A Universal Calender

Happy New Year!

The true calendar geeks among us - most Sagitarians - know of a movement toward a Universal Calender, one that can be used every year by taking one day a year out of the standard week and doing the same for leap year. Without a strong planetary executive, this remains a pipe dream. I have never been one to pass up a good pipe dream, so let me offer my proposal.

The problem with the current leading proposal is the placement of the extra day at the end of the calendar year. Given the northern domination of the planet, resistence to another day of winter is not surprising (even though winter is not actually extended - however who needs a cold weather holiday).

I propose a midyear holiday for the day after June 30, which would fall on a weekend. (During leap years, there would be a two-day midyear). I would then cut out July 31st. I would then start the New Year on Sunday, January 1 and the year would always end on Saturday, December 31st. Christmas would always be on Sunday and Boxer Day would always be a holiday on December 26th. I would also end the Monday holiday for New Years, moving it to the previous Friday. In the U.S., ending President's Day, Columbus Day and Armistace Day could used to justify making all of the last week of the year a holiday period, thus leveling the playing field for all those workers who have to come into the office when everyone else is off that week.

I would do some additional shifting of the calender. I would start the New Year four days earlier than it is now in order to move Christmas closer to the winter solstice. In other words, the new Year would begin on what was December 28th. Oddly enough, we could make this change on January 1st, 2009, since this year December 28th will fall on a Sunday. I don't think I'll be planetary executive by then. The next year this could be done without breaking a week is 2015. I won't be planetary executive by then either (although one must have goals).

UPDATE: If you move January 1 to the winter Solstice and have Christmas January 7 (like on the Julian Calender), then Christmas moves to what is now December 28th. The question then becomes, when does the Winter Solstice (December 22) next fall on Sunday? 2013 and then 2019 and 2024 and 2030. If it doesn't happen by 2030, it is someone else's problem.