Union for Talossan Progress :: The Official Website

Calendar Reform:
The International Fixed Calendar:
Part Deux

by Txec Ereufighleu, [Gr] April 26, 2006

In Page Contents

• Introduction
• Tools
• General Comparison
• Benefits
• Examples

Introduction

I introduced the International Fixed Calendar - a 13 month 28 day perpetual calendar - in an earlier Witt post and now I am going to take some time to expound upon it and to show why the International Fixed Calendar is a great thing. I will give you some tools, take a look at the calendar itself and list some advantages. I will also give you some examples to help illustrate as to why the International Fixed Calendar will simplify your life. Before you continue please read, or if you have already read it, read it again the article titled "Progress and Change"

The International Fixed Calendar was originally created by the french positivist August Comte in April 1849 and was referred to as the Positivist Calendar. Moses Cotsworth created a similar plan in 1899 when looking at methods to simplify recording Railway statistics. In the early 1920's when calendar reform was all the rage George Eastman tried as well.

Tools

I have taken the time to generate a few tools to help you on your IFC Journey. There is a Calendar with the IFC and Gregorian dates on it for easy reference for both Leap and Non-Leap Years. I have generated a javascript class that can be used to perform the conversion to and from Gregorian and IFC dates. Lastly, I have created a calendar that can be used month to month. Laminate this sucker and give it a spin with dry erase markers.

IFC to Gregorian Calendars

• Non-Leap Year
• Leap Year
• Printable Monthly Calendar

Javascript and Conversion Pages

• a page that will convert a given Gregorian Day to an IFC Date
• a javascript class that can be used to convert any Gregorian or IFC calendar day to an IFC day including catching the null days Year Day and Leap Day.
• another script that can help you with validating the date inputs for conversion

General Comparison

The Gregorian Calendar has 12 months with differing days and weeks per month. The following is a list of the days per month in a non-Leap Year:

• 28 days and 4 weeks: February
• 30 days and 5 weeks: April, June, September, November
• 31 days and 5 weeks: January, March, May, July, August, October, December

The International Fixed Calendar has 13 equal length months with 4 weeks of exactly 7 days, and 28 days. the 13th month is inserted between June and July to minimize the date displacement. 13 months at 28 days each makes for 364 days a year. An intercalary day is added at the end of the year called Year Day that falls outside the Calendar. During Leap Years another intercalary day is added between June 28 and Sol 1.

Benefits

The IFC simplifies the way that we think of the calendar and scheduling. Figuring out when to schedule things or what day of the week a scheduled event is becomes a very simple process. The main advantages to the IFC are :

• Planning or scheduling events becomes easier because dates are consistent every year. You will always know what day of the week every holiday and day of the month is. No more guessing or confusion.
• Finances are easier to maintain and plan due to equal month lengths. No more adjusting for unequal month lengths. No more wondering how many checks there are this month.
• Trends are also easier to track due to equal month lengths. You do not have to adjust for the unequal months, and all days fall on the same day of the week.

Benefits as Stated by Others

An Article from George Eastman, the Creator of the Eastman/Kodak Calendar titled:
The Importance of Calendar Reform to the Business World

1. All months would have the same number of days (28), the same number of working days, except holidays, and the same number of Sundays.
2. All months would have exactly four weeks.
3. Each week-day would always occur on the same four fixed dates of the month.
4. Quarter-years and half-years would be of the same length.
5. The month would always end on Saturdays.
6. A holiday would always occur on the same week-day.
7. The date of Easter could be fixed.
8. Yearly calendars would no longer be necessary, one fixed monthly calendar would be sufficient.

These features would be of great benefit to business, accounting and statistical, for all months would be comparable without any adjustments. The month of exactly four weeks would obviate many of the adjustments now necessary between four- and five-week months. The reckoning of the lapse of time for interest and other purposes would be simplified. Meeting dates could be set in advance without difficulty. All holidays could be placed on Monday with advantage to industry and workers. A fixed Easter would prevent undesirable fluctuation in certain industries.

A Faster Money Turnover: As there would be thirteen monthly settlements during the year instead of twelve, there would be a faster turnover in money; the same annual volume of business could be handled with less money.

From: Lee Jones' Blog

• Hourly employees make the same amount of money every month.
• Factories have a constant number of production hours.
• Bills for things like electrical usage are more consistent.
• Balances are settled quicker, so there's a quicker turnover of money.
• Consultants, attorneys, and anyone else who bills by the hour has a more predictable number of billed hours and billed services, because the number of work days is consistent (excepting holidays, which could be shuffled around). That solves a huge problem for a company like the one I work for that bills hourly rates for consulting services and contracts that are done during the Monday-Friday work week. Under the modern calendar different months vary in the number of workdays available to bill services, due to the differing number of days in each month and how many weekend days happen to be in the month.

Ancillary Benefits

• 28 day months approximately follows lunar cycles
• 28 day months approximately follows menstrual cycles

Examples

Take these following questions and examples to illustrate the advantages:

What day of the year are the following American holidays of Thanksgiving and Columbus Day? What day of the week is you birthday this year? How about next year or the year after that?

Gregorian Calendar: They fall as follows:

• Thanksgiving: the 4rth Thursday in November
• Columbus Day: the 2nd Monday in October

This year as we consult the 2006 calendar it looks like Thanksgiving is on November 23 and Columbus Day is October 2nd. Next year it will be different and so will the year after that. How about Easter?

Birthdays? Look at a calendar each year... Ugghh!!

International Fixed Calendar: Thanksgiving and Columbus Day Fall on the same days each year: November 19 and October 16th respectively. The process of deciding Easter is a little more difficult but will be similarly easy to determine and fixed once determined.

All Birthdays fall on the same day each year. Some might call that a disadvantage, especially if you birthday will fall on a Wednesday, but you get the picture.

You are told to schedule the next business or political meeting one month from now.

Gregorian Calendar: You will most likely be thinking a few things. What exactly does this person mean by one month?

• Does he mean four weeks from now (i.e. 28 days)?
• Does he mean the same day of the month next month which would be up to 31 days from now?
• Does he mean 30 days from now?

Depending on the month you are starting from this can get you several different answers. If you are in February, which is a 28 day and 4 week month, this might not be an issue. However, if you are in any other month this can be a problem due to the inconsistent length of months and you will have to consult the person you are corresponding with and a calendar.

International Fixed Calendar: Since all months are exactly the same length there is no confusion.