Midwinter Solstice December 21 Sonnwend, Rauhnächte Dec. 24 - Birth of Christ/Christmas
Cross Quarter Nov. 1 - Halloween All Saints/All Souls		Cross Quarter Feb. 2 - Groundhog / Candlemas
Autumnal Equinox September 22 Harvest Home*			Vernal Equinox March 20 Easter**
Cross Quarter Aug. 1 - First Harvest Markets / Fairs		Cross Quarter April 30 - Walpurgis/Mayfest Maifest/Mayday
Midsummer Solstice June 20 June 24 - Sonnwend, Midsummer Night Johannistag/Birthday of St. John the Baptist

The problem, plaguing the calendar year, has consistently been the fact that the actual length of the year is 365.2422 days. The Julian calendar was established by Julius Caesar in 46 B.C. and was in use up to 1582. It had 12 months with 365 days in the year for three years and a leap year of 366 days, based on one year equaling 365.25 days. By 1582, the calendar had lost 10 days--the vernal equinox had moved from March 21 to March 10. In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII revised the calendar. The day after October 5, 1582 would be October 15, 1582 and century years not divisible evenly by 400 would no longer be counted as leap years.

In Christian nations under the Julian calendar New Years Day was observed on March 25. The Gregorian calendar changed New Years Day to January 1. The Gregorian calendar was adopted by German Catholic areas in 1583-1585, but was not accepted in Protestant areas until much later. In great Britain and America, the Gregorian calendar was initiated on January 1, 1753.