It's Time to Begin
By Rachel Ofo
“Leaping” into the new year
Welcome to 2024! Another 365, or this year 366, days to make changes, learn new things, and live life. This year we welcome a leap year, when an extra day is added to the end of February.
You may have learned about leap years through the “months” song and know that they happen “whenever the year divides by four”, although this depends on which calendar you follow.* Many of us have followed the same calendar all our lives, but what some fail to realize is that people have a variety of calendars and perceptions of time and history.
Coming from the US, where the Gregorian calendar is used most, it is currently 2024, but in Ethiopia it is 2017, and in Thailand, 2566. Are those in Ethiopia stuck in the past while Thailand residents are living in the future? As exciting as that would be, no! Ethiopia, the United States, and Thailand are all sitting on the same Earth that started at the same time.
With nearly 40 types of calendars being used worldwide (1), the history of timekeeping is fascinating.
The sun and the moon
Most calendars either follow the earth’s rotation around the sun (solar calendars), the moon’s phases (lunar calendars), or a combination of the two. Some have their own rules altogether. But one thing is certain, time never stops. Though it seems to slow down when our child is dysregulated and seems to speed up while we’re out with friends, the truth is, regardless of which year our phone is set to, time is constant.
The sun will consistently rise and fall (in most countries), and the stars will dance across the night skies, stealing the attention of our little ones. Every night my daughter excitedly exclaims, “Look, Mommy! The moon is out!” This actually allows me to pause and appreciate the splendor of the moon, the sun, and time in general.
We know that each month has a certain number of days. We have all agreed that every day has a set number of hours. We accept that every four years, our beloved February has an extra day, although many of us don’t understand why.
A brief history of calendars
The history of calendars is an interesting one (2), and to avoid boring you I’ll give a condensed version. Many calendars were created throughout history because, naturally, humans need something tangible to look at when it comes to time. We know it’s here, but we like to see it. So clocks and calendars were created to feed this need. Unfortunately, many of the first calendars were slightly off, whether it was by a few days or some hours.
Different solutions to this problem were created. The ancient Egyptians partied at the end of the year to make up for the few days they were missing (3). Julius Caesar added a whopping 80 extra days in the year 46 BC, along with slightly longer days in the following years, but this didn’t completely fix the issue. Important dates, holidays, and seasons continued to shift. Finally, Pope Gregory XIII did some math, dropped some days, added the leap year every four years, and in 1582, he gave us the Gregorian calendar. This calendar has stood the test of time—so far.
Learning the time
Despite time being a topic we learn about in our youth, it’s quite abstract. I can’t tell you how many times my child has asked me why there are minutes and seconds, days and years, hours and weeks, and months. The questions are like time itself: nonstop! Fortunately for my child (but mainly for my sanity) there is a world of resources and activities available to help her understand the fourth dimension of time.
One of my favorite Bangkok museums to take my daughter to was the Science Center for Education in Phra Khanong. This is a planetarium, full of activities and information centered around space. I found the easiest way to explain time to my child was with big suns, moons, and stars, which makes this place perfect. Although I haven’t seen it myself, I’ve read there’s a giant sundial in Lumphini Park, which would also be a fun way to explore the ideas of time and calendars.
If you can’t get to these places, making sundials at home is also a treat. All you need is a Hula-Hoop, some chalk, and of course, the literal star of the show: the sun. Any activity where children get to use a Hula-Hoop and their shadow is a win. And for older kids who love to read, there are plenty of online resources, like National Geographic Kids, where the history of time and leap years are explained.
Back to the future
So, we’ve explored the basics of time, but what does the leap year ahead mean for us?
The last few years have been a bit rough for many of us. However, a new year gives us the chance to start again, embrace life, and do things without hesitation—not just for our children but also for ourselves. There’s always some nervousness when starting something new. We don’t want to waste time chasing dreams and reaching for stars that seem too far away. But how do we just “leap” right in, ignoring all the anxieties and stresses that may come with beginning again without seeing complete outcomes? True, we don’t know what 2024 will bring, but we can try our best to steer it in our favor. Look at it as 12 months to embrace the coming challenges. And remember, if one day doesn’t go how you planned it, this year there are 1,440 extra minutes to try again.
Time never stops, and neither should you. Our bodies and minds may change or even slow down, but that shouldn’t stop you from leaping into new experiences and enjoying the little things like staring at the moon at night. And if you need a complete restart, there are plenty of other calendars to pick from. Although time waits for no one, you can make it work for you.
* Every fourth year is a leap year, except for years that are divisible by 100 but not by 400. So 1700, 1800, and 1900 were not leap years, but 1600 and 2000 were.
Photos from Canva.
References
- Longstaff, A. (2005) Calendars from Around the World. National Maritime Museum. rmg.co.uk/sites/default/files/Calendars-from-around-the-world.pdf
- Nasa (2023) What is a leap year? spaceplace.nasa.gov/leap-year/en/
- National Geographic Kids (2023) What is a leap year? kids.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/leap-year
About the Author
Rachel Ofo moved from the US to Bangkok in 2016 and spent six and a half years there. She has a daughter, whom she loves dragging around on various adventures like hikes and fishing trips. In her free time, she enjoys reading, watching movies, and trying new restaurants. She also enjoys being out in nature.