Vendémiaire

Vendémiaire was the first month of the French Republican Calendar, which was established by decree of the National Convention on 22 September 1792, and remained in use until 31 December 1805. The name "Vendémiaire" comes from the French word "vendange," meaning vintage or grape harvest, reflecting the autumnal season in which it occurred. The month began on 22, 23, or 24 September, depending on the epoch, and lasted for 30 days. It was followed by Brumaire and preceded by the intercalary days called Sansculottides, which marked the end of the Republican year. The Republican Calendar aimed to rationalize timekeeping and break from traditional Christian holidays and monarchical associations. While intended to be a symbol of revolutionary progress, it was eventually abolished by Napoleon Bonaparte, who reinstated the Gregorian calendar. The concept of Vendémiaire, as the start of a new year and a time of harvest, carried symbolic weight within the revolutionary ideology, representing abundance and the fruits of labor. The calendar itself was a complex system, with each month divided into three ten-day weeks called decades.