Sansculottides

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The Sansculottides (also Epagomenes; French Sans-culottides, Sanculottides, jours complementaires, jours épagomènes) are the end of the French Republican Calendar of the French Revolution. They follow the Fructidor and precede the Vendémiaire of the next year. They belong to the summer quarter of the year.

The Sansculottides, named after the Sansculottes, amend the 360 days of the caledar so that the beginning of the next year is on the autumnal equinox. There were five Sansculottides in a common year and six in a leap year (from there the French name of the leap year année sextile). The Sansculottides start on September 17 or 18 and end on September 22 or 23.

[edit] History

In the decree of October 5, 1793 (14. du 1er mois II; later 14. Vendémiaire II) the days were named jours complementaires and numbered serially. Only the leap day (jour intercalaire) got a name:

1. première jour complementaire
2. seconde jour complementaire
3. troisième jour complementaire
4. quatrième jour complementaire
5. cinquième jour complementaire
6. jour de la Révolution

The other days, decades, and months were also serially numbered. On October 24 (3. du 2e mois; later 3. Brumaire) of the same year the poet Fabre d'Églantine showed up the absurdity of this naming convention ("le premier jour de la premiere decade du premier mois de la premiere annee").

He suggested proper names for the months, the days of the months, and the days of the decades. For the jours complementaires he introduced the name Sansculottides. The single days should have following names:

1. fête du génie (Talent Day)
2. fête du travail (Labor Day)
3. fête des actions (Good Deed's Day)
4. fête des récompenses (Rewards Day)
5. fête de l’opinion (Opinion Day)
6. la Sans-culottide / la Sanculottide

The fête du génie should after d'Églantine's proposal be dedicated to the most precious and for the nation most useful achievements of the human mind accomplished in the past year.

The fête du travail should be focussed on industry, physical labour, and production of useful things.

On the fête des actions good and beneficial deeds should be praised that have been helpful, even though not for the nation, but for individuals.

On the fête des récompenses persons should be awarded for merits concerning the last three days mottos.

On the fête de l’opinion people should unpunished criticise the administration in form of songs, caricatures, and ironic and sarcastic speeches. Fabre d'Églantine meant:

"I dare to say that this one day will cause the public servants more to do their duty than even the laws of a Draco could."

The Sanculottide celebrated in leap years should be the festival of the national unity. Representants from all parts of the country should meet each other in the capital and fete together.

On November 24 1793 these proposals were accepted with slight modifications. It was decided that the name should be written fêtes Sansculotides (one 't'). Also the spellings Sans-culotides and Sans-culottides were in use. The fête des actions was shifted to the first place and named fête de la vertu. The fête des récompenses went to the last place and the complementary day kept its old name:

1. fête de la vertu (Virtue Day)
2. fête du génie (Talent Day)
3. fête du travail (Labor Day)
4. fête de l’opinion (Opinion Day)
5. fête des récompenses (Rewards Day)
6. fête de la Révolution (Revolution Day)

On August 24, 1795 (7. Fructidor III) the Sansculottides were renamed again into jours complémentaires. The fête du travail is also known as fête du labour. The fête de l'opinion also as fête de l'option (Option Day) or fête de la raison (Reason Day).