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• Sweden Feast Day Calendars

Background

Pre-11th Century

• Runic Calendars Early Swedes, much like their Viking counterparts, relied on runic calendars. These calendars, likely based on lunar cycles and agricultural seasons, were etched onto wooden staves and served both practical and religious purposes.
• Influence from Abroad: As trade and cultural exchange with the Roman and Christian world increased, the Julian calendar, a solar calendar with 12 months, began to make its way into Sweden. However, its adoption wasn't widespread initially, with regional variations persisting.

Christianization and the Julian Calendar (11th-18th Centuries)

• Christian Conversion (11th Century): With the arrival of Christianity, the Julian calendar gained prominence as the official system for both religious and secular purposes. Feast days and saints' days became integral parts of timekeeping, reflected in detailed church calendars.
• Julian Calendar Discrepancy: Over time, the Julian calendar's slight inaccuracy, lacking leap years for years divisible by 100 but not 400, caused dates to drift from the actual seasons. This discrepancy led to a need for reform in the later centuries.

Embracing the Gregorian Calendar (18th Century)

• 1699: Sweden decides to adopt the Gregorian calendar in 1700, but instead of a one-time correction, they opt for a gradual 11-year adjustment, removing a day per year (except for 1701-10). This creates a unique "Old Style + 1 day" calendar, causing communication chaos with other countries.
• 1711: King Karl XII abruptly switches back to the Julian calendar, ending the confusing interim period.
• 1712: To catch up, Sweden adds a day to February in a leap year, bringing them closer to the Gregorian calendar.
• 1740 & 1844: Sweden adopts German Protestant methods for Easter dating and later, in 1844, finally aligns with Gregorian Easter rules.
• 1753: After 54 years of calendar contortions, Sweden (including Finland) finally relents and joins the Gregorian world, making a one-time correction of 11 days and jumping from February 17 to March 1.
• Challenges and Transition: Some rural areas, particularly those with strong traditional ties, initially resisted the change to the Gregorian calendar, clinging to older practices for some time. Over the centuries, Sweden's calendar continued to evolve, with holidays and observances being added or removed. Today, the country uses a standardized version of the Gregorian calendar, similar to most of the world.