An abacus calendar is a kind of calendar that makes use of an abacus to characterize the times, months, and years. Abacus calendars have been first developed in China throughout the Han Dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE), and so they have been used for hundreds of years to maintain observe of time. Not like trendy calendars, that are based mostly on the photo voltaic yr, abacus calendars are based mostly on the lunisolar yr, 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 right this moment in some components of the world, notably in East Asia. They’re typically used for non secular functions, comparable to figuring out the dates of festivals and holidays, and so they will also be used for sensible functions, comparable to holding observe of appointments and occasions. Abacus calendars are a worthwhile device for anybody who’s interested by studying extra about Chinese language tradition and historical past, and so they will also be a enjoyable and academic method to study in regards to the fundamentals of astronomy.
