24 November, 2019
The first calendar was invented in Mesapotamia in Iraq about 2000 years ago. It was based on the phases of the moon, from the new moon as it waxed into a full moon and then waned, back into a thin crescent shape. This waxing and waning of the moon lasted just over 28 days, and so the year was divided into 12 lunar (moon) months, totalling 336 days. But as the Earth takes a little over 365 days to travel around the Sun, this led to the difference between the time indicated by the calendar and the actual time of the year, calculated by the March and September equinoxes -dates with an equal number of daylight and night hours.
Mohamed Shaliq,
Grade 10,
J.M.C. College International,
Kandy.