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Schnutzel t1_j6mb0ha wrote

Historically it's because months were based on the lunar cycle (even the word "month" comes from "moon"). In lunar calendars each month is one lunar cycle, which is 29.5 days long. This results in 12 months a year + approximately 10 days (so in lunisolar calendars, sometimes a 13th month is added).

Anyway, now we use 12 months because it's convenient. 12 easily divide by 2, 3, 4 and 6, unlike 13 which is prime.

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Ok_Construction_1638 t1_j6mdbqn wrote

Is it not because the Romans had 10 months and then Julius Caesar and Augustus each decided to add an additional month?

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Schnutzel t1_j6mez8s wrote

The Romans had a 10 month calendar centuries before Ceaser. Then January and February were added. July and August weren't added to the calendar, they were renamed from Quintilis and Sextilis.

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[deleted] t1_j6mdcf5 wrote

[removed]

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Schnutzel t1_j6mf516 wrote

The Mayan people lived in America. The Europeans who created the Julian calendar had no idea the Mayan people existed.

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Giggingurl t1_j6mfdql wrote

Then explain to me the big scare of the end of the Mayan calendar in 2012?

The Mayans lived in South America.

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Schnutzel t1_j6mft64 wrote

The Mayan calendar consists of various cycles (kinda like we have "cycles" - years, decades, centuries, millenia). One such cycle (bak'tun) ended in 2012. That's it. There was no big scare outside of some idiots and a few Hollywood movies.

And the Mayans lived in Central America, not South America.

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Giggingurl t1_j6mfwj1 wrote

No need to be sarcastic. I asked a legitimate question.

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BulletRisen t1_j6nuy3e wrote

I’m curious, where did you perceive sarcasm in his comment ?

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