Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1892 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XV. THE KALENDAB. FAST8 AND FESTIVALS. SUNDAYS. Beginning of the year--The Era--Blessing the months--Shwat, or February--Easter--Shawu'i--Vigils--A festival of our Lord--Village festivals--Dancing--Sacrifices--Epiphany--Mart Mariam, Urmi--Ascension Day--Holy Cross Day--Veneration of the Cross--Saints' days--Legend concerning St. George's martyrdom--Sundays--How reckoned--Sunday bathing forbidden--Fasts--Sunday fasting--Animal food forbidden--Wednesdays and Fridays--Fasting Communion--Soma--Table of holy-days and Sundays, with some account of saints commemorated--How to find Easter. HERE seems to be considerable doubt among the Syrians as to when the year begins. The kalendars usually start with October, and in lists of months October, or First Tishrin as it is called, is' given as the first. But in the Khudhra, or book of proper services for Sundays and holy days, the year begins with Advent. And popularly the Epiphany is often held to be the beginning of the year. The Julian kalendar is used in reckoning the months, and in all the books, and still in the mountains, the "era of Alexander" (or "of the Greeks "), i.e. the era of the Seleucidae, for the years. This is reckoned from 311 B.C. In letters the Christian era is now more commonly used in the plain of Urmi, but it is not easy to say if it was ever employed until of late years, or whether its use is due solely to intercourse with Europe. The years are numbered by letters, not by Arabic figures, which have only lately been introduced by Western influence..They will, even in speaking, put vowels to the consonants which represent th9 numerals and form a short word for each year, instead of saying its number in full. Thus, 1888 is appakh; 1889 is appat, and so forth. On the...
