The End of the Julian Calendar in Sweden

On February 28, 1700, Sweden made a peculiar adjustment to its calendar system. This day marked the end of the ‘Old Style’ Julian calendar in Sweden as the nation embarked on a complex transition to the Gregorian calendar. However, unlike other countries that switched directly to the new system, Sweden attempted a gradual change.

The Context

The Julian calendar, introduced by Julius Caesar in 46 BC, had been widely used across Europe. Nonetheless, it miscalculated the solar year by 11 minutes. Over centuries, this led to a significant drift in the calendar concerning the equinoxes and related religious events, particularly Easter.

In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII introduced the Gregorian calendar to correct this drift. Many Catholic countries adopted it immediately, while Protestant nations, including Sweden, hesitated due to religious resistance and geopolitical isolation.

Sweden’s Unique Approach

By 1700, many European countries had synchronized with the Gregorian calendar, leaving Sweden and a few others out of step. Recognizing the practical difficulties and diplomatic inconveniences this caused, Sweden decided to transition but took an unconventional approach.

The decision was to gradually reduce the discrepancy by omitting all leap days between 1700 and 1740. This would have brought them into alignment with the Gregorian calendar by 1740. Consequently, February 30, 1700, was intentionally skipped, making February 28 the last day of the month that year.

Implications and Aftermath

This approach, however, proved cumbersome and was soon abandoned. Sweden reinstated the Julian calendar in 1712 by adding an extra leap day to February 29, creating a unique occurrence of February 30 in 1712. Eventually, Sweden adopted the Gregorian calendar entirely in 1753, skipping 11 days in March (March 1 became March 12) to rectify the remaining difference.

Sweden’s initial method illustrates the challenges and complexities that nations faced aligning their timekeeping systems in a rapidly modernizing world. The calendar confusion also reflects broader tensions and transitions in an era of religious change and scientific advancement.