Since the ending of all normal church activities from the 1960s onward of the Chinese Orthodox Church, the faithful in China and even those ethnic Chinese people abroad, do not have any official Chinese Church calendar (liturgical year table). Now many of the Faithful in the Lord with same Orthodox belief or convictions intends to newly edit the Chinese text of the Orthodox Church calendar, to supply the motherland and the overseas Chinese Orthodox parishioners for their use. But before initiating this work, actually can not but determine some basic concept about the naming convention of the calendar in Chinese. The author of this explanation is writing with the intention to solicit fellow people in the Lord of same belief for your opinion and the suggestion.
First is the seven day cycle, in the Orthodox Church, should it be called "Xingqi" (lit. Star time, meaning week in Chinese)", or should it be called "Zhou" (also meaning week in Chinese)"? "Eudomas" in the original Greek means the numeral "seven", therefore, "week" in the Greek original text actually has the meaning of "period of seven days". But the word "Xingqi" (week in Chinese) has its origin with the English meaning of names for the days of the week taken from the stars. For example Sunday is "the solar day (day of the sun)", Monday is "the moon day", so and so on. However, in the Orthodox Church calendar, names of the days of the week does not originate from the constellation, thus the use of "Xingqi (lit. Star time)" is not suitable, therefore the suggestion is to use "qi ri zhou (lit. seven day week)" or "Zhou" which is also a generally translated name for "week" in public usage.
Next, in modern Chinese, the name of each day of the seven day week violates the Orthodox Church's liturgical principle, therefore cannot be adopted for liturgical use within the church. Explanation as follows:
Obviously, according to the Greek original text, as well as the Orthodox Church consistent tradition, cycle of the seventh start in the Lord's day, finished in the sabbath. However, now China's common custom society actually on seventh the cyclical second natural lifespan is the Christian a week beginning, called it "Monday", this is not in harmony with the Orthodox Church the tradition, therefore, in the Orthodox Church official etiquette religious texts and the year calendar, should not use the common custom the name, otherwise tampered with the church etiquette date arrangement principle.
Lord's day the reason that the arrangement head of in the seventh, is because God started the creation world project in this day, is beginning of for the good fortune. But the reason that is called "belongs Lord's day" and was taken when commemorates specially the saint date, is because this day is a day which Christ reactivates, Christ in this day by his sacred reactivating, renewed ten thousand had, has opened "new day New Territories", merit of the God good fortune 于焉 reached in being perfect. Therefore, regardless of is in the old testament time in the New Testament time, Lord's day all was taken a week-long is not the conclusion initially.
Moreover has special name in a week the day also to have "the preparation date" also is a week-long sixth days, as well as "sabbath", also is a week-long seventh days -- last day. Former acquiring fame, comes from the old testament time Jew's custom. Because touches the Iraqi rest Si's regulation according to the old testament, sabbath has very many matters all not to be able to do, including lifts cooks a meal prepares food. Therefore the Jew day before wants to prepare sufficient food in the sabbath, therefore this day (a week-long sixth days) on is called "the preparation date". The Orthodox Church retains this name, because of ours savior Jesus Christ in this day for the world life and the grace of salvation, is willing to suffer distress, the shed had been born in the cross saint frame. Christ's death is reactivating "the preparation", similarly, we commemorate this saint date, and defends the room in this day to pray, also is for prepares our each person reactivating. As for the sabbath, is in an old testament time week the most important saint date, is was commemorates God to complete the good fortune world work but to rest. But we advocate Jesus Christ then completed his salvation in this day to offer a sacrifice to offers, rested in the grave. Although the New Testament time Christian no longer receives the old testament law about the sabbath article restraint, but we still commemorated this day, after also was commemorates God two time to rest -- completes the world good fortune to rest in the paradise; After completed the salvation sacrificial offering to rest in the holy sepulchre.
The Chinese Orthodox Church use calendar is the Orthodox Church tradition Julian calendar, but China's daily calendar is the common custom general Gregorian experience. Actually latter only is former "the improvement" the form, these two calendars principle and a month of naming are same, their common source is the ancient Rome experience. But the question lies in, according to China's calendar tradition, each month is does not have the special name, only is determined a month achievement "in the first month", other months on according to sequence are called "second month" "third month" and so on. When China accepts the Gregorian calendar is "the public calendar" (public usage) time, has followed the calendar tradition, also is only supposes promulgation, but for each month of naming, namely the Ianuarius month which undergoes by Rome is not in the first month, other months according to sequence call by the ordinal name. Such procedure although is simple, but if the Orthodox Church institutional records of a reign total acceptance such nomenclature, can meet a question, that is take the Ianuarius month on first as promulgated the procedure is the modern one kind "is established by usage", also does not conform to the ancient Rome experience promulgation, also does not tally the Orthodox Church etiquette anniversary 正朔.
Must explain this question, first needs to understand the ancient Rome calendar the month of name origin. Because the Julian calendar and a Gregorian experience month of name all comes from the ancient Rome experience, but an ancient Rome calendar month of name is naturally the source leaves Latin, a Greek month of name transliterates completely from theirs Latin name, same transliterating, has affected the Slav language family by Greece and the Latin two languages, the Germanic language family and so on the various languages. Presently Roman calendar year 12 month-long Latin names as well as their meaning will list as follows:
Thus it can be seen, initial Rome undergoes with China's calendar is same, is only supposes 正朔, but does not have a month of name. But gradually, the people stemming from religious or the political reason, have installed the special name for certain months. The result is year center four month-long naming comes from the god name, comes from the religious rite, comes the season change the natural phenomenon, two come from ruler's name, moreover four then specially have not been named, retained the original sequence name. Is from these four not the month which changes the name, we can know, the ancient Rome first month is the Martius month, however this month is actually in modern public usage in March, in the modern public usage in first month --Ianuarius month, then is ancient Rome calendar in November. However, Orthodox Church etiquette anniversary first month, then is the Septembrius month, also is Roman calendar the seventh month, modern public usage in September. As the matter stands, in the similar calendar system 12 months, but were having three kind of different arrangements because of three kind of different promulgated stipulations, presently tabulate as follows:
After the above discussion, we may understand to, a month of naming has two ways, after one kind is the determination promulgated names by the numeral, this way is simplest, also is the Chinese populace practices in the way which accepts, but the shortcoming is as a result of the different promulgated establishment, can create chaotic in the understanding, for instance when we say "in the 5th month" in Chinese, if not explained specifically, we would not know if the 5th month is referring to the "May" in the lunar calendar, or the solar calendar according to public usage (certainly, in quite popular male experience city or quite popular calendar remote border district, Countryside and certain national minority areas, according to each one concrete linguistic environment, the people may make the correct judgment generally). Because the numeral nomenclature easily creates chaos with the different calendar system, therefore I would not suggest the Chinese Orthodox Church to adopt this approach in the etiquette calendar naming. For instance, in the Orthodox Church calendar, the first month, actually in public usage is September, (is counted Julian calendar and Gregorian experience difference in duration of sunshine, exactly said is public usage from September 14 to October 13) but this month according to the old name wording meaning also is "the 7th month" (promulgated according to Rome). If the Orthodox church promulgated according to her own names of each month by numeral, such year calendar certainly can create the inexhaustible puzzle in the daily use to the church member. For instance, if we said "twelfth month (December)", actually is the common custom world "eight month (August)" the speech, this really is one kind of very big confusion.
Moreover one kind of month of nomenclature is takes the specific name for each month, such procedure does not lack its example in the history, for instance Judea undergoes; Rome undergoes the for eight months (to see preceding text explanation); French Revolution time "revolutionary experience" and so on. Such procedure although quite is troublesome (must remember suitable name as well as between them sequence relations), but the merit is cannot create chaotic in the different calendar system. For instance when a Jew said "in seventh month" time, we cannot know he said is concrete is when any (actually is the compartment public usage in July, in July other any calendar in July which Judea undergoes), but when he said "Nepal disperses the month" (Nisan), we may know immediately what he refers is the Judea calendar is opposite male in undergoes during three April, contained Judaism to overstep festival that month.
But, if we must give China in the Orthodox Church etiquette year experience each month names, similarly can meet a question, that is should use the Roman experience name to transliterate transliterates, or gives up the name which Rome undergoes but other naming. Uses the Roman experience name transliterating is includes Greek to make peace the church Slavic language's many languages procedures, but if we use in Chinese these names transliterates, will have incoherently to compose one batch inevitably to be difficult to read, moreover the meaningless new word will come in Chinese, will have to let the general church members accept with memory these words will be difficult without doubt. If uses the transliteration, also has the not right: First, these have the specific name the month, its name all came from Rome since time immemorial the religion or the political leader, believed with the Orthodox Church has had nothing to do with the department; Next also has four unspecific names but take the sequence as a month, their arrangement defers to is Rome promulgation, promulgated all has with the public usage as well as the Orthodox Church differently (for details sees preceding text); Therefore if must use a Roman month transliteration in Chinese Orthodox Church etiquette calendar, similarly is can have the difficulty. Looked like the only outlet was from regives in Chinese each month to name. Actually but should how name, then still waited for Fang Jia's advising.
I had thought about the month name question for several days, and would like your feedback as I am not sure as to its feasibility. This proposed naming schema uses the most prominent feast day for a given month to be the name of the month. Initially, this is what it would be like: