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THE astronomical calculations in this ALMANAC were expressly made for it by J. Morrison, M. A., M. D., Ph. D., of Washington, D. C., and are expressed in local mean time.

Chronological Eras.

The year 1902 corresponds to the year 7410-11 of the Byzantine era; to 5662-63 of the Jewish era, the year 5663 commencing at sunset on October 1; to 2655 since the foundation of Rome according to Varro; to 2678 of the Olympiads (the second year of the 670th Olympiad beginning July 1, 1902); to 2562 of the Japanese era, and to the 35th of the period entitled "Meiji; to 1319-20 of the Mohammedan era or the era of the Hegira, the year 1320 beginning on April 10. 1902. The 127th year of the Independence of the United States of America begins on July 4, 1902.

Name.

Date of Beginning of Epochs, Eras, and Periods.

Began.

Name.

Began.

Grecian Mundane Era.......B. C. 5598, Sept. 1 Grecian or Syro-Macedonian Era.. B. c. 312, Sept. 1 Civil Era of Constantinople.

66

66

Alexandrian Era...................................
Julian Period.............

Mundane Era.........

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5508, Sept. 1 Era of Maccabees...
5502, Aug. 29 Tyrian Era..............................
4713, Jan. 1 Sidonian Era......
4008, Oct. 1 Julian Year..........
3761, Oct. 1 Spanish Era...............
2015, Oct. 1 Augustan Era....

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166, Nov. 24 125, Oct. 19 "110, Oct. 1

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45, Jan. 1

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776, July 1 Vulgar Christian Era...A. D
753, Apr. 24 Destruction of Jerusalem...............
432, July 15 Mohammedan Era.......... ..............................................

Chronological Cycles.

15

Lunar Cycle (Golden Number).. | Roman Indiction..................
Solar Cycle..
7 Julian Period..........................6615

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NOTE. -An inferior planet is a morning star from Inferior to Superior Conjunction, and an evening star from Superior to Inferior Conjunction. A superior planet is a morning star from Conjunction to Opposition and an evening star from Opposition to Conjunction.

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61. Sunday aft. Easter. 6 vi. Sundayaft. Trinity. 5 xix. Sun. aft. Trinity.

July.

1 Tuesday.

October. 1 Wednesday,

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13 vii.

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26 xxii.

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November.

121. Sun. aft. Epiphany. 13 ii. 19 ii.

26 Septuagesima Sunday. 27 iv.

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31 xiv.

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8 ii. 15 iii.

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1 Monday.

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30 Advent Sunday, St.

Andrew.

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23 Palm Sunday.

28 Good Friday.

30 Easter Sunday.

1i. Sunday aft. Trinity.

24 St. John Baptist.

7 xv. Sun. aft. Trinity. 25 Christmas.

14 xvi.
21 xvii.
29 v. Sunday aft. Trinity. 28 xviii. "

Ember and Rogation Days.

EMBER and Rogation Days are certain periods of the year devoted to prayer and fasting. Ember Days (twelve annually) are the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after the first Sunday in Lent, after the feast of Pentecost (Whit Sunday), after the festival of the Holy Cross (September 14), and after the festival of St. Lucia (December 13). Ember Weeks are the weeks in which the Ember Days

appear.

Rogation Days are the three days immediately preceding Holy Thursday or Ascension Day.

Church Fasts.

THE Roman Catholic Days of fasting are the forty days of Lent, the Ember Days, the Wednesdays and Thursdays of the four weeks in Advent, and certain vigils or evenings prior to the greater feasts. In the American Episcopal Church the days of fasting or abstinence to be observed, according to the Book of Common Prayer, are the forty days of Lent, the Ember Days, the three Rogation Days, and all the Fridays of the year except Christmas Day. In the Greek Church the four principal fasts are those in Lent, the week succeeding Whitsuntide, the fortnight before the Assumption, and forty days before Christmas.

Divisions of Time.

THE interval between two consecutive transits of a fixed star over any meridian or the interval during which the earth makes one absolute revolution on its axis is called a Sidereal Day, and is invari able, while the interval between two consecutive transits of the Sun over any meridian is called an Apparent Solar Day, and its length varies from day to day by reason of the variable motion of the earth in its orbit, and the inclination of this orbit to the equator on which time is measured.

Mean Solar

A Mean Solar Day is the average or mean of all the apparent solar days in a year. Time is that shown by a well-regulated clock or watch, while Apparent Solar Time is that shown by a well-constructed sun-dial; the difference between the two at any time is the Equation of Time, and may amount to 16 minutes and 21 seconds. The Astronomical Day begins at noon and the Civil Day at the preceding midnight. The Sidereal and Mean Solar Days are both invariable, but one day of the latter is equal to 1 day, 3 minutes, and 56, 555 seconds of the former.

The interval during which the earth makes one absolute revolution round the Sun is called a Sidereal Year, and consists of 365 days, 6 hours, 9 minutes, and 9. 6 seconds, which is invariable.

The Tropical Year is the interval between two consecutive returns of the Sun to the Vernal Equinox. If this were a fixed point, the Sidereal and Tropical Years would be identical; but in consequence of the disturbing influence of the moon and planets on the spheroidal figure of the earth, the Equinox has a slow, retrograde mean motion of 50. 26 annually, so that the Sun returns to the Equinox sooner every year than he otherwise would by 20 minutes 23.6 seconds; the Tropical Year, therefore, consists of 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds. The Tropical Year is not of uniform length; it is now slowly decreasing at the rate of. 595 second per century, but this variation will not always continue.

Julius Cæsar, in B. C. 45, was the first to reform the calendar by ordering that every year whose date number is exactly divisible by 4 contain 366 days, and all other years 365 days. The intercalary day was introduced by counting the sixth day before the Kalends of March twice; hence the name bissextile, from bis, twice, and sex, six. He also changed the beginning of the year from 1st of March to the 1st of January, and also changed the name of the fifth month (Quintilis) to July, after himself. The average length of the Julian year is therefore 3654 days, which, however, is too long by 11 minutes and 14 seconds, and this would accumulate in 400 years to about three days. The Julian Calendar continued in use until A. D. 1582, when the date of the beginning of the seasons occurred 10 days later than in B. C. 45, when this mode of reckoning time was introduced.

The Gregorian Calendar was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII. with the view of keeping the Equinox to the same day of the month. It consists of 365 days, but every year exactly divisible by 4 and the centurial years which are exactly divisible by 400 contain 366 days; and if in addition to this arbitrary arrangement the centurial years exactly divisible by 4,000 contain 366 days, the error in the Gregorian system will amount to only one day in about 20 centuries. If, however, 31 leap years were intercalated in 128 years, instead of 32 as at present, the calendar would be practically exact and the error would not amount to more than a day in 100,000 years. The length of the mean Gregorian Year may therefore be set down at 365 days, 5 hours, 49 minutes, 12 seconds. The Gregorian Calendar was introduced into England and her colonies in 1752, at which time the Equinox had retrograded 11 days since the Council of Nice in a. D. 325, when the festival of Easter was established and the Equinox occurred on March 21; hence September 3, 1752, was called September 14, and at the same time the commencement of the legal year was changed from March 25 to January 1, so that the year 1751 lost the months of January and February and the first 24 days of March. The difference between the Julian and Gregorian Calendars is now 13 days. Russia and the Greek Church still employ the Julian Calendar for civil and ecclesiastical purposes.

Standard Time.

PRIMARILY, for the convenience of the railroads, a standard of time was established by mutual agreement in 1883, by which trains are run and local time regulated. According to this system, the United States, extending from 650 to 1250 west longitude, is divided into four time sections, each of 150 of longitude, exactly equivalent to one hour, commencing with the 75th meridian. The first (eastern) section includes all territory between the Atlantic coast and an irregular line drawn from Detroit to Charleston, S. C., the latter being its most southern point. The second (central) section includes all the territory between the last-named line and an irregular line from Bismarck, N. D., to the mouth of the Rio Grande. The third (mountain) section includes all territory between the lastnamed line and nearly the western borders of Idaho, Utah, and Arizona. The fourth (Pacific) section covers the rest of the country to the Pacific coast. Standard time is uniform inside each of these sections, and the time of each section differs from that next to it by exactly one hour. Thus at 12 noon in New York City (eastern time), the time at Chicago (central time) is 11 o'clock A. M.; at Denver (mountain time), 10 o'clock A, M., and at San Francisco (Pacific time), 9 o'clock A. M. Standard time is 16 minutes slower at Boston than true local time, 4 minutes slower at New York, 8 minutes faster at Washington, 19 minutes faster at Charleston, 28 minutes slower at Detroit, 18 minutes faster at Kansas City, 10 minutes slower at Chicago, 1 minute faster at St. Louis, 28 minutes faster at Salt Lake City, and 10 minutes festerat San Francisco.

Table of Days Between Two Dates.

A TABLE OF THE NUMBER OF DAYS BETWEEN ANY TWO DAYS WITHIN TWO YEARS.

1999667 Jan.

223 Mar.

3 34 62

June.

91 121 152 182 213 244 274 305 335 92 122 153 183 214 245 275 306 336 93 123 154 184 215 246 276 307 337 63 94 124 155 185 216 247 277 308 338 36 64 95 125 156 186 217 248 278 309 339 6 6 37 65 96 126 157 187 218 249 279 310 340 7 7 38 66 97 127 158 188 219 250 280 311 341 8 39 67 98 128 159 189 220 251 281 312 342 9 9 40 68 99 129 160 190 221 252 282 313 343 10 10 41 69 100 130 161 191 222 253 283 314 344 11 11 42 70 101 131 162 192 223 254 284 315 345. 12 12 43 71 102 132 163 193 224 255 285 316 346 13 13 44 72 103 133 164 194 225 256 286 317 347 14 14 45 73 104 134 165 195 226 257 287 318 348 15 15 46 74 105 135 166 196 227 258 288 319 349 16 16 47 75 106 136 167 197 228 259 289 320 350 17 17 48 76 107, 137 168 198 229 260 290 321 351 18 18 49 77 108 138 169 199 230 261 291 322 352 19 19 50 78 109 139 170 200 231 262 292 323 353 20 20 51 79 110 140 171 201 232 263 293 324 354 21 21 52 s0 111 141 172 202 233 264 294 325 355 22 22 53 81 112 142 173 203 234 265 295 326 356 23 54 82 113 143 174 204 235 266 296 327 357 24 24 55 83 114 144 175 205 236 267 297 328 358 25 25 56 84 115 145 176 206 237 268 298 329 359 26 26 57 85 116 146 .177 207 238 269 299 330 360 27 27 58 86 117 147 178 208 239 270 300 331 361 28 28 59 87 118 148 179 209 240 271 301 332 362 29 29 88 119 149 180 210 241 272 302 333 363 30 30 89 120 150 181 211 242 273 303 334 364 31 31 212 243.... 304] 365

90... 151

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30 395

453 484 514 545 575 606 637 667 698 728 454 485 515 546 576 607 638 658 699 729 31 396 455 516 577 608 669 730 For leap year, one day must be added to each

The above table applies to ordinary years only. number of days after February 28. EXAMPLE. To find the number of days between June 3, 1900, and February 16, 1901: The figures opposite the third day in the first June column are 154; those opposite the sixteenth day in the second February column are 412. Subtract the first from the second product-i. e., 154 from 412, and the result is 258, the number of days between the two dates.

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BETWEEN THE CITY OF NEW YORK AND THE PRINCIPAL FOREIGN CITIES.

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Time, A. M.

H. M.

4 30.5 Paris..
4 43.2 Rio de Janeiro...
5 20.5 Rome

5 35.8 St. Petersburg...
4 43.6 Valparaiso..
4 55.9 Vienna.
4 41.1 Halifax

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Bell Time on Shipboard.

Time, A. M. Time, A. M.

Time, P. M. |

Time, P. M. Time, P. M. 4.30 1 Bell.... 8.30 5.00 2 Bells 9.00

1 Bell.... 12.30 1 Bell.... 4.30 1 Bell.... 8.30 1 Bell.... 12. 301 Bell. Bells... 1.00 2 Bells... 5.00 2 Bells... 9.00 2 Bells... 1.002 Bells

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10.30 11.00 11.30

Midnight

On shipboard, for purpose of discipline and to divide the watch fairly, the crew is mustered in two divisions, the Starboard (right side, looking toward the head) and the Port (left). The day commences at noon, and is thus divided: Afternoon Watch, noon to 4 P. M.; First Dog Watch, 4 P. M. to 6 P. M.; Second Dog Watch, 6 P. M. to 8 P. M.; First Watch, 8 P. M. to Midnight; Middle Watch, 12 A. M. to 4 A. M. Morning Watch, 4 A. M. to 8 A. M.: Forenoon Watch, 8 A. M. to noon. This makes seven WATCHES, which enables the crew to keep them alternately, as the Watch which comes on duty at noon one day has the afternoon next day, and the men who have only four hours' rest one night have eight hours the next. This is the reason for having Dog Watches, which are made by dividing the hours between 4 P. M. and 8 P. м, into two Watches. Time is kept by means of "Bells," although sometimes there is but one Bell on the ship. - Whitaker.

Easter Sunday.

A TABLE SHOWING THE DATE OF EASTER SUNDAY IN EACH YEAR OF THE NINETEENTH AND

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1968-April 14. 1969-April 6. 1970-Mar. 29. 1971-April 11. 1972-April 2. 1973-April 22.

1941-April 13.
1942-April 5.
1943-April 25.

1974-April 14.

1975-Mar. 30.

1976-April 18.

1944-April 9.
1945-April 1.

1977-April 10.

1978-Mar. 26.

1946-April 21,
1947-April 6.
1948-Mar, 28.

1949-April 17.
1950-April 9.
1951-Mar. 25.

1952-April 13.
1953-April 5.
1954-April 18.
1955-April 10.
1956-April 1.
1957-April 21.

1925-April 12.
1926-April 4.

1958-April 6.
1959-Mar. 29.

1927-April 17.
1928-April 8.
1929-Mar. 31.
1930-April 20.
1931-April 5.
1932-Mar. 27.
1933-April 16.
1934-April 1.

1960-April 17.
1961-April 2.
1962-April 22.

1963-April 14,
1964-Mar. 29.
1965-April 18.
1966-April 10.
1967-Mar. 26.

1979-April 15. 1980-April 6. 1981-April 19. 1982-April 11. 1983-April 3. 1984-April 22. 1985-April 7. 1986-Mar. 30. 1987-April 19. 1988-April 3. 1989-Mar. 26. 1990-April 15. 1991-Mar. 31. 1992-April 19. 1993-April 11. 1994-April 3. 1995-April 16, 1996-April 7. 1997-Mar. 30. 1998-April 12. 1999-April 4. 2000-April 23.

THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE.

THE earth's sensible atmosphere is generally supposed to extend some forty miles in height, prob ably farther, but becoming at only a few miles from the surface of too great a tenuity to support life. The condition and motions of this aerial ocean play a most important part in the determination of climate, modifying, by absorbing, the otherwise intense heat of the sun, and, when laden with clouds, hindering the earth from radiating its acquired heat into space. - Whitaker.

Transatlantic Mails.

A RECORD of the speed of the steamers to which the mails for transatlantic destinations were assigned and the quickest trip made by each steamer of the transatlantic steamship companies in conveying the United States mails from New York to London and to Paris during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1901. The number of hours stated does not indicate the time consumed in the sea voyage only, but the period elapsing between the actual receipt of the mails at the post-office in New York and their delivery at the post-office in London or Paris:

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Oceanic

Majestic...

JANUARY 1. NEW YEAR'S DAY: In all the States (including the District of Columbia, Arizona, and New Mexico), except Massachusetts, Mississippi, and New Hampshire.

JANUARY 8. ANNIVERSARY OF THE BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS: In Louisiana.

JANUARY 19. LEE'S BIRTHDAY: In Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and Alabama.

FEBRUARY 11, 1902. MARDI-GRAS: In Alabama and the parish of Orleans, Louisiana. FEBRUARY 12. LINCOLN'S BIRTHDAY: In Connecticut, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Washington (State), and Wyoming.

FEBRUARY (Third Tuesday). TION DAY: In Pennsylvania.

SPRING ELEC

FEBRUARY 22. WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY: In all the States (including the District of Columbia and Arizona), except Mississippi, where it is observed by exercises in the public schools only. MARCH 2. ANNIVERSARY OF TEXAN INDEPENDENCE: In Texas.

MARCH 28, 1902. GOOD FRIDAY: In Alabama, Louisiana, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Tennessee. APRIL 6. CONFEDERATE MEMORIAL DAY: In Louisiana.

APRIL 19. PATRIOTS' DAY: In Massachusetts. APRIL 21, ANNIVERSARY OF THE BATTLE OF SAN JACINTO: In Texas.

APRIL 26. CONFEDERATE MEMORIAL DAY: In Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi.

MAY 10. CONFEDERATE MEMORIAL DAY: In North Carolina and South Carolina.

MAY (Second Friday). CONFEDERATE DAY: In Tennessee.

Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming, in the years when elections are held in these States. In 1902 in States holding such elections the date is November 4.

NOVEMBER

1902. THANKSGIVING DAY (usually the fourth Thursday in November). Is observed in all the States, and in the District of Columbia, Arizona, and New Mexico, though in some States it is not a statutory holiday.

DECEMBER 25. CHRISTMAS DAY: In all the States, and in the District of Columbia, Arizona, and New Mexico.

Sundays and Fast Days are legal holidays in all the States which designate them as such.

There are no statutory holidays in Mississippi, but by common consent the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are observed as holidays. In Kansas Decoration Day, Labor Day, and Washington's Birthday are the only legal holidays by legislative enactment; other legal holidays are so only by common consen. In New Mexico, Washington's Birthday, Decoration Day, Labor Day, Flag Day (June 14), and Arbor Day are holidays when so designated by the Governor.

ARBOR DAY is a legal holiday in Arizona, Maine,
Minnesota, North Dakota Wisconsin, and Wyom
ing, the day being set by the Governor; in Texas,
February 22; in Nebraska, April 22; Montana,
May 8; Utah, April 15: Rhode Island, May 11;
Florida, first Friday in February; Georgia, first
Friday in December; Colorado (school holiday
only), third Friday in April; Idaho (school hol-

MAY 20. ANNIVERSARY OF THE SIGNING OF
THE MECKLENBURG DECLARATION OF INDE-iday only), first Friday after May 1.
PENDENCE: In North Carolina,

MAY 30. DECORATION DAY: In all the States
and Territories (and District of Columbia), except
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana,
Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina,
Texas, and Virginia.

JUNE 3. JEFFERSON DAVIS' BIRTHDAY: In
Florida, Georgia, and Alabama.
JULY 4. INDEPENDENCE DAY: In all the
States and the District of Columbia, Arizona, and
New Mexico.

JULY 24. PIONEERS' DAY: In Utah.
AUGUST 16. BENNINGTON BATTLE DAY: In
Vermont.

SEPTEMBER 1, 1902. LABOR DAY: In all the
States and Territories (and District of Columbia),
except Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada,
North Dakota, and Oklahoma.
SEPTEMBER 9. ADMISSION DAY: In Cali-
OCTOBER 12. NORTH CAROLINA DAY: In pub-
lic schools of the State of North Carolina.

fornia.

NOVEMBER 1. ALLSAINTS' DAY: In Louisiana. NOVEMBER GENERAL ELECTION DAY: In Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New

Every Saturday after 12 o'clock noon is a legal holiday in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Tennessee, Virginia, and the city of New Orleans, and in Newcastle County, Del. except in St. George's Hundred; in Louisiana and Missouri in cities of 100,000 or more inhabitants; in Ohio in cities of 50,000 or more inhabitants; and June 1 to August 31 in Denver, Col. In the District of Columbia for all purposes respecting the presentation for payment or acceptance or the protesting of all commercial paper whatsoever. In Connecticut, Maine, and West Virginia banks close at 12 noon on Saturdays. In North Carolina is observed in certain sections.

There is no national holiday, not even the Fourth of July. Congress has at various times appointed special holidays. In the second session of the Fifty-third Congress it passed an act making Labor Day a public holiday in the District of Columbia, and it has recognized the existence of certain days as holidays, for commercial purposes, but, with the exception named, there is no general statute on the subject. The proclamation of the President designating a day of Thanksgiving only makes it a legal holiday in the District of Columbia, and in those States which provide by law for it.

Old English Holidays.

THESE holidays, with their names, had their origin in mediæval England when the State religion was that of the Church of Rome, and they are still observed generally or in some parts of England, Scotland, and Ireland.

JANUARY 6. TWELFTH DAY, or Twelfth-tide, sometimes called Old Christmas Day, the same as Epiphany. The previous evening is Twelfth Night, with which many social rites have long been connected.

FEBRUARY 2. CANDLEMAS Festival of the Purification of the Virgin. Consecration of the lighted candles to be used in the church during the year.

FEBRUARY 14. OLD CANDLEMAS: St. Valentine's Day. MARCH 25. LADY DAY Annunciation of the Virgin. April 6 is old Lady Day.

JUNE 24. MIDSUMMER DAY: Feast of the Nativity of John the Baptist July 7 is old Midsummer Day.

JULY 15. ST. SWITHIN'S DAY. There was an old superstition that if rain fell on this day it would continue forty days. AUGUST 1. LAMMAS DAY: Originally in England the festival of the wheat harvest. In the Church the festival of St. Peter's miraculous deliverance from prison. Old Lammas Day is August 13.

SEPTEMBER 29. MICHAELMAS: Feast of St. Michael, the Archangel. Old Michaelmas is October 11.

NOVEMBER 1. ALLHALLOWMAS: All-hallows, or All Saints' Day. The previous evening is All-hallow-e'en, observed by home gatherings and old-time festive rites.

NOVEMBER 2. ALL SOULS' DAY: Day of prayer for the souls of the dead.

NOVEMBER 11. MARTINMAS: Feast of St. Martin. Old Martinmas is November 23.

DECEMBER 28. CHILDERMAS: Holy Innocents Day.
Lady Day, Midsummer Day, Michaelmas, and Christmas are
quarter (rent) days in England, and Whitsunday, Martinmas,
Candlemas, and Lammas Day in Scotland.

Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday, and Maundy Thursday, the day before Good Friday, are observed by the Church. Mothering Sunday is Mid-Lent Sunday, in which the old rural custom obtains of visiting one's parents and making them presents.

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