The 12 lunar calendars still in use

There are 12 lunar calendars still in use around the world. Welcome to this deep dive into the fascinating world of lunar calendars. Let’s explore how the moon’s journey has shaped timekeeping traditions across cultures and civilizations from antiquity to the present day. As we traverse this celestial journey, we’ll highlight the 12 significant lunar calendars that are still in use around the world. Ever marvel at the serene beauty of the moon and ponder its influence on our lives and cultures? Many have. From time immemorial, humans have been intrigued by the moon’s celestial dance and one of the ways this fascination manifested itself was through the creation of lunar calendars. A lunar calendar is a timekeeping system that is based on the moon’s phases (though many are actually lunisolar). While the world has largely transitioned to the solar Gregorian calendar for everyday use, many cultures and religions around the globe continue to rely on lunar calendars for various purposes. These calendars are not relics of a bygone era but vibrant aspects of contemporary life, underscoring the enduring resonance of lunar timekeeping. 

Buddhist lunar calendar

The Buddha, Gandhara bust

Thailand officially uses the solar-based Gregorian calendar for civil and business purposes to conduct business with the West. But the Thai Buddhist lunar calendar continues to hold a vital place in cultural and religious life. Its roots are deeply embedded in the country’s Theravada Buddhist traditions and agricultural practices, the Thai lunar calendar keeps track of time and also aids in shaping and preserving the cultural identity of Thai communities.

The Thai Buddhist calendar, also known as the Thai lunar calendar, is primarily a lunisolar system. Each month commences with the new moon, culminating in lunar months that span either 29 or 30 days in length, closely aligning with the moon’s synodic period.

• 

  Gilded Buddha statue in ancient Sukhothai, Thailand

  If a day is exactly 24 hours long, and if a month is four weeks (28 days) long, what number multiplied by these many months would equal 365 days? It has to be 12 because a year is 365 days long. Right? 12x28=365? No, do the math. It's 13x28=364, plus one New Year's turnover day to repeat. There are 13 lunar months or something close to it because there are two full moons in a month (a "blue moon") only every two years, but by our calculation, it should be every year. A day must not be exactly 24 hours, and a week must not be seven days, and a month is certainly not 28 days, so the Gregorian calendar popularized by the Vatican (formerly dedicated to the worship of Mithras, a form of the name Mitra/Mithras/Maitreya) and Catholic Church has duped our world and broken connection with the Earth's ancient timekeeper. What are we told the Native Americans said to another after a long absence? "It has been many moons," not "many suns," which if the sun is how anyone were keeping time should be the saying.

However, to reconcile the 11-day difference between a lunar year (12 lunar months) and a solar year, the Thai lunar calendar employs a system of intercalated months, adding an extra month about every two to three years.

A unique aspect of the Thai calendar is its dual year count. Alongside the Common Era (CE) count, it also features a Buddhist Era (BE) count, which begins with the enlightenment of the Buddha Siddhartha Gautama.

To find the Buddhist year, 543 years are added to the Gregorian year. For example, the year 2023 CE is 2566 BE in the Buddhist calendar.

Jainism

Mahavira mirrored the Buddha

Jainism (the religion most analogous to Buddhism, as the only other surviving shramanic or wandering ascetic tradition, both of which rejected the Vedas as the ultimate source of knowledge, whereas Hinduism embraces them as its root texts) has a calendar.

It is the prime example of a lunar calendar that seamlessly weaves religious practice, timekeeping, and the rhythms of the natural world.

Used by the Jain community predominantly in India but also worldwide, the Jain calendar plays a vital role in religious observances and cultural practices, thereby upholding the enduring relevance of lunar calendars.

Gymnosophist (naked philosopher) Mahavira

The Jain calendar, also known as the Jain Panchang or Jain Panchangam, is a lunisolar calendar that balances the lunar year’s shorter duration with the solar year’s longer span, by incorporating an extra month, or “adhik maas,” approximately every three years.

This intercalary month helps align the calendar with the seasons, a key factor considering many Jain observances are intimately tied to seasonal cycles.

In accordance with lunar cycles, each month in the Jain calendar commences with the new moon, resulting in lunar months of approximately 29.5 days, closely mirroring the moon’s synodic period.

The month is divided into two halves, the Shukla Paksha, or “bright fortnight,” and the Krishna Paksha, or “dark fortnight,” each lasting around 15 days and ending with either the full moon or new moon. More: The 12 Lunar Calendars Still in Use Around the World

• Moment of Zen Videos | Watch (msn.com)
• MoonCraterTycho.com; Dhr. Seven, Pat Macpherson, CC Liu (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly