A folk calendar, also
known as a native chronicle, is a unique compilation of local events and
occurrences which were traditionally recorded and observed in the community.
These events are considered as living history by the people who observed them
at the time because it helps them in preserving the past for the future
generations. It also acts as an educational tool for the youth to know more
about different cultural activities, folk songs, local festivals, historical
events and so on.
An example of a
traditional calendar is the Sandwich calendar. This record dates from 1601. The
squares within the layout depict the different seasons of the year, starting
with the spring, which is represented by a green, symbolizing summer, and
finishing with winter, symbolizing Christmas. Each month has its own set of
associated events, which are crucial in defining the start and the end of that
particular season.
For example, the green
square which represents spring has the first event of the year which is the
beginning of grain planting. Grain is always needed during the cold winter
months of winter. Farmers must be ready to harvest their products because
winter is the time when they must stop cultivating and start storing their
supplies. This would result to an economic shortage as well because the price
of grains would go up significantly during the winter months. Farmers must rely
on the use of their equipment in order to have their fields fully developed
prior to planting seeds for the next year.
In summer, the squares
representing winter months shift to the shades of red and orange. These
represent the start of summer pasture grass growth and the planting of
seedlings. Summer is always accompanied by sunshine, which provides a good
environment for crops to grow. In autumn, the last events in the winter months
are the emergence of snow crystals on the horizon which signals the start of
new growth. Farmers can use this to their advantage by taking advantage of the
good days and make use of the snow crystal to train their animals to help in
the hay production.
The traditional folk
calendar was made by creating a series of images and then arranging them in a
specific pattern. These pictures represented the time of the year and the
natural occurrences that took place at that particular time. Many times, the
calendar had to be adjusted depending on the environmental conditions of a
certain place. This led to the inevitable occurrence of leap years, which
require different illustrations for each year.
With the modernization
of time and technology, the traditional calendars have been replaced by the
more modernized versions. However, the importance of these calendars are still
very much present. Even if they are often disregarded by modern people, they
still hold a great value to the people of earlier generations. Some folk
believe that a well-calculated folk calendar gives a precise prediction of the
future.
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