An abacus calendar is a kind of calendar that makes use of an abacus to signify the times, months, and years. Abacus calendars had been first developed in China throughout the Han Dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE), and so they had been used for hundreds of years to maintain monitor of time. Not like trendy calendars, that are primarily based on the photo voltaic 12 months, abacus calendars are primarily based on the lunisolar 12 months, which is the time it takes for the moon to orbit the Earth 12 occasions. Subsequently, the size of every month in an abacus calendar can differ between 29 and 30 days.
Abacus calendars are nonetheless used immediately in some components of the world, significantly in East Asia. They’re usually used for non secular functions, similar to figuring out the dates of festivals and holidays, and so they may also be used for sensible functions, similar to retaining monitor of appointments and occasions. Abacus calendars are a worthwhile instrument for anybody who’s taken with studying extra about Chinese language tradition and historical past, and so they may also be a enjoyable and academic option to study concerning the fundamentals of astronomy.
