Revolutionskalender

The Revolutionskalender, known in French as Calendrier républicain, was a calendar system used by the French Republic during the French Revolution. It was introduced to reflect secular and rational principles and was officially adopted in 1793, with usage continuing in government and public life until the early 19th century.

The calendar divided the year into 12 months of 30 days each, totaling 360 days. Each month was further divided into three décades (a 10-day week). The remaining five or six days at the end of the year, called jours complémentaires or sans-culottides, were added to align the calendar with the solar year. Leap years were not tied to a simple rule and could result in six complementary days in some years.

Months were named after seasonal and agricultural themes: Vendémiaire, Brumaire, Frimaire, Nivôse, Pluviôse, Ventôse, Germinal, Floréal, Prairial, Messidor, Thermidor, and Fructidor. Days within each décade received names rather than numbers, including Primidi, Duodi, Triode/Tridi, Quartidi, Quintidi, Sextidi, Septidi, Octidi, Nonidi, and Décadi.

Years were counted from the proclamation of the French Republic, designated as Year I from 22 September 1792. Consequently, Year II began on 22 September 1793, and so on. The Revolutionskalender was part of a broader movement to de-Christianize time and promote decimalization, alongside the metric system and proposed decimal time.

The system faced practical difficulties and opposition from religious and administrative sectors. It was officially abandoned in 1806, when Napoleon Bonaparte restored the Gregorian calendar. Despite its limited duration, the Revolutionskalender remains a notable example of revolutionary-era attempts to restructure everyday life.

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