At the crisis of the Great Revolution, the French Nation--so gifted
alike in scientific and artistic talents--determined to make their
system of time, length, breadth, weight, etc., a decimal system, so
that it would be strictly accurate, in accordance with certain rules,
and at the same time as simple as possible. A new calendar was made.
The Christian Era was wiped out, and was replaced by the new French
era, dating September 22, 1792. Instead of our week of seven days, a
week of ten days was established, the tenth day being set apart for
rest, like our Sunday. Instead of the mythological names of the month,
others deduced from the prevailing seasons of the year were substituted.
Everything was to be reduced to the basis of Reason, which was deified.
The Notre Dame was converted into a “Temple of Reason.” Mme. Momero,
the young and beautiful wife of a Jacobin printer, was chosen to
represent Reason. She was dressed in white, with a mantle of azure blue
hanging from her shoulders. Her hair was crowned with a cap of liberty.
Adorned in this way, and seated upon a chair decorated with ivy, she
was borne, amid the shouts of the people, to the Notre Dame, by four
citizens.
It was decreed that the following table should be adopted, and held to
be official throughout France:
AUTUMN
Vindemaire (vintage month)--Sept. 22-Oct. 21.
Brumaire (foggy month)--Oct. 22-Nov. 20.
Frimaire (sleety month)--Nov. 21-Dec. 20.
WINTER
Nivose (snowy month)--Dec. 21-Jan. 19.
Pluviose (rainy month)--Jan. 20-Feb. 18.
Ventose (windy month)--Feb. 19-March 20.
SPRING
Germinal (budding month)--March 21-April 19.
Floreal (flowery month)--April 20-May 19.
Prairial (pasture month)--May 20-June 18.
SUMMER
Messidor (harvest month)--June 19-July 18.
Fervidor (hot month)--July 19-August 17.
Fructidor (fruit month)--August 18-Sept. 16.
In order to complete the 365 days of the common year (Sept. 16-22) five
“complimentary” days, which were considered festivals, were added.
Primidi, dedicated to Virtue--Sept. 17.
Duodi, dedicated to Genius--Sept. 18.
Tridi, dedicated to Labor--Sept. 19.
Quartidi, dedicated to Opinion--Sept. 20.
Quintidi, dedicated to Rewards--Sept. 21.
While such a system doubtless had much to commend it, it speedily fell
into neglect, when the new order of things was restored in France and
even came in for its share of ridicule. The late George Gates, for
example, caricatured the method by the following ludicrous verse:
Autumn--Wheezy, sneezy, freezy;
Winter--Slippy, drippy, nippy;
Spring--Showery, flowery, bowery;
Summer--Hoppy, croppy, poppy!