Sunday 25 December 2011

Wait For It


The residents of Foula, the most remote island in the Shetland group, have since 1752 traditionally adhered to the Julian Calendar when it comes to Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Foula also adhered to the older calendar by keeping 1800 as a leap year, but did not observe a leap year in 1900. As a result, the island is now one day ahead of the Julian calendar and twelve days behind the Gregorian, observing Christmas Day on January 6 Gregorian and New Year on January 13 Gregorian. At one time the Foula Post Office made a token opening for business on Christmas Day morning.  A similar resistance to the date change brought in 260 years ago is shown by the 200 or so residents of the Gwaun Valley in West Wales.

Scottish Islands Explorer - changing with the times 

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