Discussion Overview
The discussion revolves around the historical insertion of leap days in solar calendars, particularly focusing on the implications of different starting points for the year, such as March 1. Participants explore when leap days were added in relation to various calendar systems, including the Julian and Gregorian calendars.
Discussion Character
- Exploratory
- Debate/contested
- Historical
Main Points Raised
- One participant questions when leap days were inserted if the year started on March 1, suggesting that it might differ from the January-based system.
- Another participant asserts that leap days can be inserted at any time, as long as the general rule of one every four years is followed, indicating flexibility in the calendar system.
- A participant seeks clarification on whether the leap year would be considered the year before (e.g., 1665) if the year starts in March.
- One response indicates that the leap day was inserted one year late during the period of calendar use, although the reasoning behind this is not fully elaborated.
- A later post references a source suggesting that in a calendar starting on March 1, the year 1439 would be a leap year, as it aligns with the leap year in the January-based reckoning.
- Another participant notes that the determination of leap years may depend on decisions made by the Church regarding the calendar used at the time.
Areas of Agreement / Disagreement
Participants express differing views on the specifics of when leap days were inserted in relation to the calendar start date, indicating that multiple competing interpretations exist without a clear consensus.
Contextual Notes
There are unresolved assumptions regarding the historical practices of intercalation and the specific calendar systems in use during different periods, which may affect the understanding of leap day insertion.