Silvester

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources.
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. (help, get involved!)
Any material not supported by sources may be challenged and removed at any time. This article has been tagged since December 2006.

For other uses of similar terms see Sylvester

The term silvester (alternately spelled sylvester) is used in certain countries (such as Germany and Israel) for December 31^st in the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve. Swedes don't generally refer to the day itself with this name, but traditionally celebrate Silvester on this day as one of its 365 name days, using that spelling as it's the most common spelling of the name in Sweden. The naming refers to Pope Silvester I, who died on that date in 335.

The introduction of the Gregorian calendar in 1582 moved the last day of the year from December 24^th to December 31^st which had been named Silvester since 813.