The Age of George III

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The Republican Calendar: France, 24 November 1793

On 24 November 1793 the Convention approved the plan for a new calendar. The French revolutionaries had already redated the years: 22 September 1792 became the start of the Year 1 of Liberty. It was decided that the Gregorian calendar was a 'monument of slavery' that must be replaced by a rational, scientific and more 'natural' calendar. Certainly, the new calendar was more secular. Sundays and holy days no longer existed; time was decimalised so that there were ten days in each week - now called a decade. This meant that instead of having one day off in every seven, people now only had one day off in each ten. Each month comprised three decades. The year was divided into twelve months. The five days (or six in leap years) that were left over were known as the 'sans culottides' and were added on to make the year the right length. The months were renamed and the new calendar was as follows: