Imagine a world where every month has exactly 28 days, and every date always falls on the same day of the week, year after year. It is the basic concept of a 13-month calendar that almost saw the light of day in the XNUMXth century. This idea, which seems to have come out of a futuristic thought laboratory, has its roots in the perennial human desire to organize time more efficiently and logically. But why has such a seemingly rational idea never caught on?
Genesis of a temporal innovation
The history of the 13 month calendar begins with Auguste Comte: French philosopher, mathematician, writer. In 1849, Comte proposed organizing the year into 364 days, with the addition of two "white days". Each month had 28 days, divided into exactly four weeks. (Plot twist: Comte copied an idea from 15 years before Marco Mastrofini, Italian clergyman, had had before him).
This scheme, known as the “positivist” calendar, did not gain much popularity, mainly due to Comte's choice to sideline the Saints. In their place, he dedicated the days of the year to various historical figures, making the calendar much less neutral and much more ideological. A tribute, he told himself, to the “religion of Humanity”. But we all know: he jokes with the infantry…
An incorrect choice that today we would say was "dictated by marketing", and perhaps it marked the fate of this proposal. However, it came back into vogue some time later for a sensational second attempt.
The Cotsworth calendar and international interest
At the beginning of the 20th century, Moses B. Cotsworth, an English accountant, revisited Comte's idea by freeing it from "uncomfortable" names, and introducing the additional month "Sol". This new version, now also known as Eastman Plan, aroused greater enthusiasm, especially in America.
This nevertheless met with significant resistance. In any case, in 1923 the League of Nations (the world organization that preceded the UN) established a real Committee of Inquiry into Calendar Reform, taking the 13-month system into serious consideration.
The simplicity and efficiency of the new system
The Committee was attracted by the simplicity of the so-called "International Fixed Calendar", or IFC (International Fixed Calendar). Each month of the year began on Sunday and ended on Saturday, making it extremely easy to remember which day of the week a specific date fell on.
This regularity promised to simplify planning and programming in all sectors of society, and at all levels. It would be a triumph of efficiency, and it met with many fans, including one die-hard George eastman, the founder of Kodak, who even implemented it in his company for some time.
This time too, however, the 13-month calendar encountered cultural and practical resistance. Many in the international Jewish community feared that the “white days” might fall on Sunday, interfering with the Sabbath. In the US, there was concern that the thirteenth month could alter Fourth of July celebrations. In practical terms, it was feared that any form of monthly or quarterly fee and any contract based on the Gregorian calendar would have to be renegotiated. Furthermore, the number 4, not divisible without fractions, could have caused logistical problems.
The decline of an innovation
Ultimately, support for the 13-month calendar lost momentum in the 30s, just when it looked like it might succeed. This story reminds us how, despite the attractiveness of innovation and logic, tradition and daily habits often prevail.
If you had the choice, what would you have done? Think about it calmly. You can also tell me in the month after December and before January.
