Anthonya VisserDec 22, 2022
Jens Clasen

The German phrase "zwischen den Jahren" ("between the years") refers to the days between Christmas Eve and New Year's Day or - depending on who you ask - the 6th of January (Epiphany).

So, if your German friends don't answer the phone or open the door during that period, please remember:

They are spending their holidays in a non-existing time-slot between 2 consecutive years.

Enjoy our language!

#TheGermanWord

Dec 21, 2022 at 10:51amWeb
Show threadMopsMama🙋‍♀️Dec 21, 2022
@jensclasen And we aren't allowed to do our laundry and dry it on the clothesline during these days. The ghosts, freed because of the changing years, may come and steal them... 👻
Show threadHias aus OlivaDec 21, 2022
@jensclasen
Imho stems from Roman times: the "Iden des März" did not count into any of both years
Show threadholothuroidDec 21, 2022
@hias1234 @jensclasen My specialty is law and religion of the Roman Republic. Sorry, what?
Show threadHias aus OlivaDec 22, 2022
@holothuroid
This is what we have learned in school. You have other information? Please explain
@jensclasen
Show threadHias aus OlivaDec 22, 2022
@holothuroid
So looked it up in Wikipedia: what I was referring to is called Mercedonius. The ides are indeed something different.
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%B6mischer_Kalender?wprov=sfla1
@jensclasen
Römischer Kalender – Wikipedia

Show threadDie_DodoDec 21, 2022
@jensclasen yes, we do.
Show threadSehfahrer 🇸🇪Dec 21, 2022
@jensclasen true and funny 🙂
Show threadBruno GirinDec 21, 2022
@jensclasen the Maya had a similar concept for the 5 "nameless" days at the end of their 360 day annual calendar.
Show threadMiss SophieDec 21, 2022
@jensclasen
Explanation
The lunar year is only 354 days long, so 11 days are missing to the astronomically correct annual course of the sun. Before the Gregorian calendar unified the counting of time from the 16th century, the old year ended on December 24th in large parts of Europe. The new one began on January 6th. The missing eleven days - or 12 nights - were simply appended at the end, giving rise to the term "between the years". So this is a very old tradition to use this term 😁
Show threadPetra TabarelliDec 22, 2022
@MissSophie @jensclasen @bawHH New Year on 6 Jan? But how can it be that before the 16th century the Circumcisions style (1 Jan) as the beginning of the year was used? In the European Middle Ages either the Christmas style (beginning of the year 25 Dec) or Easter style (varying beginning of the year) was popular. A beginning of the year on 6 Jan is new for me. It was definitely not widespread.
Show threadPetra TabarelliDec 22, 2022
@MissSophie @jensclasen @bawHH Before the Gregorian calendar, which was adapted between 1562 and the 18th century, there was the Julian calendar. But here too: The year does not begin on 6 Jan. But on 1 Mar, so February has fewer days and Sept(7)ember has 7 in its name, Novem(9)ber has 9, etc.
When the Gregorian calendar was introduced in Catholic areas in 1562, 10 days had to be skipped because of the missing hours. But the Julian calendar was not a
Show threadPetra TabarelliDec 22, 2022

@MissSophie @jensclasen @bawHH lunar calendar, but was just missing 11 minutes and a few seconds. (-> leap day every 4 years except in years divisible by 100 but not by 400 without remainder.)

DR;TL: The days between 21 Dec and 6 Jan existed all times. 25 Dec was the mainly beginning of the year in the Middle Ages. The "time between the years" simply the difference between lunar and solar calendar. It has nothing to do with the beginning of the year.

Show threadMiss SophieDec 24, 2022
@clio https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zwischen_den_Jahren 🤷‍♀️
Frohe Weihnachten
Zwischen den Jahren – Wikipedia

Show threadPetra TabarelliDec 24, 2022

@MissSophie Oh, das ist ja ein schönes Beispiel für ein mangelhaftes Reviewverfahren in der Wikipedia. Chronologie ist nun kein Randthema.

(1/2) Es gibt einen anderen Wikipediaartikel, in dem es richtig und sogar detailreich steht. Der 6.1. war demnach im Alemannisch-Schwäbischen kein unbekanntes Neujahr.
https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christliche_Jahreszählung

Christliche Jahreszählung – Wikipedia

Show threadPetra TabarelliDec 24, 2022

@MissSophie (2/2) Gut, Wikipedia-Artikel gegen Wikipedia-Artikel. Nehmen wir dann mal den Grotefend. Ist ja immer noch die führende Quelle in der Chronologie.

Fein, dass es ihn mittlerweile auch online gibt. Da müssen wir unter System und Jahresanfang schauen: http://bilder.manuscripta-mediaevalia.de/gaeste//grotefend/grotefend.htm

Für die bessere Lesbarkeit habe ich den Abschnitt mal näher rangezoomt.

Grotefend

Der Grosse Grotefend online

Show threadPetra TabarelliDec 24, 2022
@MissSophie Gerade gefunden, was noch hilfreich ist: http://bilder.manuscripta-mediaevalia.de/gaeste//grotefend/grotefend.htm - Siehe „Weihnachtsanfang“.
Grotefend

Der Grosse Grotefend online

Show threadKinky KoboldsDec 21, 2022
@jensclasen ah, I was wondering where @Gekko was going to disappear to. They apparently will be disappearing through time itself.
Show threadblausand 🐟Dec 21, 2022
@jensclasen
Additionally, the whole thing happens within the so called "5th season", which defines the carnival season in Rhineland, starting on 11-11 and ending the night before Ash Wednesday.
Show threadEvelynDec 21, 2022

@blausand Way to celebrate Armistice Day! 🥳 ⛑️ 🎉

...But of course "5th Season" must have preceded WW1, probably by centuries, & might even have been a factor in the timing of the Armistice.

Show threadOvaronDec 21, 2022
@jensclasen das ist die Zeit der Rauhnächte.
Show thread⚡️Stephan🔋💉✋✌️🌱🌻Dec 21, 2022
@jensclasen Gemessen an den Arbeiten, die in diesem sagenumwobenen Zeitraum bei meinem Arbeitgeber stattfinden sollen, entspricht „zwischen den Jahren“ etwa 4-6 Wochen in der realen Welt.
Show threadSam 🐝 🏳️‍🌈Dec 21, 2022
@jensclasen There is also a Finnish word for that: "välipäivät," lit. 'the inbetween days.' It refers to the working days between Boxing Day and New Year's day, when no work usually gets done.
Show threadCherylBlueWaveDec 21, 2022

@jensclasen

Well said, I wonder how many people already knew the Magi didn't arrive for two years?

Show threadKajashkaDec 21, 2022
@jensclasen
...and i think it's beautiful. 🙏
Show threadDaniël Franke 🏳️‍🌈Dec 22, 2022
@jensclasen One of my favourite German expressions.
Show threadLisaDec 22, 2022
@jensclasen Interesting and thanks for explaining.
Show thread@ChrisCorrigan has movedDec 22, 2022
@jensclasen interesting. In the Christian liturgical calendar that period, between Advent and Epiphany is literally the liturgical season of Christmas.
Show threadKira RavenDec 22, 2022
@jensclasen I love the Phrase and the time. Even though I have to work, it is still not that busy. And it somehow feels indeed longer, the evenings quiet, everything slowed down a bit.
Show threadJPDec 22, 2022

@jensclasen
Also known as "Tote Hose": You cannot get anything done, get no doctor's appointment, the state bureaucracy is on holiday, as much as most of your coworkers. Having an emergency, of whatever kind, is a bad idea.

You could actually go shopping, but you won't - because all shops are full of people returning gifts, they don't like.

Show threadNathan deGargoyle 🇮🇲🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳Dec 25, 2022
@jensclasen
"Between the years" sounds so much better than Twixmas.
Show threadLennart KoopmannDec 25, 2022
@jensclasen @janl I have to explain this to my US colleagues a lot 😂
Show threadRicardusDec 25, 2022
@jensclasen OK, cool. But what the hell is "Sylvester"?
Show threadRebeccaloeweDec 25, 2022
@jensclasen ..and the days between the years seem to be unnamed. The naming of weekdays starts again after new years day. ;)
Show threadglyeDec 25, 2022
@jensclasen Norwegian: "romjul" ("space Christmas")
Show threadGottfried Szing Dec 25, 2022
@jensclasen basically they are (like myself) in a #quantum superposition. So if someone asks you what happened, just say you felt like a qubit. 😉 And if you are happy, you are entangled as well 🫶
Show threadMax Riethmuller (TechLife)Dec 26, 2022
@jensclasen damn, I need that time slot.
Show threadHeiner70Dec 26, 2022
@jensclasen “Mellandagen”, die “Zwischentage” gibt’s hier in Schweden auch. Traditionell Zeit für spezielle Rabattschlachten in den Geschäften.