commonera

Common Era (CE) is a calendar era used for dating years in the Gregorian calendar, corresponding to the period traditionally labeled AD in Christian chronology. The first year of the Common Era is 1 CE, which is equivalent to AD 1. In CE/BCE notation there is no year 0; the year before 1 CE is 1 BCE.

BCE stands for Before Common Era and is the secular counterpart to BC (Before Christ). CE and BCE are used together as neutral alternatives to AD and BC, allowing authorities and publications to reference historical dates without religious language. The terms are widely used in academia, libraries, museums, and international organizations.

History and usage: The terms CE and BCE arose in the early modern period and gained prevalence in the 19th and 20th centuries. They are now common in scholarly writing, education, and media, particularly in contexts that require a non-sectarian dating system.

Rationale and reception: Proponents argue that CE/BCE offer a secular, cross-cultural way to date events. Critics point out that they do not resolve all cultural sensitivities and some view them as still Eurocentric or unnecessary; some individuals and institutions continue to prefer AD/BC for historical or religious reasons.

Notes: In astronomy, year numbering sometimes uses a year 0 (astronomical year numbering), but standard CE/BCE practice does not include a year 0. The Gregorian calendar remains the most widely used civil calendar, and CE/BCE is used in many texts to annotate historical dates.