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Texas ISD School Guide
Texas ISD School Guide







Short Stories for Teachers

History and Use of Calendars
By:Marc T.

Calendars are a way to time time. Sounds interesting, doesn't it? The system that they form is used to name periods of time in order to organise our lives. Indeed, we have found a system that calculates longer and shorter periods of time and named them in days, months and years. The success of the system comes from its popularity. When everyone uses the same system, communication is better.

The first attempt of people to have calendars is lost in ancient times. The need to understand time was evident through these attempts. Earlier forms were mainly of two kinds; lunar and solar. Te lunar was based on the different phases of the moon and the solar on the different phase of the sun, mainly used to calculate seasons. Ancient Egyptians and other advanced civilizations like the Maya and the Aztecs used complete systems to calculate the days. In many civilizations in the Equator, we can see time periods based upon the cycle of Venus. This can be explained partially from the fact that the cycle of Venus is longer than the moon cycle and therefore can be used for longer time periods and from the fact that astronomers of those times could have a clearer view from places near the Equator. The systems were later evolved and in recent times the most common forms known are the Gregorian and the Julian. It is common today for civilizations that use a different system, like the Islamic or Hindu system, to also mention the date in the Gregorian or Julian system.

The main use of calendars is to identify time. Almost every system, regardless of the differences found in each one, divides time in days that eventually form a year. The initial reason was to record an event that has happened and to decide when an event will happen in the future, most of the time when the war will start. Later on the focus was on social and historical purposes as well as to maintain a communication level in a society. Today the use is multiple. Historical events are recorded, future events can be dated, but the most important aspect is the fact that one can manage the present. Indeed, present time is extremely important. People schedule their day according to the different activities they have. School, work or social activities as well as any other activity in a broader sense that involves many people can be scheduled through the use of time. There have been many attempts during the years to create a new form of calendars. However, these attempts were neither complete nor popular leading to failure. As stated above, the success of a system is based on its popularity.

Today the use of calendars is something that is part of our life in such an extent that people don't even think about it. Indeed, it would be almost impossible to imagine life without a common base upon which all activities could be based. The importance is evident simply from this fact.

Calendars are a great necessity of every office, and are kind of indispensable. Get yourself some great calendars NOW!! Visit our website http://www.8ov.org/ to know about and search for all kinds of calendars.






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