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Julian Calendar

The Julian calendar — 13 days behind today.

The Julian calendar was introduced by Julius Caesar in 45 BC and was the standard calendar of the Western world for over 1,600 years. It was replaced by the Gregorian calendar from 1582 because it drifted from the seasons. It is still used by some Orthodox churches for liturgical dates — and currently runs 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar.

At a glance

Key facts about julian calendar

Introduced
45 BC
By Julius Caesar
Type
Solar
Leap year every 4 yrs
Replaced by
Gregorian
From 1582
Now behind by
13 days
1900–2099
Year length
365.25 days
Slightly too long
Still used by
Orthodox churches
Liturgical dates
Orth. Christmas
7 Jan
= 25 Dec Julian
Drift
~1 day / 128 yrs
vs the seasons
Julian vs Gregorian

Why the calendar was reformed

The Julian calendar adds a leap day every four years, making the average year 365.25 days. But the true solar year is about 365.2422 days — so the Julian calendar is ~11 minutes too long, drifting about 1 day every 128 years.

By the 1500s this drift had pushed the spring equinox about 10 days off. In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII introduced the Gregorian reform: it dropped 10 days and refined the leap-year rule (skipping 3 leap years every 400 years).

The gap has since grown to 13 days, which is why Orthodox Christmas (25 December on the Julian calendar) now falls on 7 January Gregorian.

Where it survives

The Julian calendar today

Several Orthodox churches — including the Russian, Serbian, Georgian, and Jerusalem patriarchates — still use the Julian calendar to calculate fixed feast days.

This is why "Orthodox Christmas" and "Old New Year" are celebrated 13 days after the Gregorian dates.

A small number of communities use the Revised Julian calendar, which currently aligns with the Gregorian calendar.

Frequently asked questions

How far behind is the Julian calendar?
Currently 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar (for the years 1900–2099). So 25 December on the Julian calendar is 7 January on the Gregorian.
Who created the Julian calendar?
Julius Caesar introduced it in 45 BC, reforming the older Roman calendar.
Why was the Julian calendar replaced?
Its year (365.25 days) was slightly too long, causing it to drift ~1 day every 128 years from the seasons. The Gregorian reform of 1582 corrected this.
Is the Julian calendar still used?
Yes — several Orthodox churches use it for liturgical dates, which is why Orthodox Christmas falls on 7 January.

Explore more

Julian calendar
Orthodox Christmas · 7 Jan