Question 2 of 21

September was given its name because of ________.

... In the ancient Roman calendar, September was the seventh month. The name comes from the Latin word for seven: septum.

Question 3 of 21

What calendar is used most commonly throughout the world for daily life?

... Most of the world has adopted the Gregorian calendar for day-to-day activities. Religious festivals and holy days are often marked using different calendars.

Question 4 of 21

How did the Roman calendar handle the length of winter?

... The Roman calendar had 10 months; winter was not formally measured. The new year began in March as planting began.

Question 5 of 21

Which is considered the first sign on the astrological calendar?

... Aries (March 21-April 20) is the starting point of the zodiac, because March 21 marks the spring equinox.

Question 6 of 21

How does the Jewish calendar keep festivals from changing seasons?

... Every two or three years a leap month is added to the Jewish calendar.

Question 7 of 21

What was the longest year in history?

... In order to reform the calendar and make the new year start after the winter solstice, Julius Caesar created a transitional year in 46 B.C. consisting of 445 days. Three months were added to the end.

Question 8 of 21

What does the English word calendar mean?

... Calendar comes from the Latin "kalendae." In Latin, this word is used to designate the first day of each month.

Question 9 of 21

Why was the Gregorian calendar created?

... Over the centuries, Easter had been slipping away from its springtime position, so Pope Gregory dropped 10 calendar days in 1582.

Question 10 of 21

The Chinese calendar features 12 animals. According to mythology, there was a contest to see which would head the cycle. The contest involved ________.

... The first animal to cross a river would lead the cycle. The rat jumped on the back of the ox, who unknowingly carried the rodent across the water. At the last minute, the rat jumped to the riverbank and won the contest. Thus, the rat starts the cycle, followed by the ox.

Question 11 of 21

The Aztecs had two calendars for _________.

... One Aztec calendar was used by priests to set dates for events, ceremonies, war and coronations. The second calendar was used primarily for civil and agricultural needs.

Question 12 of 21

Muslim festivals can occur during different seasons because the Islamic calendar ________.

... Because it is a lunar calendar, the Islamic calendar is not related to seasons, which are solar-based. Consequently, over the course of time festivals will "move."

Question 13 of 21

When used by a business, a fiscal calendar _____.

... Although a fiscal calendar usually follows the months of the Gregorian calendar, the first of the year is designated by the business, at a point that is useful to it.

Question 14 of 21

The end of the Long Count of the Mayan Calendar signals the end of ________.

... The Mayan calendar used the Long Count to measure very long periods of time; it lasted 5,126 years. At the end of that era, which Mayan scholars predict as 2012, the epoch will end, but not the world. The Mayan calendar will continue and, contrary to some "2012" theories, so will we.

Question 15 of 21

In common language, equinox refers to ______.

... Equinox generally refers to the days (around March 21 and September 22) where the sun is directly over the equator so daylight and night hours are equal. Technically, equinox refers to the point in time when this occurs, rather than the day, which is more correctly called equilux.

Question 16 of 21

July was originally called Quintilis in the Roman calendar, but the name was changed to honor _______.

... July was renamed for Julius Caesar because it was his birth month.

Question 17 of 21

On a solar-based calendar, the June solstice occurs on the day that ____________.

... On June 20, 21 or 22 the sun is farthest from the equator. The northern hemisphere tips directly toward the sun (summer solstice), while the southern hemisphere is tilted away from the sun (winter solstice).

Question 18 of 21

In some circles, the notations B.C. and A.D. on dates are being replaced with BCE and CE. BCE means ________.

... BCE stands for "Before Common Era." Historically, the time following the birth of Jesus was referred to as the Vulgar or Common Era.

Question 19 of 21

What is the smallest calendar unit?

... The day is the smallest unit on a calendar. Markers of smaller amounts of time are considered timekeeping.

Question 20 of 21

The names of the days of the week are modifications of Greek and Roman names. Monday refers to the _______.

... Monday was called "the moon's day" (following "the sun's day"). It is the same in many languages, such as German, "Montag" (moon = der Mond) and French "Lundi" (moon = la lune).

Question 21 of 21

February was named after Februarius, a Roman ritual of ______.

... The Roman ritual of atonement was held during this month.

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