar isn't as important as keeping them more or less in the same places as time goes on.