Liberté, égalité, kookeré.

or

What day is it anyway? An introduction to the French Revolutionary Calendar

Ursula Lawrence@JacobinCalendar

The French Revolution:what you probably already know…

• Absolutism = BAD• Citizenship

and democracy = GOOD• Lots of

beheadings

*Briana Chavarria, 3rd Period

*

Apologies to Students of French History...

• Early 1789 – Convening of the third estate – eventually declares itself National Assembly.

• July 1789 – Storming of the Bastille• Peasants revolt and newly formed

popular assembly abolishes feudalism. Declaration of the Rights of Man.

• June 1790 - all titles of nobility abolished.

• Food riots, lots of violence and storming of things.

• 1792 – Monarchy abolished.• 1793 – Louis XVI executed.• Committee for Public Safety

implemented.• More riots, more beheadings.

• October 1793 Marie Antoinette is executed.

• New calendar decreed.• Robespierre, more riots, more

beheadings.• 1794 – The Reaction• Anti-revolutionary violence,

churches reopen for worship.• Napolean begins rise to

prominence in French Army and in 1799 assumes position of First Consul – basically dictator.

• 1988 Napolean transported to San Dimas, California for “excellent adventure”.

All you actually need to know about the French revolution to

get through this lecture:

Enlightenment rationality

&Revolution was cultural as well as

political.

New Calendar for a New France

Old calendar: c’est mal!

• Used by the ancien régime and the church.

•Months named for Roman gods (ie., Mars/March).

• Days were designated for saints.

• Too much superstition and not enough reason.

New calendar – c’est bien!New year…

New months…New days…New time…

… new calendar!

Voila!

Autumn Grape Harvest Foggy Frosty

Brumaire

Late October – Late November

Frimaire

Late November – Late December

Vendémiaire

Late September – Late October

Winter Snowy Rainy Windy

Pluviôse

Late January – Late February

Ventôse

Late February – Late March

Nivôse

Late December – Late January

Spring Germination Flower Meadow

Floréal

Late April – Late May

Prairial

Late May – Late June

Germinal

Late March – Late April

Summer Harvest Hot Fruit

Thermidor

Late July – Late August

Fructidor

Late August – Late September

Messidor

Late June– Late July

New day names

Most days… plants and minerals!

Every fifth day .. animals!

Every tenth day … tools!

Happy New Year!

• 1792 became “Year 1 of the French Era”

• We are currently in year 221 of the 3rd century of the French Era.

• Year 222 begins September 22nd

• Not to be confused with 5774 which begins on September 5th. (Sorry Jews.)

Today’s date is

Lavender/Harvest/221

(the 14th day of Messidor in the 221st year of the French Era)

Some Truly Excellent Dates

Fruit/Puffball

(August 20, 2013)

Flower/Carp(May 14, 2013)Rainy/Lungwort

(February 7th, 2013)

Foggy/Endive

(November 4, 2014)

Grape Harvest/Eggplant

(October 17, 2013)

Harvest/Hairy Vetchling

(July 6, 2013)Foggy/Turkey

(November 5, 2013)

And of course…

Hot/Ram(July 23rd 2013)

Let’s be clear…

14 Messidor an CCXXI

or

Quartidi 14 Messidor an CCXXI

But that wasn’t the only change…

•12 months in a year•30 days in a month•3 “decades” in a month•10 days in a “decade”•10 hours in a day•100 minutes in an hour•100 Seconds in a minute

What could possibly go wrong?

Enjoy your crazy new clock.

12 x 30 ≠ 365• Five or six “Complimentary Days” at the end of each year known as the Sansculottides

•Not to be confused with “Pants Optional Day”

•Named for the Sans-culottes.

•No work!

Les Sans-culottes: Who are they and where are their pants?

• Radical urban working class.• They believed in popular democracy,

social and economic equality and affordable food.

• Provided the strength behind key moments in the revolution.

• They did actually wear pants.

Complimentary Days

fête de la vertu Celebration of Virtuefête du génie Celebration of Talentfête du travail Celebration of Labourfête de l’opinionCelebration of Convictionsfête des récompensesCelebration of Honorsfête de la Révolution Celebration of the Revolution

Sans Culottes avec culottes

Problèmes? Quelles problèmes?

Days didn’t match up to a year.

Years didn’t correspond because time lengths altered.

No one likes a weekend every ten days.

Not exactly snowing in Martinique.

IMPOSSIBLE TO USE.

What happened to the calendar?

Napoleon abolishes the calendar on January 1st, 1806 (or Granite/Snowy)

Briefly reintroduced during the Paris Commune in 1871

Lasted for 17 days before it was determined that was worthless.

Gregorian remains dominant

Vive le calendrier républicain!

Follow me at: @JacobinCalendar

Quand est ton anniversaire?