“The vulgar era is abolished for civil usage.”
In 1793 French revolutionaries rejected the Gregorian calendar and introduced a new calendar in which weeks had 10 days, months were named for the weather and every day of the year was designated in honor of a plant, tool or animal. Highlights included days named for Celery, Goose, Hammer, Radish and Carp. Known as the calendrier républicain, citizens were instructed in no uncertain terms to abide by it. Of course, enforcing use of the calendar was even harder than using the calendar, so neither really happened.
Comedy writer Ursula Lawrence has published a wall calendar version of the French Republican Calendar despite the fact that it was never meant for this purpose.
You can learn more about this ridiculous yet charming social experiment here. Or, if reading is too hard, you can watch Ursula explain it to a room full of drunk people here.
- Published & Edited by Ursula Lawrence
- Illustrated by Josefin Skoglund
- Designed by Jon White
- Features all twelve Revolutionary Months (and the Sansculottides Holidays)
- Compatible with Revolutionary years 232–235 (Gregorian years 2024–2028)
- Includes an all-new introductory essay
- Handsomely printed, durably saddle-stitched, and lovingly shipped from Madison, Wisconsin